Hey everyone! I'm gonna get my car painted at Maaco or someplace similar... My questions is, Besides the hood louvers, what other moldings and of the sort can I remove so the paint job would look nicer. Also, my Z28 has ground FX on it and how would I remove that so I can get it painted seperate. Also, can anyone recommend a removing compound that I can use on my stripes on the lower fenders, doors, etc on my Z? I appreciate any and all info u can provide, especially on the paint job....

Thanks for your time.

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Glenn

86 Z28
Kat-back exhaust... uhh thats it... (also get an awesome 10.. count 'em 10, mpg)

 

Appearance board!!

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Looking For:

87 IROC-Z 350 TPI
84 TRANS AM 305 H.O.

 

Take off your front and rear license plate, and grill insert.

I'd pull all the badges and stuff off the car too.

The Maacos around here are lazy.. they will paint around a license plate rather than take it off.. they even painted over my nose emblem when the previous owner had them paint it.

 

As far as those stripes on the bottom of the fenders and doors go, I just used a razor blade to get the stripes lifted up at the edge, and just peeled them off after you get an edge pulled up. If they're extra stubborn, a heat gun or hair dryer helps also.

 

Make sure you use some sort of de waxer on your z, then sand in every nook and crany, even do the surface, this way you will know the paint wont come off. Make sure you use a high presure washer and get in the cracks between the doors, hood etc. Clean the wheel wells out real good. I dotn know if you need to pull the ground effects would not hurt but pull as much molding as you can. Try to sand out any rock chips, you may notice that they are rusty and pitted, be prepared to spend some time with this. Does the Macco have a special going on? They run specials on a reuglar basis so make sure or wait. Also when you goto pick it up make sure they have covered everything, also look for dust bunnies, a little dust is to be expected, but there is no excuse for larger particles, they painted my Rx7 and did a good job but I spent two days on the body prepping it, also watch for all the door dings and either repair them yourself or make sure you know where they are so that you can point them out for them to fix.

Rob
1990 Formula 350

 

Thanks for the responses, I was wondering, how are the molding on the doors held in place? Is there some sort of fastener or just an epoxy? Also, If I removed that molding would it look good without it? Oh yea, I almost forgot, how do I get the door handles off? the paint inside the handle is seriously scratched from fingernails...

Thanks


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Glenn

86 Z28
Kat-back exhaust... uhh thats it... (also get an awesome 10.. count 'em 10, mpg)

 

The door handles are held on by two "fake" nuts. These aren't the real steel nuts you're expecting, it's more like a hollow stamping. Instead of going onto a bolt, they go onto a cast-iron stud, and they cut their way on. You'd have to pull the inside door panel off to get to 'em.

Aren't those scratches the damndest thing? I don't ever recall scratching that area with my fingernails, but it looks like a warzone under there.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
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