I'm sure its been ask a million times, I'm doubtful of being able to get a freshly painted body on and doors hung without damage or chipping....thoughts !!!
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I'm sure its been ask a million times, I'm doubtful of being able to get a freshly painted body on and doors hung without damage or chipping....thoughts !!!
I did not do it myself but mine was painted off chassis and installed with no problems...of course that was Whitby who has done who knows how many cars and they surely have a good system worked out. If I were doing it myself or for the first time I would have the same concerns as you. It can be done though.
MK4 #8900 - complete kit - Coyote, TKO600, IRS - Delivered 6/28/16 First Start 10/6/16 Go cart - 10/16/16 Build completed - 4/26/17 - 302 days to build my 302 CI Coyote Cobra - Registered and street legal 5/17/17
Build Thread http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...e-build-thread
PHIL 4:13 INSTAGRAM - @scottsrides
My original build was off (17 yrs ago) and this past year I did it with the body on. I've done two others with the body on and it's not that big of a deal, IF, you take some time to prep. I did do a plastic wrap over interior and engine along with a good tape job on top of that. Remove wheels and mask off under that area. It's tad more work, but painting on, with a stripe, is much easier. If I was to do a single color, I'd probably do it off. Mask your door, hood, trunk areas when fitting those items and you'll be OK.
I've done three. Two painted body off. The most recent painted body on. There are pluses and minuses for each approach. But there's a reason body off is by far the most typical and I would recommend. Yes, you will want to be careful placing the newly painted body on the chassis. But get a little help, go slow, and it's no big deal. Hanging the doors is just the start, and those are going to be loose in either case. Same for the hood, trunk, roll bar(s), windshield, bumpers, side pipes, etc. etc. There's no getting around finishing the build while working around the finished paint. My biggest advice: Nothing gets hung or fitted for the first time with the body painted. Mock up, test fit, trim, etc. before paint. Can't count the times I've seen guys fitting pipes, the windshield, etc. on a finished body. Not for the faint of heart.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
FFR 5369 Pin Drive, IRS, Trigos, Torsen, Wilwoods, FMS BOSS 302 "B" cam , Mass-flo. CA SB100 (SPCN) Registered
Delivered 4/23/06. "Finished" 4/2012 (still not done!)
This is a tough one for me. Since I am really spaced limited. I have a townhouse with a one car garage. I may not have a choice but paint with the body on. Kind of nerve racking.
Done it each way. Much prefer body off. The amount of masking is such a pain. The body is very easy to put on and take off. To jag the doors, hood and trunk, I masked all edges and just took my time. Was quite easy actually
'33 Hot Rod
Ordered: 3/25/17. Delivered: 5/6/17. 1st start: 8/24/18
MK4 Roadster
Ordered: 7/10/13. Delivered: 8/20/13. Completed: 10/26/15.
I did everything except spray it. She ain't perfect, but she's mine.
I did mine off body. Just all the wet sanding and polishing would have made a mess.
I am doing mine now !
OFF !!!
Baghdad Bob
Complete Kit Delivered July 2010, serial @ 7287, Whitby Power Brakes, Whitby Tonneau, Power Steering w HEIDTS PS Valve, Hydralic clutch, 15" Wheels, BFG Tires, 331 stroker w Quick Fuel 650, RPM Heads, Air Gap Intake. IRS w 3.27, TKO-600. FFMETAL Firewall Forward, FFMETAL Dropped Battery Box in Trunk, Enlarged Passenger footbox, Breeze Cubby storage, Breeze Seat Brackets, Herbs Door Panels. Ford ruby red 12 coats.
mine is all together and am going to do it on the chassis, not looking forward to all that extra taping.
To all those thinking "body on" this is probably one of the biggest drawbacks. Dust and whatever can be controlled reasonably well with masking, covering with plastic, etc. And when done, goes away pretty quickly with a shop vac and compressed air. But the residue from wet sanding goes everywhere. Through every crevice, the windshield posts, roll bar holes, light openings, splashes into the wheel well openings, etc. No amount of masking is going to keep it away. It doesn't clean up easily either. I know from the #8674 build. I brushed more bedliner where it showed.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Listen to The Jeff's. They won't steer you wrong.
FFR MK4 Complete Kit #8952
Build Thread
Bodywork Thread
3 Link Rear Suspension, Gordon Levy 347 SBF with T5
First start Feb 20, 2017, First Go Kart March 5, 2017, Registered & Title April 25, 2017
Maybe rent a storage unit for a month or so to paint it?
MkIV Roadster build: Gen 2 Coyote, IRS, TKO600. Ordered 10/24/18. Delivered 1/29/19. Engine installed 8/8/21. First start 9/12/21. First go-kart 9/17/21. Off to paint 4/11/22. Back from paint 12/30/22. Build thread here.
Almost a 2 yr old post. I would think by now its painted? And yes if you agree 'body off' then you DO know what you're talking about.
I painted mine myself with the body on. I won't say it was a mistake, because I was afraid taking it off, then putting it back on, increased the risk of damage to the fiberglass, and scratches to the paint.
However, if you are a perfectionist, do it right, with the body off. I thought I taped, papered, and covered everything carefully, but when I was done, I found overspray all over the place. And it's impossible to clean up the overspray. fortunately, the overspray is on places most people will never see, on the frame and some of the aluminum panels under the hood. That's my two cents.
MkIV Roadster build: Gen 2 Coyote, IRS, TKO600. Ordered 10/24/18. Delivered 1/29/19. Engine installed 8/8/21. First start 9/12/21. First go-kart 9/17/21. Off to paint 4/11/22. Back from paint 12/30/22. Build thread here.
Wondering if anyone has a video of installing a painted body on the roadster. I've read different opinions on whether to paint the body on, or off, the frame. I'm on my first build, and I've never really worked with fiberglass, let alone painted fiberglass. When I first removed the body from the frame, I remember the body flexing quite a bit, especially at the bottom of the door jamb. How do you know the finished paint won't wrinkle or crack when the body flexes as you put it back on the frame?
Thanks,
32J
I have painted and installed almost 700 body off and never had a paint problem. When you hold the body from the ends the sag is not a problem. What the body WILL NOT tolerate is being flex in the opposite direction (if the body were high centered in the middle with the ends dropping. So much cleaner painting and polishing body of. Doors are trimmed and fitted body on the chassis then pulled off for painting...da Bat
What about a repaint of a cobra by a local shop? I would remove all I can then load it on trailer and get to shop for them to paint. Many chips and poor original paint job. I bought cobra used so did not go through the body mounting and I have limited support.
Lee
Lee
When I do a repaint....wait for it.....IT's OFF !! To do a proper repaint you need to strip it down to the bone. At that point PULL THE BODY OFF. If you leave the W/S , Lamans cap, bumpers, headlights....etc on and mask them off you should not waste the money repainting....buy Bitcoin instead !...da Bat
I painted mine with the body off for the main color then reassembled with the hood and trunk to lay out the stripes, then disassembled for stripes and final clear. Installing the body and removing is really easy if your a one man band like me with these heated and bent electrical conduit that is zip tied to the door hinges. It spreds the sides over the frame rails just beautifully.Attachment 153130Attachment 153131 I can't take credit for it because I got it from someone here on the forum ( thanks to who ever you are) and it works so easy, it's less than five minutes on or off.tubing.png
Here's the kicker on that question. I paint them off....but I have a two piece buck that rolls together for laying out the stripes. You can do the same thing with stands if you have the time and man power ....also twig and berries big enough to trust you can line it up when you are done. I DO !...no brag, just fact (but only on this one car in this isolated instance) (lest I get an inflated ego) (god forbid) (am I gonna get penalized for overuse of) .....(nah, I'm good). I do stripe color first then mask them and shoot body color. Best of luck getting any body shop to go that route if they haven't done these before...da Bat