I have a couple videos on how to paint a car, but they all deal with custom paint like candy and graphics, but neither of them show what procedures are used to paint the jambs and decklid area for a color change. Can someone shed some light? Or even an article would be great.

My plan of attack is lay the basecoat in the jambs first, let dry 10-15 min , close doors and hatch and basecoat the exterior. then repeat for the clear, also one of the I-CAR instructors said you can mix in your clear with your basecoat for jamming to make a 1k paint.

Now this is the part where I am more confused, on a candy paintjob, how do you go about this, if you candied the jambs first and then did the exterior you would get some striping in the candy wouldnt you? for a showcar this would be crucial.

Also is it standard procedure to remove the hatch and doors to paint them? or can you just remove the fenders and spray the hinge area from there?

Hello:

It would be best to take the panels off and paint 'em separately.
And cleared separately. Base coating the jams then exterior,
and clearing in the same manner sounds like trouble. Why risk it,
when you really don't have to. Especially on a candy job.

Bro get your car ready, mask off the area around the inside of the doors with tape, and put paper all around it.. You can cut a hole or two for fingers to get a hold of if u need... tape off the door inside itself, prep it all, base it, let it flash clear it... Wait a few days, tape off what you just shot and spray the outside of the car.. YOu dont want overspray in your jams and that is what you will have trying to do it with the doors closed etc.. Dont pull the doors, it is not needed unless you are doing a show car

BK

cool thanks guys! I appriciate having the faster way vs. the show car way, which I have both to do.

I was just planning to use some of that foam masking rope that 3m makes that leaves a soft edge to eliminate overspray, but I guess just waiting and masking them off that way makes more sense. as far as the hinges...any special tricks or just spray over em? If doing it this way on a color change do you need to remove the fender to acess the hinge area?

Also for the door removal way ..which now that I think of it makes all the sense in the world for candy, you'd be painting the jambs the same time as the exterior w/o doors. anyway how do doors generally come off, and more importantly go back on? The hatch has push pins, and the door I think has pushpins (ford focus zx3) but i'm not sure. As far as removal, do the speaker wires and jazz in that rubber boot disconect ot do you have to fish them out?? and putting them back on...if there pushpin do them just slide back in or do you have to readjust the gaps?


thanks a million in advance!

The foam masking tape is fine for after you have painted the jambs.

you will be painting the entire jams seperate from the outside body.... candy or not... then once dried a few days you will mask or foam tape, whatever you want to use and then spray the exterior with the doors closed, hood closed, hatch closed.. You will have to tape off the hood and hatch completely to make sure u dont ruin your fresh paint with overspray

matthew

Doors come off at the hinges! sometimes it's necesssary to loosen
or remove the fenders. And putting them back on is just reversed,
but attach the doors not too tight so you can realign them into position.
There are special tools just for this, but a helper will do.

It's really not difficult. Just tredious. That's why i charge appropriately;
whatever time frame my Mitchell Ultrimate gives for the procedure.
If you are somewhat mechanically inclined, you'll feel how things
are put together as you try it for yourself. It's not unlike painting;
I'm sure you've deveoped a "feel" for that already.

And with the doors off, it's a LOT easier to clean and prep the areas.
Properly that is.

I don't take too many short cuts. I normally don't mask around moldings, door handles, or what not. I take off what i can. I give a lifetime
warranty on most of my work and i don't want returns for something
i did half arsed...
Sometimes a client wants a "quick" job and the vehicle isn't "worth" the extra steps...

And yes you are right! It does make sense!

I have to tell you, unless you are VERY experianced do NOT paint that car apart. Don't even do it with a metallic let alone a candy. I see pros that can't pull that off. A little different spray procedure and the panels will be different color, ESPECIALLY with a candy. Sure it can be done, we do it at work every day. But I have to tell you, most of the panels are not identical when done this way. Paint the car all together and you will have a much better end product.


"Basics of Basics" Painting jambs
By Brian Martin

There is as many ways to paint jambs as there guys doing it. Unless it is an out and out show car I say paint the jams and then paint the outside. Many guys will say do it all at once with the panels off. The extra work and chance of damaging your new paint are so great, I say save that for the out and out show cars. If tape off the jambs well, you can barely tell the difference.
These are a few things I have learned that save a lot of work. First off, when you paint the jambs, apply both color and clear. DO NOT let the overspray go out onto the outside! This can cause HUGE problems along with the extra sanding that can be avoided. Unless completely removed, that overspray can ruin you work. The solvents from the paint on the exterior will get under the thin overspray and lift! What you want to do is be sure that the outside is TOTALLY done and READY to be final sanded and painted BEFORE you do the jambs. Now, tape off the outside along the jamb edge with at least 18" paper so you don't get that direct overspray out on the exterior. I tape the paper up to about 1/8" from the edge of the jamb. Then take your tape and "backtape" to the edge. This is when you lay the tape up to the edge on the outside so it is hanging over the edge, then gently fold it back, exposing the jamb but keeping the outside covered right up to the edge. This back taping will make a "softer" edge and be much easier to sand.
Go ahead and paint and clear the jamb, and remove that last tape that is back taped while the clear is still a little wet if you want (not necessary but you could choose to do that) the clear will then flow a little at the edge and leave you will even less of an edge to sand off.
Now when you paint the outside tape off the jambs up to about 1/8" or 3/16" from the edge so the seam won't be seen when the door is closed. Sand the exterior including that little edge left from the jamb paint and do the last little bit of jamb paint up to the new tape line with a gray scuff pad. I even will put that tape a little bit further away (about another 1/16") from the edge and after the scuffing with the gray scuff pad, apply a fine line (the blue plastic tape) tape over that last tape but hanging over the edge onto the new jamb paint that 1/16" bringing the line up to the original desired 1/8" to 3/16" from the edge. This will ensure that your jamb edge doesn't peel.

You could also use "aperture" foam tape that 3M makes. It is a rope made of foam with adhesive on it and is like "back taping" it leaves a "soft" edge.
I can go even more anal for you.
This may not work well in your jambs but if you can open the doors before clearing you could do it. I have found an even better way to all but eliminate that edge.
Tape off the edge as described with the extra line of fine line tape over the last 1/16" of new jamb paint (this works with when painting up to any paint actually, it doesn't need to be new paint you are painting up to). Then add ANOTHER strip of fine line the same way, over the next 1/16" or 3/32" getting up even closer to the jamb edge. Now, after you paint the color on the outside, you remove that last fine line added BEFORE you clear the exterior. Now, you will be burying the edge of the base coat under the clear! You don't have to do this by any means but it adds to that detail that is almost like you removed the doors to paint.

Ahhhhhh man thanks guys

martinsar that is a VERY good point I havent thought about, if you sprayed the doors with just a little more candy or held the gun to close it would indeed yield another color! and great masking tips too!!



Man painting cars takes soooo much more prep and planning than painting bikes.....yet i'm sure painting a showcar with graphics will also pay off better

MARTINSR wrote: I have to tell you, unless you are VERY experianced do NOT paint that car apart. Don't even do it with a metallic let alone a candy. I see pros that can't pull that off. A little different spray procedure and the panels will be different color, ESPECIALLY with a candy. Sure it can be done, we do it at work every day. But I have to tell you, most of the panels are not identical when done this way. Paint the car all together and you will have a much better end product..

Thank you very much!!

Matthew

Reviving a really old thread with a followup question..

I am probably going to follow MARTINSR's method of painting the jams before doing the exterior of the car. He went into great detail to talk about where to mask off the jams of the body shell.

What about the inside of the door? I suppose that I mask the exterior of the door when I paint the inside of the shell. And then assemble the shell onto the car when doing the entire exterior of the car.

But what about the masking of the door when I do the final paint? Any special steps or masking overlaps?


Thanks,
Sal