Body off paint or not

[David H.]

I am having decission issues again with the body work and paint.

My body guy has released the body back to me and I have it mounted on the frame. I am installing the doors, deck lids and hood.
The plan is to then return it on the frame to the body guy for him to do his thing with alignments and another dose of body work and primer.

His plan is to then return it to me to remove the body again, remount it on my body dolly, and return it to him for final body work and finish paint.

Then it comes back to me to be remounted on the frame for final assembly.

This seems like an awful lot of work that may not be necessary.

What is the general concessus? Is it really necessary to remove the body again for final paint or can it be done with the body on the frame just as well if care is taken to mask and cover properly?

Seems like this is going to set me back considerably on my time line.

Thanks for any input.

[Paul J.]

Re: Body off paint or not

Time line? You've been watching too much TV.

It sounds like your body man has a couple of extra steps in there, such as priming it on the frame, but it also sounds like he wants the body perfectly straight. Probably not NCRS "correct", but it will look very nice. The most important part is to paint the body off of the frame.

I would'nt worry about it and I'd forget the time line.

Paul

[Frederick N.]

Re: Body off paint or not

I have done it both ways myself. However; I do all my own restoration work including painting in my own shop. I do it all for convience. Following is three of several body-off's I have done:

Before I primed and painted my 68 a few years ago I covered the chassie, engine and all with a thin plastic drop cover before dropping the body. That worked but some of the plastic was difficult to tear loose. Got a NCRS TF.

I painted a 63 coupe body off reset on the restored chassie and only mast the engine hood opening as I painted that one with the hood and doors off the car. I also draped some foot wide masting paper around the underside. Did get a little overspray on the a few spots on the chassie. Got an NCRS TF.

Painted a 54 Pennent Blue with body back on the restored frame. Basically did the same way as the 63 by just protecting everything I did not want overspray on. All my restorations have received top flights first time out.
Got a TF at a regional. I always completely cover the wheels.

It takes me weeks to get the body's prep'ed and about one week of priming and painting, but my job never leaves my shop.

Fred

[Brett H.]

Re: Body off paint or not

Fred's cars always look nice and judge well. A lot of people prefer to paint ON the frame.

It all comes down to personal preference. I do any major panel replacement ON the frame. I always paint the car OFF the frame with everything completely apart and re-assemble car once back on the completed chassis. Never failed at a TF attempt.

Dealers choice.

[Dick W.]

Re: Body off paint or not

Most of the time we did the body and paint work with the body off the frame. Had a very good body dolly with the mounting points very accurage and could repace quarter panels, front clips, etc with out worry of misfit when the body was remounted on the frame.

It is all down to personal preference, to me it just was easier body off frame.

[Michael G.]

Re: Body off paint or not

Dave,

My last three cars were painted frame on. All body repairs, priming and pre-paint prep were done body off then body was mounted to chassis. Car was painted in down draft both with hood/doors off car and all open areas were masked off to insure no over spray.

[Anthony P.]

Re: Body off paint or not

When we painted my 62 this past winter it was done on the frame. I spent many many hours masking the frame off since it was already detailed to some degree. Before I attached the body, I wrapped the frame with plastic then masked off everything else as much as possible. I could then loosen the body mounts and tear the plastic out.

Also had a booth with a downdraft and floor vents. There was some paint that made it in, but not much.

[Michael B.]

Re: Body off paint or not

Fred, I did the same as you placing a plastic drop on before dropping the body.

BUT

I ran slits in the plastic down the middle and across in quadrants so that when I tore everything away it came away clean.

Just a thought.

Michael B.