Body Preparation

[Nigel Mulvey]

I'm trying to develop a strategy for approaching the full restoration of my 260Z and could use some advice. I plan to strip the whole car down to a rolling shell and, notwithstanding the discovery of any expensive looking rust holes, get it media blasted at Austech.

An acquaintance of mine, who has restored several Galaxies, swears by baked enamel for the body work. In all honesty I didn't know you could have something as big as a shell finished in this way, I thought this process was only for small parts such as suspension etc. So to avoid embarassment from my ignorance I didn't press my acquaintance for any further information.

What I really would like to know is what is the prep work required for enamel baking in terms of priming etc. Does anyone have experience in this area that can advise of the specific order things should be done in.

Austech can strip the paint and prime the shell afterward but then I have to take it elsewhere to have the bodywork done. Should I bother having Austech prime the shell or should I get it straight to the body shop to have that work done and then get it primed.

I've read Carl Beck's piece on this subject but it doesn't talk in terms of a baked enamel project.

Any help would be appreciated.

[carguyinok]

the prep I can say I dont have A clue. But I am doing the rolling shell resto. and with the body work. Once you pull apart a Z you will onley have the rockers and rear fenders on the rolling shell. Hell most of my body work is done and my car has not let my shop once. All the parts I took to the body guy one at a time hood doors front fenders rear deck you name it. I have found this is good in more ways then one. The #1 reason is I can have him do one part at a time is it can keep the cost down. I have found body guys are more then happy to work with a person that is not in a rush and dosnt want them to store a car. This will let you put more money into your car for the best work and not needed to put out 1500 dollars at one shot you can do it over time at about 200 per part and get work that is 100% what you want because you get to see each part one at a time when done.

[Ed]

So, when you take one piece at a time do you have each piece blasted, primed and painted?

[carguyinok]

At this time just primed. But he has done more work then just strip n paint. He has welded the side marker light holes closed and worked over the edges. But once I pick a color they will all be painted and cooked off the car. I know the color I want will be hard to match so I want to wait and do all the paint at once.

If you where to go with a easy stock style color you could just paint one part at a time .

[Ivan]

Someone told me once enamel paint fades quicker in sunlight than acrylic lacquer

[zachb55]

in response to the original question, what i did was take the paint off down to metal and then use body filler on top of the metal then im going to prime over that, it should turn out better that way, even though you can do body filler over primer, but youll just have to prime it again, i would wait and have the body work done then have it primed once, and so on and so forth, keep things in the right order and you should have yourself a better end product, thats what i hope for atleast:classic:

-Zach