Paint body sections before or after re-build

[Sam of Sweden]

Just wondering as time ticks on and the chassis is back from galving. Should I put it all the body back together first, mask and paint, or paint wing assemblies , tub, doors, roof and bulkhead plus seatbox bonnet individually?

I guess bonnet is obvious as is doors. But roof and tub are pretty heavy and bound to knock something on the re-build.

Am I answering my own question The rear end could be fitted first and painted where as the front sections are painted and then fixed?

Fairly confused still, little advice required me-thinks

Thanks

[cackshifter]

It must be quite hard to paint a roof on the vehicle unless you have some scaffolding or something (I assume we are talking spraying), and quite a high yet clean area. It's quite a big area as well (on a 110 anyway). I'd try to keep it broken down as much as possible, paint it and be careful assembling, as that would also give the best corrosion resistance, and would be easier to manage. It's not really like a car which is all joined up, more a collection of panels with joins. Even if you do have to repaint a panel you know there is a good layer of paint in those hard to get at spots, and the bonnet and doors you can do horizonal which minimises chance of runs. I think if you were doing the whole vehicle unless you have several people spraying at once, you wouldn't get round it quickly enough to join wet edges - you'd tend to get dry patches. OTOH if you have professional quality kit you could probably overcome a lot of that.

Nigel

[landroversforever]

one thing... i think i am right in saying if metallic, its better to do at least one coat as a whole. The 206 has pannels that look different in different lights; with the light on the side, the doors look different to the main body.

none of this with a flat colour.

[FridgeFreezer]

Paint all the bits which are hard to get to / hidden while it's all apart, but the final exterior coat will be best applied when it's all in once piece, so the paint is all from the same gun at the same time under the same conditions. It's not such a big issue with flat colours, but metallic and anything pearlescent (as many modern colours are) you pretty much have to spray the whole car in one sitting or different panels reflect light differently.