As I am getting together a game plan on where to start I wanted to know what your guys thoughts would be on where to start as far as: should I get the car running and driving then worry about paint and interior? or would it be better to strip everthing down and get it painted then work on getting it running and do interior last. Thanks for the help and insight.

 

I would recommend this order.

1. Running
2. Braking
3. Steering/Suspension
4. Body/Paint
5. Interior

 

I agree with the mechanicals first, but I made a few exceptions. I wanted to do the rough body work first. Replacement metal etc. Put it in epoxy primer as I progressed. Front fenders and inners removed, repaired and primed, engine pulled, engine bay done and painted, then engine installed. I did not trust myself to paint fenders and doors before installing by myself on my big car, and final painted it assembled.

 

I did the engine and interior before doing the bodywork to my 71. I've heard folks say they wouldn't want to run the risk of body damage lifting an engine and transmission out of their immaculate car. Plus, at the very least you would have to realign the hood once you put it back on the car.

 

This is the order I generally follow.

 

#4 is the wildcard and really depends on your plans for the car. If the body is really bad, decide if you want to commit to 1-3. If halfway decent, maybe move #5 up. "Patina" is all the rage these days, maybe just because paint has gotten so darned expensive.

 

Right. With #4 normally being most expensive to have done right you can have a nice running/driving car and explain the body as being on purpose.

 

I pulled the front clip and disassembled it for engine bay and frame painting. Pulled the engine and trans for rebuild and reinstalled without front sheet metal for easy access. Rebuilt front suspension, powersteering system and ran new brake and fuel lines. Rebuilt power brake system, brake shoes and had drums turned (they were never done). Now reinstalling firewall boxes and wiring. Have not touched the interior except to remove steering wheel . Money, time and a lot of luck finding the bits and pieces.

 

I liked having nothing in the interior when painting, but I was doing a color change, and it was a convert.

 

Depends a lot on what you know about the car how much you will invest and what you want the car to look like when finished. Have a plan before you start to do anything. I like to address the paint and body work early on. It requires more work but if you have a lack of ambition in the middle of the build (and we all seem to have that happen) it's a lot easier to get going again on a shiny bodied car that looks finished rather than a rusty rat rod looking thing in the corner of the garage with dust all over it. I don't usually drive my projects while they are being built but I generally know what I'm getting into before the restoration, expect exceptions there is always a problem hiding under the rust and grease somewhere, It's a lot easier to get to the firewall, brakes and frame parts after the engine is at the machine shop and the chrome is off being redone. Kinda like eating a elephant one bite at a time..... Tedd

 

thanks for all the input guys.

 

I am planning on sanding down the firewall and repainting it now while i have the engine out. What grit of sandpaper should i use to start with and end with? Wet sanding at the end? I'm curious what other people have done for there firewall. Also for this what kind of paint do you use? Someone told me you can go to Autozone and they can mix up some spray cans of paint and you can spray them yourself. Does that turn out looking pretty good or not so much with a professional paint job on the rest of the car and spray cans for the firewall. I look forward to your sugestions.

 

The problem with spray bomb paint is it has no hardener in it and will lift if a hot solvent get on it (like new automotive paint or reducer) so much care has to be used not to mess up on the following spray job plus it is not as durable nor will it retain its gloss as long as a hardened product. That being said I think we all have some spray bomb painted parts on our cars but the whole firewall is a bit much in my opinion.

If you could get(rent or borrow) a compressor and a spray gun you would be far ahead of the game.... Just my thoughts ... Tedd