built67

Being that I want to do as much as I can myself, I am constantly going back and forth on the correct order to build the car. A lot of people tell me to do one thing at a time, and to get it driving and built up with the suspension and drivetrain first, then the body work and paint last...my question is, how can the bodywork/metal work/paint get done with the new parts in the car? I keep thinking in my mind that to do the car over it has to be stripped down to nothing then built back up. am i wrong with thinking that?

NoReins

Nope you're right, strip it down to nothing, do body and paint and build her back up! It is important to mock everything up (drivetrain, suspension, etc) before you start your bodywork/paint just to make sure everything fits. I'm sure Ill get slaughtered for saying that but oh well. I've never understood doing it the other way.

120mm

The order has more to do with how you are going to do it. If you are doing it all at once, heck yeah, get the body perfect and then add the mechanicals. In fact, that's the ONLY way that makes sense.

However, if you are doing it a bit over time, you will want it to function well, first. And fixing on it a bit over time is going to chew up that perfect paint job. And if you live in the upper midwest, you'll have to redo the body again by the time you get all the mechanicals done, anyway, so why fix the body twice?

It's all a matter of the situation and perspective. But if you have the ability to do it all at once, start with the body and build.

built67

that's what i plan on doing...building it once...the order i currently have in mind is:

1) strip car to shell
2) replace any metal necessary
3) suspension, brakes, steering
4) electrical
5) send to body shop for bodywork/paint
6) engine/trans/fuel system
7)interior

Does that sound good to you guys?

120mm

If I were you, i'd do it more like NoReins suggested.
1)Strip
2) metal repair
3) body work and paint
4) Suspension, brakes and steering
5) electrical
6) engine and fuel

Having just put a bunch of that stuff on a car, I wouldn't want to try to paint around it.

built67

My question then would be: once im going from step 2 to step 3, how to i get the car to the shop if it has no suspension on it? then how do i get it home after it's painted?

built67

so you actually suggest to build the car first and make sure everything fits. then pull it all apart again to do the body/paint?

120mm

Good question. Be advised, I've not done it myself, but most folks on here either assemble it at the shop where it's painted, or build a cart to trundle it around the shop and off and on the car carrier.

Others may have more and different advice, but that what I've seen done.

NoReins

If you are planning to do anything that wasn't stock on the car to begin with, ie. engine, transmission, suspension; mock it up BEFORE paint and body. Once you know that that stuff fits, pull it out and then you can start your bodywork/paint on the engine bay and undercarriage.

LCC

DING, DING,

That's how we do it. It's a bit more work but when it comes back from body and paint we know that all the fab work for the drivetrain is done and any modifications have been painted. The fuel and electrical can be done after paint. Any car we get after body and paint to put in the drive train, most of the time it goes back for touch up work because of a hole we didn't use or an extra bracket we had to weld in.