In the end, your Camaro will be judged by its exterior finish. No matter how good the interior looks, or how detailed the engine compartment is, people always look at the paint first. If the paint falls short, they usually don't bother to check out the rest of the car. But if the paint is really slick, really deep-looking, then you'll have to fight off the spectators with a stick.
Similar to engine rebuilding in terms·of experience required, body work and paint is one of those restoration areas that often dictates outside help, either in the form of helpful pointers from a body shop friend or in the form of a body shop doing all the work for you. Only you can decide which method is best for your Camaro restoration.
Of course, performing the body and paint work yourself cuts the cost of the restoration considerably. A good paint job from a reputable shop can run well over $15,000 - and you still may not get the quality you desired for your Camaro restoration. Many restorers learned paint and body work because they weren't happy with outside results, and because they received greater satisfaction by doing the work themselves. "If you want it done right," goes the saying, "do it yourself." Body shops pump the work out quickly to make a profit, but you can spend the extra time on your Camaro, even to the extent of stripping a mistake and repainting, to make the paint perfect.
We don't have the space in this book to outline the information on paint, equipment, primers, body fillers, etc. that you need to know before diving into paint and body work. Like engine rebuilding, the subject deserves its own book. Fortunately, HP Books offers such a book in Paint and Body Handbook by Don Taylor and Larry Hofer. Within its 144 pages, Paint and Body Handbook tells you about the differences in enamel and lacquer paints, how to select the right type of paint for your car, lead versus plastic fillers, body repair equipment, and a whole lot more. It's a superb book for both the beginner and the experienced restorer.
Don't be intimidated by painting. You don't need a fancy paint booth with heat lamps and giant exhaust fans. Some of the best paint on some of the best show cars was applied in a home garage, or even a driveway, with only the basic tools. A quality spray gun and a sufficient air compressor are musts.
On project Z/28, we initiated the body work back in chapter 3 with the rear quarter panel and rear panel replacement. First, a chemical stripper was applied to remove the old paint (see chapter 3) from the body and the disassembled body parts (doors, hood, valance panels, header panel, cowl panel, fenders). After replacing the rear quarters and rear panel, the replacement seams were filled with a plastic body filler and smoothed by sanding. We then sprayed the entire car (including the disassembled panels) with primer, block sanded, and inspected for dents and ripples. When imperfections were found, they were filled with glazing putty, smoothed, reprimed, and resanded. When the imperfections were smoothed out, we deemed the car ready for paint.
But before spraying the car body, we first sprayed the trunk compartment with GM Spatter paint. That way, we didn't risk getting any spatter paint overspray on the painted body exterior.
Above: Painting your restoration Camaro yourself will reap the rewards of self-satisfaction. But if you're working on your first project and you're aiming for show quality work, you probably should farm out the paint work to a professional.
Above: 1) Before applying the chemical paint stripper, sand the old paint with 40-grit sandpaper to allow the stripper acid to sink into the paint. This simple task will reduce both time and labor during the stripping process. 2) Cover holes, like these door handle mounting holes, with masking tape to keep the stripper out of panel interiors. If allowed to seep inside, the acid in the stripper could cause corrosion problems later.
Above: 3) When stripping large areas like a car body or body panels, always use a quality semi-paste chemical stripper. 4) Applying the chemical stripper correctly is almost a science. Always use short, single direction strokes, and always lay the stripper on thick. Do not brush back and forth, and never apply stripper in direct sunlight or in a draft. When the paint blisters, you can scrape it off.
Above: 5) Apply a quality primer after filling dents and dings, prepping bare metal spots, and sanding off the black primer from new panels. 6) Separated panels can be laid out on trash cans, tables, or even the floor for primer and paint applications.
Above: 7) When the primer dries, block sand the entire car, including the separated body panels. 8) After block sanding, feel for ripples or dents in the sheetmetal surface. To correct minor imperfec tions, fill with glazing putty; for larger imperfections, use a plastic body filler. Repeat the priming and sanding operations until the body is completely smooth.
Above: 9) Be on the look out for small creases in tight areas. 10) Before spraying the paint, we moved to the trunk compartment. First, the new seams from the rear panel replacement were sealed.
Above: 11) When the sealer dries, paint the trunk compartment with GM spatter paint. 12) The GM Spatter paint gives the Camaro trunk compartment a like-new appearance.
Above: 13) Moving to the trunk edges and the underside of the trunk lid, remove dust by hosing off with air. 14) Mask the trunk edges to prevent paint overspray from covering the previously applied spatter paint in the trunk.
Above: 15) Just prior to painting with color, wash the painted surfaces with a fast enamel reducer or Prep-Sol. Allow the reducer or Prep-Sol to evaporate completely before spraying paint. 16) Paint the trunk opening edges first. Since the trunk spatter paint is an enamel, light overspray can be wiped off with lacquer thinner if you're using a lacquer exterior paint.
Above: 17) Next, move to the underside of the trunk lid. 18) The final body panel sanding should be done with 400- to 320-grit sandpaper, but Scotch-Brite comes in handy for tight areas like door jambs.
Above: 19) Wash all painted areas with fast enamel reducer or Prep-Sol. Allow plenty of time for the wash to evaporate; the surface dries quickly, but the wash that soaks into the primer evaporates at a slower rate. Applying paint before the wash completely evaporates could cause paint problems in the future.
Above: 20) Wet down the shop or garage floor with water to hold down dust and dirt. This is especially important if you're using enamel paint. If you used a non-sealing primer, now is the time to apply a sealer - follow the directions on the sealer label. 21) Paint the car using basic painting techniques, as found in a body and paint book.
Above: 22) Be sure to paint lower areas like the rocker panels. 23) Painting your project Camaro yourself can result in a satisfying feeling - and a satisfying paint job. By using a guide like 'HP Books' Paint and Body Handbook,' even first-time restorers can paint their own car. You're going to want to come right back here for Chapter 7, where the '69 Camaro restoration team will be Reupholstering Seats And Door Panels, same American muscle car parts website, same or different time (as convenient to you) honored Classic Industries' customers!
Classic Industries - The Place for Camaro Components
Get the Camaro parts you need from the company that came into existence some 50+ years ago as Classic Camaro, and you'll be off to the races. You can search for Camaro parts online. You can also enhance your search for those must have Camaro components by obtaining a free 600+ page Camaro Parts and Accessories catalog. You can also search for parts in the new digital Camaro Parts and Accessories catalog.
