Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

[Joseph S.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

If it's a solid color with no metallic, you are safe to paint it in pieces. If it has metallic you risk the panels having a shade difference. I good body or paint guy can always tell a car that was painted in pieces. That's why repairs are always blended into the next panel. Even if you spray all the panels at the same time you spray the body, there will be subtle differences in the shade.

[Daniel S.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

Hi William,
I just found out I need extra long drilll bits.

Dan

[Patrick H.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

If it's a solid color with no metallic, you are safe to paint it in pieces. If it has metallic you risk the panels having a shade difference. I good body or paint guy can always tell a car that was painted in pieces. That's why repairs are always blended into the next panel. Even if you spray all the panels at the same time you spray the body, there will be subtle differences in the shade.

I've seen a shade difference with solid colors too.

I would recommend painting any removed parts at the same time as the rest of the body, and paint them in a position that mimics how they will be installed. But , that's me. Different mixes, humidity, etc all affect how the paint looks.

I am amazed how often I can pick out panels that have been painted off the car or on a different day. Doors show it the most. The 63 I worked on a couple of years ago had at least 4 different shades of color. We were trying to fix a scratch, and gave up because there was no "one piece" to match.

[Owen L.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

I would recommend painting any removed parts at the same time as the rest of the body, and paint them in a position that mimics how they will be installed. But , that's me. Different mixes, humidity, etc all affect how the paint looks.

I've long heard this from way back, but today a lot of professional painters seem to paint the doors horizontally on stands and with hoods hanging vertically. From my understanding, the flakes don't settle on the surface the way they would as when in the same orientation on the body. The way the flakes settle affect reflective qualities.

[Daniel S.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

Hi Chris,

thanks for your reply I was going to paint with the Frost blue metallic which is a 59 color with Inca silver coves. I noticed that you did not paint with the trunk lid or hood on - where they painting the same time as the car.
Is the car base coat clear coat and if so do you clear coat the trunk and convertible top cavity?
Sorry to be a pest.

Thanks
Dan

[Mark F.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

An advantage that a factory paint job may have had over smaller body shops - which also allowed all parts to be on the car at the same time was the paint booth itself.

Booths I was in (late '70s) all had filtered, down draft air supplies (from the booth ceiling to water wash system below the conveyors and metal grate floors). With all filters in place and not clogged or ripped, they had pretty much laminar flow the entire length of the booth. Downdraft velocities were typically around 100 feet per minute.

The metal bodies combined with Ransburg electrostatic paint guns also helped get the paint "stuck" on and metal flakes standing up nice and pretty...

PR guys said the ventilation was for worker safety, but in reality it was more designed to "even out" the paint; let it lay down better on the relatively horizontal surfaces; and start drying as quickly as possible.

It even helped vertical surfaces, although at 70 cars per hour 6 days a week there were examples of runs, particularly down near the rocker panels (harder for a painter to bend over with a heavy gun while the car is moving past you).

Then right into the drying oven where the temperatures were carefully ramped up to drive off the solvents - not too fast creating bubbles - and not so slow as to require the length of the oven to be too long...(this wasn't a base/clear system when I was there).

End result - beautiful paint jobs that shimmered with deep reflectivity (DOI) even in dull factory lighting at the end of the ovens.

[William B.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

You can also purchase 1/8" rod and cut it to any length, my local hardware has it

[Daniel S.]

Re: Painting Questions - whats on and whats off

Hi William,

I need a long drill bit to drill the holes with my drill. I like the idea of the long rods easier to work with.

Thanks Dan