Question - Whole car paint job - your experiences

[1_Rocketman]

Has anyone on the list had a whole car repaint done? If so, did you pull out the engine, trans, etc, etc? I'd be interested in your experiences.

Over the years, the Florida sun has really roasted mine, even keeping it garaged and using a car cover as much as possible. After spending quite a bit of time recently making phone calls, talking to people at car shows, and driving around in my local area, I finally found a place willing to do a whole car paint job for me.

I was planning to pull the transmission anyway to have someone go through it, since it's never been touched. It looks like it also needs a new exhaust. Because I'll be pulling the old one off, I'm also thinking of pulling the engine and taking a mostly 'empty' rolling shell to the paint shop.

Has anyone done this, and how much of a 'project' did this turn into ?

Thanks in advance!

 

[robert lee]

No doubt it will be a lot of work and you will need a BIG bottle of determination , but like the saying goes you eat a elephant one bite at a time... two things come to mind
#1 pictures, you cannot take too many
#2 bag and tag everything.. and i mean EVERYTHING , it will save you tons of grief when it's time to go back together..

Take your time and it will turn out great, you may even have fun doing it..

P.S The only person i would trust with the trans is Dave Husek 516-860-5287

 

[1_Rocketman]

Thanks for the reply Robert....that all makes sense. The person I got referred to for painting is in my local area. He belongs to a local car club, has an auto body shop, and has done dozens of classic and antique vehicles. I visited his shop and he showed me all the projects he has in motion. He spent a lot of time with me, even though I only had photos of my TTA. I have been debating whether or not to go to the effort to change fluids and start it, because I'm sure the fuel pump would need replacing before starting it.....am thinking of not going to that trouble and just taking things out in prep for painting.

Turns out the person I was referred to also painted a March Chevrolet GTP car driven by Emerson Fittipaldi. Emerson's original signature on the outside of the car was well protected during the paint process. I didn't know they did that car until sometime after I visited their shop to discuss my TTA.

 

[1_Rocketman]

Well, I changed my mind.......I'm going to try to get the car started first and see what mechanical/electrical issues need to be sorted out before I get it painted. I would hate to end up messing up a new paint job if I have to do some other stuff.....