Assembly process. . .what did you do?

[absintheisfun]

So, I now have all the major components of my build, and I am now wondering what is the best way to assemble them all. (Not this screw here, this screw there etc. The major stuff) Such as:

Paint first, wire it, then put the components in (interior, engine etc)
Get mechanical done first, then wiring, interior and last is paint

and so on...

I know the pros say to paint first and probably most do, but I know how pissed I would be if I gouched it getting in/out/in/out of the car to do the wiring.

Here is my plan, please tell me (those that know better) if it is a good or bad one and why.

All body work, get panels aligned, gaps set and primered.
Engine/Trans
Plumb brake lines (e brake already done)
Interior (less seats)
Paint the jams and tucked away areas
Reasemble the vehicle
Paint shell
Finish interior
Install glass
Install drive shaft

Go drivin!

[parsonsj]

I would do a "pre-wire" where you take car of all drilling / tab-welding / grounds / etc. after plumbing and before you do the interior. It's no fun drilling holes on freshly painted sheet-metal.

jp

[jski67]

Here's the order I did (am doing) on my 67 Camaro. Prodigy Customs did the paint and bodywork...

1. Bodywork - primer
2. Rebuilt engine and trans installed on painted/assembled subframe.
3. Subframe/drivetrain attached to shell and wrapped in plastic. Rear housing and axles installed so it would roll.
4. Paint - doors, fenders, etc were painted seperately off the car. Dash and interior metal pieces painted black
5. Body panels assembled
6. Glass and trim installed

I got the car back as a roller and have been assembling everything else since. I started from the bottom up...

7. Fully assembled rear axle and rear suspension
8. Cleaned and re-assembled front suspension (it had gotten very dirty)
9. Installed brakes/master cyl/plumbed lines
10. Installed hyd clutch linkage for t56
11. Driveshaft
12. Headers, steering column/box
13. Cooling system and exhaust
14. Wiring (including efi)
15. Test drive

I wouldn't install any wiring or interior until after paint...overspray will get everywhere.

I was EXTREMELY nervous about working on a pristine, freshly painted car, but it hasn't been too bad...just be careful and take your time. I've got two nicks that will need touch up paint, but I'm probably the only one that would see them. It's worth it though as all the installed components look so clean.

One recommendation I would make is big jackstands...I have four big truck jackstands, so I can lift my car way up in the air...it was a breeze to crawl around underneath installing brake lines, fuel lines etc.

Hope this helps,
Jason

[parsonsj]

I wouldn't install any wiring or interior until after paint...overspray will get everywhere.

Me either. I wasn't very clear: by pre-wire I mean to lay out all the wires, drill holes, etc. Then remove the harness before it goes off for paint. If you are using a factory body and factory wire harness, it probably isn't necessary... but if you have a bunch of aftermarket or late model upgrades (EFI, power windows, stereo, wiper motor, electric fuel pump, to name a few) then it helps a lot.

jp

[absintheisfun]

How did you guys get around the car with all the moving of crap and getting all over the car without doing any damage to the paint??

[parsonsj]

How did you guys get around the car with all the moving of crap and getting all over the car without doing any damage to the paint??

There's no good answer to that. Just be careful, keep lots of cotton or micro-fiber towels around, and take your time. I scratched II Much a bunch of times. Keep some touch-up paint around too.

jp

[67zo6Camaro]

I built the car first prior to paint. This way your able to test fit, modify, and test components prior to final paint. It allows for better panel fitment and suspension fitment when built and mocked up at true weight. You can mark all spacers and settings prior to disassembly and final paint....The BIG draw back with this is you assemble the car twice. The BIG pay off is every thing fits correctly when you reassemble with fresh paint. Meaning less scratches and dings when putting parts in place. Check out my pictures at PT garage. I drove my car for a few years as I built it before I painted it. Brett

[parsonsj]

built the car first prior to paint. This way your able to test fit, modify, and test components prior to final paint. It allows for better panel fitment and suspension fitment when built and mocked up at true weight. You can mark all spacers and settings prior to disassembly and final paint....The BIG draw back with this is you assemble the car twice.

I like this idea, and would do it exactly like that on my own car. I don't think it's that big of time problem-- really. In the end, you save a bunch of aggravation and paint fixes, so it could be you saved time.

jp

[oestek]

Here's what we do:

Chassis work done first, body in place where it needs to be to check floor clearances, hood height, motor fitting, trans shifter & floor hump, etc. Pluming mounts, bracket tabs, all that stuff is done now.

Next, the body is assembled with as much of the car as possible for panel fitment and steel work. The hinges are marked and shims noted for easier re-alignment later.

Once steel work is done and body is straight and panels aligned in steel, filler / poly work begins.

Once poly is block sanded and all the lines are true, the tub comes off and is sprayed on a rotisserie.

Usually, with our builds, the owners want a satin black bottom side / firewall / interior, so that's shot first.

Then it's all masked and the outside of the tub gets sealer and color, jamb areas are cleared.

At this point, the backside of the fenders are sprayed, bottom of hood, and any other panels needing to match the satin black. Core support, inner fenders, brackets, etc. Try to get 'em all at once.

Then the fender backsides are masked, and all the panels are shot in color, with the jambs then masked and cleared.

In the mean time, the chassis is sprayed and re-assembled, motor & trans, driveshaft, exhaust, and we make it a running chassis.

Now we put the whole mess back together on the chassis.

Body tub back on first, and the engine and body wiring completed without fenders and doors in the way.

Then dash goes back together, A/C, core support, steering, etc.

Brakes, other plumbing, etc.

Then doors go back together on car, window tracks reinstalled, latches, rear window mechanisms, and glass.

By now it's a running driving car.

Next, inner fenders attach to fenders, then the pair goes back on the car, with hood, front clip brackets, decklid, etc., and is all aligned per the original marks / shims. Some tweaking is needed here, but it's usually minor.

Then windshield and back glass. (The windshield and back glass channel areas were already cleared with the jambs.)

Then the whole car is wetsanded (remember the outsides are only base coated) and cleaned and masked. We use a soft-edge tape on the jamb lines, and shoot the whole car with 3-4 more color coats to fix any assembly scratches and to make all the panels match.

Finally, it's all cleared together.

Then, the outside gets wetsanded and buffed, and the edges get hand sanded and buffed eliminating any trace of a paint line.

Once it's buffed, you only have to do interior, rubbers, final outside trim and door handles, etc., to complete the car.

This approach minimizes people leaning on fenders to work on the car, and allows for little mishaps to be corrected with final color and clear.

Works well for us!

[406 Q-ship]

Here is how I would go about putting a vehicle together.

1. Chassis, suspension, roll cage, Brakes, and fuel tank

2. Major body work
a. Replace any panels
b. Hang fenders and doors setting the gaps
c. Fit the seats and seat beats
c. Rough in the filler
d. Primer

3. Set the Engine and Transmission
a. Run all the hardlines and fittings
b. Wire up the whole works (ie everything for the car)
c. Here is where if you have things like an aftermarket A/C it would get fitted.

4. Remove and mark all the above pieces
a. Finish off the body work
b. Paint the Jams in color and undercoat (or paint the bottom and underside)
c. Hang all the sheet metal and paint the car
d.. Glass and everything in the doors
e. Color sand and rub the paint out

5. Reassembly
a. Install the hardlines and wiring harness
b. Engine and Transmission installed for the final time (we hope)
c. Interior (recover the door panels and/or the seats and such)
d. Trim out the rest of the car


This a general list of progression on a car and things may move around a bit for different kinds of vehicles. A Camaro would be done in a different sequence than say a Dodge Charger or a BOF Chevelle but not a huge change in how it were done.

[parsonsj]

Nice work guys. I've wired two painted cars... I hope never to have to do that again.

jp

[406 Q-ship]

Nice work guys. I've wired two painted cars... I hope never to have to do that again.

jp

I have watched Stacy when he was on Trucks hardline and wire the projects after paint. Nothing like drilling holes in fresh paint or powder coat to clamp "stuff" and know you are exposing bare metal to the elements. I have wired cars after paint too, I used ALOT of covers........

[wmhjr]

I think it all depends on your situation. It seems to me that pretty much every build and circumstance brings with it little issues that force you to adapt.

I did chassis/suspension/steering, then body back on so sheet metal work could be done, then body back off.

While body was off, finish drivetrain/plumbing for the most part. Paint underneath and firewall done with body off. Then body back on, finish bodywork and paint.

I then did insulation (Damplifier Pro and Luxury Liner Pro), and then wiring. This was completely custom wiring, and having the insulation done first helped because after I was pretty much done, I could cut channels in it on the floor.

Then glass and interior, then convertible top, then....

I didn't think wiring the painted car was too rough at all. I think for me it would have been more difficult to do it earlier. Just be careful.

[Ripped]

Yeah, depends on your car, situation, and garage size.

I had my car jammed, insides doors, trunk, engine bay then the rest in epoxy primer and high build where needed (f/g parts)

It was a good way of doing it for me, because the car had 60-70% of the metal replaced. Add to that the torque of the big block, who knew what was going to get twisted.

There were about 6 minor flaws which showed up in the bodywork. 2 bubbles, one small crack a few other minor issues. About 12 scratches and chips.

The fiberglass parts changed quite a bit in the 1.5 yrs in primer. So that was a good choice to let them do their thing.

Doors came out of alignment, which I'll attribute to the big block twist, but would have meant front end dissasembly to realign.

If your car structurally has not changed too much (metal replacement) and does not have fiberglass to deal with, then it's just taking time and care.

If you have a small garage (like me) then there are going to be a few scratches, to deal with.

Good luck

[rosslord]

I am working now on my El Camino, and I really want to try to keep it rolling the entire time. Luckily for me my front suspension is about to fly apart, so I know what I have to fix first.