1973 Camaro: Process order for paint and body?

[roguegeek]

Hey guys. Long time lurker, but first time poster. Looking to get some advice as to the order of events when it comes to body and paint for my project. Let me give you some background first.



Picked up a fully assembled and running '73 Camaro in 2017. Drove it around as is for a year before I fully disassembled it last year. The body is straight. No rust anywhere except for some minor surface rust in the typical places. I recently purchased all of my suspension and brake components. Speedtech ExtReme front and rear suspension, Ford 9", ridetech coilovers, Baer brakes, DSE mini tub kit, T56 tunnel, and some other extras. All of these parts will be delivered in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on doing all of the bolt in parts, but things like fabrication, paint, and body work will be handed off to shops who can do that work properly. I have been talking to a few paint/body/fab shops. They all basically want the suspension installed and the body put back together. I was planning on the underside, firewall, interior surfaces, and everything else that isn't the exterior body to just be satin black.

So here's my current plan.

• Clean/prep the underside, firewall, interior surfaces, and everything else that isn't the exterior body myself.
• Rattle can all of those surfaces chassis black.
• Assemble and install all suspension.
• Assemble the exterior body back together.
• Send off for fab/body/paint which will include welding a small portion of the rear torque arm, installation of the mini tubs, body work, and paint.

I'm considering just sending the car as is to a paint shop to prep and paint the underside, firewall, interior surfaces, etc... the chassis black before doing the suspension and body assembly myself. Then sending it back to the shop for the fab/body/paint work of the exterior, but I would like to hear your feedback. What is the best course of action in my case? Is there a better or more correct way to get all of this done? Am I missing something?

I've attached images of the car when assembled and running and in its current unassembled state as well as details of body panels. Any and all feedback is very much welcomed.

[HotRod47]

Good looking car you have there, nice and solid. I would recommend sending it to them to have those areas painted first. They are going to do it faster and with better products than what you plan. Rattle cans....ugh. Basically crap. You are clearly investing a lot of time and money into this vehicle, don't cheap out now on materials. Have it done right that will last a lifetime.

Then get the car back and assemble all the sheet metal. That is also the way I would want it if you were sending it to me. Then they can do all the fab work and set up. Then blow it apart for paint.

[roguegeek]

Good looking car you have there, nice and solid. I would recommend sending it to them to have those areas painted first.

Thanks. So to clarify, you're saying...

• remove the front and rear suspension so it's just the body (or should they stay as it to keep it rolling?)
• send to the shop for mini tub installation (and possibly Speedtech's T56 transmission tunnel cover, I forgot to mention that)
• let the shop prep/paint the underside, firewall, interior surfaces, etc...
• bring it back home for assembly/installation of the performance suspension, brakes, body, etc...
• send back to the shop prep/paint of the body

Does that sound about right?

[79 Camaro]

Does look like a nice solid project.

Here's what I've done.h

1. Build or buy a rotisserie for the body. Makes cleaning and painting the under side a piece of cake for you or the shop you are going to use. I don't like to sand blast the bottom because it seems like for the next ten years sand comes out of all the nooks and crannys. I rent the biggest baddest power washer from the rental place and then clean the bottom, fire wall and interior area. Using plenty of degreaser first to soften up the under side gunk. I leave it on the rotisserie for painting the bottom. I've good luck with eastwood chaasis black and then a light spray can under coat. Looks like you are going to min-tub so I would hold off on the paint until that work was done.

2. Build dollies for the front and rear so you can take it off the rotisserie and send it to the body shop. Dolly in the front is mounted to the front sub frame mounts and the back dolly bolts to the bumper mount holes. This gives you complete access to the bottom and raises it up so the body guys have better access to the lower parts of the body. Do all the underneath fab work prior to any body work so the is no chance of damage with welding sparks and such. I try to keep my projects mobile so if I need to move around in the shop I can. PM with your phone number and I will text you some pics of the dollies I made.

3. Unbolt the front sub frame and sand blast it. Clean up all the stock bugger welds, check for cracks or bad welds and check the bottom of the cross member for damage. Do the mods if any and then powder coat it. Before you unbolt it take measurements from the sub frame to the fire wall so you can get it back in the same for reassembly.

4. As you take it apart bag and tag every part with their attaching bolts. Good chance you might not reuse some but it gives you a good starting point for reassembly. Don't bolt on a new shiny parts until all the body work is done because at the body shop they will just get covered in sanding dust and or over spray.

5. I would start on the body in regards to body work. All the way thru block sanding. Then same for the doors, front sheet metal and trunk lid. Then reassemble prior to painting to check for door and fender gaps then blow it apart for paint. Do the bottom and firewall paint first and touch up as need from any primer or paint over spray.

6. Weld up any unneeded holes in the inner fenders and firewall prior to paint.

Just my .02. Good luck with your project.

[roguegeek]

Does look like a nice solid project. Here's what I've done.

Thanks for the feedback. I would love to mount the car on a rotisserie. It would make cleaning and prepping it so much easier. There's two issue I have with it, though. I feel like with the cost of the rotisserie, it could be better spent just giving the car to a shop as is and letting them do the work. Also, I can turn a wrench, but I can't weld. Do you think mounting it on a rotisserie is still a worth wild way to go here?

Also, keep in mind I am not using the original subframe. I'm using Speedtech's ExtReme performance subframe, rear torque arm, and Ford 9". Knowing that, what would you change with your approach?

[79 Camaro]

I made my rotisserie so the cost was reasonable. Used my 110 volt mig to tack every thing together and then took it to a local welding shop to finish welding it up. Depending on the shop you choose they may have a rotisserie.

The first Camaro I didn't have the rotisserie so I just put it up on tall jack stands and sand blasted the bottom. That was nasty. Won't do that again. Second project I put the car on tall jack stands and used pretty strong degreaser and scrub pads. As the liquid degreaser ran down my arms I got some pretty nasty chemical burns on my arms.


You might be ahead cost wise just to let the shop do the clean up, chassis mods and painting of the bottom at one time. But if you leave the stock subframe on and rear axle on just so you/they can move it around you really can't do a proper job of cleaning. I would ask your chosen shop to give you an estimate on cleaning the bottom and then price out a rotisserie and see where it comes out. They may farm it out to a place that has "dustless"
blasting.
The dollies that I made for the front and rear were made out of steel tubing. They could just as easily be made out of wood. If you build the dollies use 6" wheels not the small little casters. The small casters get caught in every little crack in the concrete.