How To Paint a Pre War-Assembled or Disassembled

Hi Everyone,

Maybe a silly question but this is my first prewar resto. I am doing a driver grade restoration on my 31 96S coupe and pulled the fenders, running boards, hood, gas tank cover, etc, etc. I am getting them chemically stripped and then stripping the rest of the body on frame.

Basically I wanted to clean up the frame and all those nooks and crannys of 80 years of dirt and grease.

Anyway once stripped and prepped for paint is it best to paint the individual parts before assembly or put it all back together and the shoot it?

Pros and cons of each from those who have been there done that?

Chuck

Paint the parts separately like they did at the factory. Otherwise, you're going to get all kinds of runs and puddles. Also, much easier to sand and buff out the finish.

Phil

I'm no expert on 1931's, but I'm fairly certain the fender welt should not be painted. So if you want originality probably best to paint the pieces individually.

I'm no expert on 1931's, but I'm fairly certain the fender welt should not be painted. So if you want originality probably best to paint the pieces individually.

Wow, you're right of course. After all that welting I took off you'd think I would have thought of that.

Another thing that concerns me though is that a couple of the trim pieces that go over the frame etc are pretty flexible and I don't want the paint to crack. Maybe I'll mount them to a board prior to the final painting

If I may mildly dissent here . . . In my experience, disassembling pre-war cars for painting should not be an all-or-nothing proposition. Disassembling, painting, and then re-assembling entails substantial risk of damaging, scratching, or cracking the new finish due to the handling required (which has happened in my case more than once). So, in the case of a fender, for example, I've found it safer to pull the piece, paint out the mating flanges, and then loosely re-install the piece (temporarily without welting, of course) before further painting. However, as previously suggested, that sequence wouldn't work well in some applications (such as catwalk valances) due to sanding/buffing difficulties, in which case there's little alternative but to take one's chances by reassembling newly finished panels. Scary!

~ Charlie Manes

If you paint it disassembled, do it all on the same day at the same time with (if possible) the same mix of paint. Hang the parts the way they will be oriented on the car. I've seen too many cars that were so obviously painted in pieces because none of them match. They're close and many folks wouldn't even notice, but I notice. There's a notable Packard Darrin near me with a bright red front end and a slightly less bright body. Annoying for me, must be infuriating for the owner.

Don't paint the fenders on one day, the hood on another, and the splash aprons on another, they'll NEVER match. It may be a long day, but get everything prepped and hung, then do it all at once. You'll get superior results.

sorry i know i should shut up but ,i only paint a few parts at one time ,gives you more time no rushing to keep a big surface wet,just buy ample paint ,same gun same paint same painter same results,i painted some of my parts years apart,stay with a single layer urethane,you will be allright

Matt and pacrat said it right. Since the paint is just a base color without all of the fancy 2 and 3 stage stuff that they use now, you can paint it all apart, though ideally all at the same time with the same mix of paint. On my car we are completing most of the the interior and many other items that many folks do after paint, but, we don't want to worry about paint damage trying to do it all after. I can't imagine trying to DIY a windshield on a freshly painted car.

Things like fender welt are tough since it's sandwiched between painted panels. You could tape/cover it and paint the car assembled and ten remove it, but that might be more trouble than taking the care needed to assemble the painted panels afterwards.

Basically, you can paint these cars in pieces, just try to use the same mix of paint each time.

My personal experience has shown me that if one is attempting to put much effort into cleaning/painting the chassis, that the additional work of removing the body will save many hours of crawling around underneath the car and result in a much better job overall. Body removal is quite easy to do with only about 10 bolts or so to remove and the disconnection of a few cables and a little wiring. Painting the car is much easier as well, especially if you are planning on replacing the interior anyway. I never had much problem with scratching the new paint, just took my time and applied temporary padding and tape as needed. Although it sounds a bit counter-intuitive, disassembly can often be less work and will result in a better level of restoration.

i agree i always disasemble do the body work ,prime,paint the inners,reasemble, ajust, take back apart ,wet sand ,paint,reasemble.sort of the bible for me.

i do have to add a paint job is not about the top coat that you see ,but about the primer and metal adheision ,need to strip all that old off, and put on a 2 part epoxy primer on clean bare metal.if you can do that you are on your way.