Part 19: It's About (Painting) Time!

It's a phrase I have heard repeatedly for more than a year: "When are you going to paint that thing?" Well, for those of you who asked, the answer is now. I have also heard a lot of suggestions against painting the car, and although I listened to both sides--we gotta paint this thing!

So what does it take to paint a car? That depends. do you want to do it right or just cover it with something? I don't know about you guys, but if I'm going to do it, I'm gonna try to do it right the first time. Originally, I had planned to do the entire job in my home garage, but I quickly realized my limitations. painting a car in the garage attached to my home would cause some serious repercussions when the overspray and fumes made their way inside the house. To that end, I did some checking and realized if I did the assembly and reassembly myself, and maybe some of the bodywork, I could save some coinage and my happy home life.

So it was decided, and I began to disassemble the Valiant at home. For those of you following the project, and for those of you who have never tackled an automotive strip fest, we thought we would give you some pointers about how we did it. Before undertaking a project like this, it's a good idea to find out what parts are available from the aftermarket. Taking things apart that have been together for 30-plus years can result in some of the parts not surviving and having to be replaced. it's a good idea to know at the beginning of the project (before you start disassembly) what you need to look for. Make sure you have catalogs from the aftermarket that pertain to your car. We grabbed the latest Year One "shopping guide" and made a list of every part available for the car, even if we weren't sure we would need it later. If you make a complete list, you can whittle it down as you go. If you don't put it on the list, it may get forgotten. Above all, take your time, take pictures, and label everything. Sure, we would all like to think that we are all-knowing gurus when it comes to our personal cars, but if your car sits disassembled in your garage, then in the body shop for an extended period of time, how sure will you be about its reassembly? keep in mind your limitations. For example, when you need to remove the glass, and you're not sure how to do it, get someone with experience to help. With the help and support of friends and people-in-the-know, restoring your own car can be a rewarding experience.

Mopar Manuals on CD
An undertaking such as this is not for everyone. There is a lot more work involved than you might realize, until you actually do it. If for some strange reason you're like us and enjoy this kind of stuff, a good resource to have on hand is a service manual specific to your car. For us, it makes perfect sense to have it in the garage, but it will inevitably get ruined. Another problem is finding a place to put a fullsize manual while you're working. We decided early on we would need a manual for many of the projects we have undertaken with our Valiant. so we contacted Mopar Manuals on CD and got a copy of the Valiant's service manual. Now we only need to print out the page or pages we need, and we don't have a bulky manual falling off the side of a fender or the workbench.

Mopar Manuals on CD-ROM
MuscleCARS, LLC
Meriden, CT
(203) 237-4795
www.moparmanuals.com

Body Shoppin'
So how do you know where to take your car for paint? Choosing a body shop can be a daunting task, but, luckily, Mopar enthusiasts are always glad to give their opinions of a shop's quality, demeanor, and service. Most of the time, word of mouth is a good advertiser.

Cost also plays a large part in the process of choosing a shop. Quality shops may charge between $50 and $80 an hour for labor. If you have a buddy, who has a friend, who has a cousin, whose father knows a guy, be a little shy about handing over your pride and joy without first seeing some of this guy's work. Also try to find some cars with a few years of a restoration under their belts and see how well they have fared.

So now you've found the shop you think can handle the painting of your car. Some things to keep in mind: 1) Keep in touch with the shop. If the shop is constantly seeing and hearing from you, they will realize you want your car back and will be motivated to spend more time on it. 2) Never, and I repeat, never tell the shop to fix your car as if it were their own. It's the old adage--Cobbler's kids never have new shoes. 3) Another bad statement, "Work on it when you have time." Trust us, if you tell the shop owner that you're not in a hurry, he won't be either.

We are quite confident in our selection of Muscle car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Muscle car Restorations has been restoring award-winning cars since 1989. But we really do not want a car that will win an O.E. Gold certification at the Nats. Heck, a Bronze certification isn't even in the plans. What we do want is a good-quality paint job, that with proper care will last more than a summer of cruising all over the Eastern seaboard and midwestern portions of this country. We spoke with proprietor John Balow and expressed our concerns. He replied that he doesn't want to be known as only a 100-point concours restoration shop. The crew at MCR has done several cars for customers who were looking for the same things as we are. According to John, "We [MCR] have done work ranging from paint only to just prepping a shell we received and applying the paint. We are willing to hear what the customers tell us they want and work with them on achieving that."

So keeping in mind you are trusting this shop with your car--and let's not forget your hard-earned cash--do you know what to look for? a shop with the proper facilities, a top-notch staff, and integrity should be at the top of your list. We found that at Muscle car Restorations.