Paint & upholstry

[TEX-T]

I'm going to farm out the paint & upholstry work on my bucket. I'm not sure what the best way to go is. Paint first then upholstry or the other way around. Take the whole car to the shop or just body only. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks,
Tex-T

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Having just been through this myself, I'll offer my thoughts. Paint comes first. Much easier for the painter if he doesn't have to work around the upholstery, plus you don't risk ruining the upholstery. Most automotive upholsterers are used to working around a freshly painted body and will be careful. Also much easier for the painter if the body is off the chassis, and again, you don't run the risk of ruining something on the chassis during the body prep and painting process.

 

[LumenAl]

Totally agree with Lee... Body off frame, paint, then interior & top (if doing one)...

 

[EX JUNK]

Upholstery should be the VERY last thing on your to do list. I even completely wire the car before paint and upholstery. I then disassemble the body, paint it and buff it out before reassembling it on the finished chassis. Then it is ready for upholstery.

Jim

 

[der Spieler]

When I did mine I had the upholstery done first but the guy who did it made it so that the interior could be removed. This came in very handy when I got caught in a thunderstorm going up to Back to the 50's. I found a motel room for the night and took the interior into my room to dry overnight. The next morning everything was dry and I put it back in and went on my way.

 

[blownt]

I painted mine first then took it for the upholstery. The upholstery is the only thing I did not do on mine. When I did mine the body was jut a shell so it was much easier to handle and paint. Had the body up on a wooden stand on casters. AFTER it was painted was when I had it upolstered and then did the wiring.

But it is very easy to just pull the upolstery out then paint the body if you wanna do that.

 

[spark]

My vote would be for paint first.

 

[der Spieler]

But it is very easy to just pull the upolstery out then paint the body if you wanna do that.

The reason mine was done upholstery first was because that is when I could get the car into the shop to get it done. The guy was booked solid for most of the year but he had an opening and he said that the T would only take a couple of days so he had me bring it in. I was his idea to make it removable so that I could paint it. Worked to my benefit when I got caught in the thunderstorm. I would do it that way again.

 

[TEX-T]

Thank you all for your input. A wise old man once told me. "when figuring out how to do a project, ask a few other's how they would do it, you may end up doing it the way you thought of, or you might just get an idea you never would have thought of".
Good advise.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Tex-T

 

[donsrods]

Yep, one more vote for paint first, and also to do the body off the frame.

Don

 

[akitagandy]

Mine goes to the painter next week he told me to bring every thing except the body,that way I will have a roller by the time he gets the body painted

 

[oldtman]

Paint first But I would take it to the upholstery shop to have them look at the interior to see if he wants some wood glassed in first ...easier to do before final paint.