Paint fenders on or off.

[72satteldog]

I'm stripping paint on my 72 sattelite, fenders are off and while removing paint noticed some patch work had been done to the lower portion of the rear part of fender, nearest to the door. I always suspected some work had been done, never matched up with the door. my question now is once i repair the area in question do i reinstall all the panels back on the car to check fit and then paint? this is all new to me and i want it done right. what do my fellow moparheads think? thanks, 72satteldog.

 

[Beekeeper]

Yes reinstall fenders to check fit before paint. If you need to do any more work you sure don't want to paint twice

 

[pinkpanthr]

Yes reinstall fenders to check fit before paint. If you need to do any more work you sure don't want to paint twice

This^ Definitely reinstall and check fit. But if youre going with a color change then everything that can come off should before spraying. I always have the fenders, doors, hood, trunk, and any other removable body parts that need painted (quarter panel extensions, etc.) removed so that you get the most uniform spray.

 

[roadrunnerman]

I would paint the fenders while they are off the car after you have test fitted them. Then while the fenders are off you can clean, rustproof, undercoat, paint the exposed areas.

 

[Cornpatch MO]

My 64 Dodge is in the paint shop now. We removed the fenders, hood, and all front sheet metal. Also the doors and trunk. All body work was done and under hood- door jambs- under trunk lid, etc. was painted the body color that it will be. That way, all the parts can be re- assembled, panels, etc. straightened and then the whole car can be painted at once- making all the paint match. And less chance of scratching new paint in re- assembly.
Just throwing another ideah out there.............................MO.

 

[TekHousE]

I must be one of the only people that disagree..

Possibly because back in the day I painted cars (Final Coat and Finesse) on the line in Australia at a major (and unfortunately not Chrysler) manufacturer.

ALL cars are painted with fenders ON, hoods, trucks etc. the same. The reason is the paint is way more even, you don't get thin or thick edges etc. But I only painted 187 cars a day for a few years..what would I know?

 

[YY1]

Ive seen metallic and metal flake paint settle differently, if the fenders, doors, etc were laying flat, versus vertical, as installed on the car.

I've also always wondered how Chrysler managed to paint the fenders, cowl, and inner fenders (and valence panels if applicable), including painting the bolts, all while trim and emblems got installed with bolts, accessible only with the fender at least partially off the car!

 

[TekHousE]

It's easy..

The cars are designed to GO together in a sequence..This sequencing makes our lives hell for ever after, when working on them, because things that come LATER in the sequence are now in our way..It is NOT like that at the factory. Trust me..

The ENTIRE dash assembly of a car can go in BEFORE the car has windows, rubber trim, seats etc. And then the loom plugs in in a few seconds. Cars have been made on assembly lines for over a hundred years, I think they had it down to a fine art even in the 50's and 60's.. ;)

I am sure people realize the reason bolts are body color is because they were FITTED to the car during painting at the factory. When I was working at the factory I am certain there was no 'job for noobs' restricted to painting bolt heads..(imagine the masking job!?) Since NONE of those bolts have paint on their threads..

Ive seen metallic and metal flake paint settle differently, if the fenders, doors, etc were laying flat, versus vertical, as installed on the car.

I've also always wondered how Chrysler managed to paint the fenders, cowl, and inner fenders (and valence panels if applicable), including painting the bolts, all while trim and emblems got installed with bolts, accessible only with the fender at least partially off the car!

 

[YY1]

Didn't answer my question.

ptptptptptpt!!

 

[snakeoil24]

Paint car

I must be one of the only people that disagree..

Possibly because back in the day I painted cars (Final Coat and Finesse) on the line in Australia at a major (and unfortunately not Chrysler) manufacturer.

ALL cars are painted with fenders ON, hoods, trucks etc. the same. The reason is the paint is way more even, you don't get thin or thick edges etc. But I only painted 187 cars a day for a few years..what would I know?

Paint the car together, doing with Fenders and doors off is a pain in the but. Yes do the jams and under side of hood but i still paint together

 

[dvw]

Depends on the color. My Challenger is panther pink.painted all in pieces. My Belvedere is sunburst orange pearl. It was painted together. we do paint the jambs and under hood before the fenders and doors go on. Both work but you have to be very careful installing the parts. We did it with no chips or scratches.
Doug

 

[snakeoil24]

great color

 

[72satteldog]

thanks for all the input, I think i will prep what i need to off the car, install and paint on the car. thanks again guys.

 

[kb67mopar]

I followed the same recipe as dvw above. I painted under the hood, under the trunk the insides of the doors, inner fenders etc and am installing all of that and will paint the exterior assembled. From what I have read that is the only way to make sure the metal flake looks correct across all of the panels. If it is a solid color with no flake you can do it upside down if you want and will not make a difference.

 

[72satteldog]

I think i like that plan, thanks MO.

 

[747mopar]

Ive seen metallic and metal flake paint settle differently, if the fenders, doors, etc were laying flat, versus vertical, as installed on the car.

I've also always wondered how Chrysler managed to paint the fenders, cowl, and inner fenders (and valence panels if applicable), including painting the bolts, all while trim and emblems got installed with bolts, accessible only with the fender at least partially off the car!

I was talking to the guys at house of kolors, they said if painting the parts separately hang them the way they would be on the car. Because the way the paint moves (sags) it will create a slightly different appearance when two parts that were painted differently are placed together.