I am in the process of tearing my car apart for a new paint job this spring. The doors have to come off to repair some rust along the bottom. Would it matter if the doors were on or off the car when I repainted?

 

It doesn't really matter. You can do either. But, putting the heavy doors back on after you paint is just asking for scratches and gouges in the fresh paint.

 

It doesn't really matter unless it's a metallic, then they might not match if you don't paint them while they're off the car.

 

What????? When we mix paint it is to a specific formula, Do you mean if you paint them at a seperate time? either way they should always match unless you just mix a custom color and do not record the exact formula. Now if you add a pearle that will throw in wrench in things if you just mix it in with the clear. I always paint cutoms totally apart, the shell is first then all the parts go in the booth later. Putting a car together takes a bit of time, and you can use tape to help prevent scratches.

 

The way I understood it was that pressure, humidity and angle would all affect the way the metallic would lay down, and possibly change the color. So I figured it would be easier to have the doors match the rest if they got sprayed on the car - especially with the cheaper base/clears

I haven't sprayed more than a fender yet though, but that's what all the reading I've done on painting said haha

 

10-4, if you use factory pack paint it will always match, exceppt for sun fade an such and thats where you tint and blend the paint

 

Always spray the doors off the car. This way you can get to the jams at all angles as well as the bottom and front of the doors.

 

Thats if people are willing to pay for that extra step, lots just want a scuff and squirt.

 

Taking his doors off anyway. Its not an extra step. The "quick" way("scuff and squirt") isn't the right way to do anything. I would never buy a car that was repainted and wasn't painted in the door jams or under the doors, just shows the lack of effort/funds across the board.

 

It is best to do the jams and then rehang the doors and fenders for the final painting, PARTICULARLY when doing metallics: it 'flows' evenly when they are all in the same orientation. Plus, as has been said, it is asking for chips and scratches trying to hang freshly painted panels...

 

Hey droptop,
Can't you get a scuff and squirt at a massage parlor?!?!

 

No, no - that's a rub and tug.

 

Never said it was, but when you are in business to make money (and who isnt) you do not do what they do not pay for. People come in all the time and hear the price and say "well what if you doont do this, or we skip this" I had an import come in and gave him a price. He wanted to change color, after hearing the price he said "well how much if you dont paint under the hood and stuff".I have seen cars at a local cruise night with crap paint jobs, some people will not spend the money. Trust me I have restored 100s of cars over my 25 years in the business. I told my wife when I retire I plan to build one or two cars a year. I will do them the way I want and then send them to Mechum to be sold, this way no one can tell me how or what they want, those days will be over.

 

Simple spray patterns can affect the settling of metallics which will give the illusion that there is a mismatch in color. Paint it with the doors on if you intend to do anything other than a solid color.

 

like everyone else has said, metallics need to be sprayed with the doors on the car so the metallics settle evenly. if youre just spraying flat colors you can spray them off, but they need to be sprayed at the same time. all kinds of variables from temp to humidity to the way you hold the gun can affect the overall color. spraying everything at once cuts down on those variables and you have less color difference between panels.

ive personally seen 2 panels painted with the same premixed gallon of paint 6 months apart and you could see a noticeable color difference between the two. and it was the same exact paint.