Hey Guys,
My 86's body is in great shape, metal and plastic. I'm in a little disagreement with my dad on the plastic prep. My pop is a retired Fisher Body engineer and trainer and he's doing the paint (or yelling over my shoulder as I do it, lol.). Anyway, he is suggesting I have the plastic parts media blasted (plastic bead) and I don't really see a reason to take them down to bare plastic. The parts are in really good shape. I don't want to shell out the extra $ for it either. At the same time I want great results and don't want to have any regrets.

I've read a few posts here on this topic but still would appreciate feedback from anybody who has done either or both.

No pics of plastics right now but here's where I am right now.

Listen to your dad, sounds like he knows something. I don't, but I'd put money on his experience. You've done allot of work to get to this point. There's allot of visible plastic parts on the car. It doesn't sound like it will be any more work for you to have them done. I know you have to make compromises, but this would be a big one and might really show in the end result. Finally, it's your car, you decide.

I'm not sure sanding those parts completely is really necessary, but with age, those old urethane parts tend to get cracks and the plastic get slightly brittle on the edges. It's always better to start a paint from bare material.

I sanded the cover down to bare plastic to make sure all the little cracks were gone,especially in and around the headlight buckets.This I was told to do by my friend who owns a shop and is a Professional automotive painter.
Then we sprayed "Bull dog" adhesion promoter on it. = http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9881473/