Blockin out seams on repaint

[James B.]

I am debating how far to go on body prep before repainting an original 67 coupe. Through age and shrinkage the horizontal seams can be seen on the outside of front and rear fenders (they are not prominent but looking down the fender line you can see them) just as we see on most original paint C2s. I am inclined to not fill and block out these seams. However, if I do that will I suffer a point deduct with the rational that seams did not show when the cars were new (or did they??). Thanks, Jim B.

[Terry M.]

Re: Blockin out seams on repaint

I can answer only one part of your multi-part post.

Body seams did not show when the cars were new.

[Gene M.]

Re: Blockin out seams on repaint

Jim,
Just to add to Terry's reply, if you restore as in repaint the judging standards are to appear as a new car delivered to the dealer then to you with typical dealer prep. Deductions if any are supposed to be based on this.

[Mike E.]

Re: Blockin out seams on repaint

I can answer only one part of your multi-part post.

Body seams did not show when the cars were new.

C2 maybe not but later C3 they sure did. I bought a new 1978 Silver Anniversary and the seams were very obvious. I had the car blocked down and repainted it looked so bad. The dealer didn't question it and agreed. Two years later the car was stolen and never recovered so it's a moot issue now.
Mike

[Terry M.]

Re: Blockin out seams on repaint

C2 maybe not but later C3 they sure did. I bought a new 1978 Silver Anniversary and the seams were very obvious. I had the car blocked down and repainted it looked so bad. The dealer didn't question it and agreed. Two years later the car was stolen and never recovered so it's a moot issue now.
Mike

Mike,
You are right -- I should have qualified my statement. I saw some Pace Cars that had very visible seams on the showroom floor. As St Louis wound down a lot of QC items were going into the dumper. Sorry but when I think of C3s I tend to forget anything beyond 1972. Bad habit.

[Dick W.]

Re: Blockin out seams on repaint

If the car sat in the hot sun on the dealers lot, seams were visible, as well as the attachment points for the front and rear inner fenders. The heat cured the filler and the primers sank into the glass, the paint into the substrates. Needless to say the materials were not what they were today.

And over time, even if you fill the seams, they will come back over time. I looked at a car not long ago that the seams were filled, the car was sealed and primed with the best of materials, blocked down, painted in modern paint. All the body seams are showing again.

[Gene M.]

Re: Blockin out seams on repaint

If the car sat in the hot sun on the dealers lot, seams were visible, as well as the attachment points for the front and rear inner fenders. The heat cured the filler and the primers sank into the glass, the paint into the substrates. Needless to say the materials were not what they were today.

And over time, even if you fill the seams, they will come back over time. I looked at a car not long ago that the seams were filled, the car was sealed and primed with the best of materials, blocked down, painted in modern paint. All the body seams are showing again.

Yep, all it takes is time. I did my '65 coupe body and lacquer paint almost 28 years ago. And all the seams are showing again. But be advised I didn't over restore the body so I got the same results GM did. But at any speed over stopped one cannot see them.