Technical Painting a Model A Sedan body?

I am preparing to paint my 28 Sedan. It is currently disassembled for media blasting. Is it standard practice to paint the individual panels (rear, sides,t strips, etc) apart or together? I am worried if I paint it all together I will get rust creep from the seams where all the panels bolt together?

 

Personally, I paint in pieces. That being said, I do like to paint as many parts as possible all at once, either the same day or within a couple of days. Try to spray at similar temp and humidity.....if you work out of a garage like I do.

Much of your decision will depend on the paint you intend to use (color, metalfalake, etc.) as paints can look different if sprayed at different times (temperature, humidity).

Prep all your parts, get them all to the final stage of primer, get a quck scuff in, clean the parts and shoot them. Use the same procedure every time with regard to flash times and number of coats and you hopefully will be good to go.

Use lots of tape on the seams when you assemble to prevent scratches (or learn the hard way like we all have)... Good luck
Tom

 

That's the way I plan on doing it.

One thing we discovered the hard way a few years ago and that is if you have more than one can of paint mixed for the job pour them all together and mix them up and then pour them back in the original cans to make sure the color stays consistent. On that car you could all too readily see the difference in shades on the panels on the exact same color of paint mixed by the same guy but just a frog hair off.

 

I would take it all apart. Blast it and do all your metal work then epoxy prime all the parts. As you know there are a thousand bolts to the rear panels on model A's that are only possible to tighten with and end wrench and real fun to line up. I think you would have a hard time getting the panels back together without chipping. I would either bolt it together primed then paint the body as a unit. Or paint just the seams then put it together and shoot the body.


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as said , you need to get all the rust out of where the T-strips are

 

like said before, paint the seam areas -bolt together and spray the complete body. this way I would think you would get consistent color.

 

If you paint in pieces, there are a few things you need to consider.........If using paint out of more than one container, Shake and blend all containers together else you may see variation, due to variations between containers.......before spraying, shake very, very well so all pigment is mixed well.......most any great paintjob will be sprayed in pieces...........

 

If you are painting a metallic you need to be a good painter to get it to all match if things are painted on different days. Painting while apart, but all at the same time is how I try to do it. I've had to re do paint jobs because it was more than a frogs hair off. Solids are much easier and forigiving.