Mount bumpers then paint?

[celeryman22]

Hello, I am almost ready to paint my car. Should I mount the bumpers and doors first then paint? Or should I get everything aligned then paint?

Right now both bumpers are off and both doors are off.

I am changing the color thats why I have everything off.

Thanks
Mike

 

[waterboy1976]

I like painting a car with the doors off....and the hood and declklid (if it has one) that way you can cut in the jambs and all the edges real nice first and then do the main surfaces but its all preference. I have painted cars with the door and everything on ....some people say you get a smoother flow without the opportunity of some slight discoloration in the paint from surface to surface if you paint them separately.........Good luck....

Rob

 

[mike weyman]

the bumpers should be on the car, you will probably take days to get them to align properly,you may need to fill or glass areas to get the bumpers perfect.it took me several weeks of evenings to get them right.

 

[JonM]

My vote is on the car...you will chip the heck out of the parts putting them on.

 

[celeryman22]

I was thinking that putting them on would be easier.

Thanks
Mike

 

[BarryK]

My vote is on the car...you will chip the heck out of the parts putting them on.

i agree.
my car is in the paint booth now. the doors were off for months as the work was being done on the body than reinnstalled to double check proper fit.
than the painter took the doors off again to cut in the door jambs and paint the inside of the doors. after the jambs were done the doors were refitted and the whole body is about to get sprayed.
i asked why he didn't just paint everything apart instead of the extra work to keep taking the doors off and on again but he said that if everything is freshly painted and than you try to reinstall the doors afterwards it's too easy to hit an edge and cause chips.
my painter has been specializing in vettes for over 30 years so i trust his judgement and experience on things

 

[celeryman22]

OK, I will prime everything off of the car, cut in the bumpers, door jams, etc then fit everything.

Thanks
Mike

 

[paintdaddy]

i agree.
my car is in the paint booth now. the doors were off for months as the work was being done on the body than reinnstalled to double check proper fit.
than the painter took the doors off again to cut in the door jambs and paint the inside of the doors. after the jambs were done the doors were refitted and the whole body is about to get sprayed.
i asked why he didn't just paint everything apart instead of the extra work to keep taking the doors off and on again but he said that if everything is freshly painted and than you try to reinstall the doors afterwards it's too easy to hit an edge and cause chips.
my painter has been specializing in vettes for over 30 years so i trust his judgement and experience on things

The only problem with that is that it will either leave mask lines in all the edges of everything or leave bad dryspray in the forward part of the door opening.It makes for a cleaner smoother job if it is painted off the car but it does make for a tedious job re installing.

 

[celeryman22]

The only problem with that is that it will either leave mask lines in all the edges of everything or leave bad dryspray in the forward part of the door opening.It makes for a cleaner smoother job if it is painted off the car but it does make for a tedious job re installing.

I was thinking about that. The more I look at it the more I wonder how I will be able to get the clear coat into the forward section of the door. I think I will prime is all, line up the panels and doors, then remove the panels, topcoat and cross my fingers when I go to install the doors again.

 

[Zixxer]

Could you not tape the edges of things prior to reassembling them? I would think that beyond the contact surfaces you could mask the area so if you were to make contact the only area to be chipped would be one that would be covered once it's installed. I would also think you could do the same with the bumpers and just get a couple of extra long bolts to mount them and then remove the tape just prior to snugging them up to the body.

 

[Yoda]

This is more of a question for those Painters, but may provide information for you and the rest of us. :eek

Do the front and rear bumpers require any type of special additive for flex??

Bud

 

[JonM]

This is more of a question for those Painters, but may provide information for you and the rest of us. :eek

Do the front and rear bumpers require any type of special additive for flex??

Bud

FLEXATIVE PDF

 

[celeryman22]

I was under the impression that flex additives are only required for older lacquer type paints and that the new paint lines do not require the additive?

Mike

 

[JohnZ]

Paint for "soft" parts (any paint) still requires a flex additive in order to avoid cracking/checking; that's why most bumper fascias on new cars are painted by their suppliers rather than in the assembly plant with the rest of the car, as the flex paints have different chemistry and require different spray, flash, and bake schedules.

 

[paintdaddy]

I was under the impression that flex additives are only required for older lacquer type paints and that the new paint lines do not require the additive?

Mike

Some painters still use the flex additive and some dont.I usually dont for the simple fact is todays paints are urethanes,and the bumpers are urethane.Ive never had a problem with cracking.Even with the flex additive if it gets bumped its going to crack.Some may look at it as an insurance .