Topic: When painting a 69-70 shelby?

[AJ]

I?m building a jig similar to one in photo. Looking for advice from folks that have used this method.

Is it common that the front fenders and valance are painted before being mounted on the jig.  And then subsequently bolted together on a jig.  Then the grill, foglight support, etc are installed and painted to complete the ?front clip? while still mounted on the jig ? 

Or?are the fenders,buckets, and valance painted while they are mounted to jig

Won?t be showing car but want it to be reasonably accurate

I?ve seen the AOSmith photos and pretty sure i understand the original process.  But wondering how folks have navigated painting front end.   

Thanks

[Bob Gaines]

I?m building a jig similar to one in photo. Looking for advice from folks that have used this method.

Is it common that the front fenders and valance are painted before being mounted on the jig.  And then subsequently bolted together on a jig.  Then the grill, foglight support, etc are installed and painted to complete the ?front clip? while still mounted on the jig ? 

Or?are the fenders,buckets, and valance painted while they are mounted to jig

Won?t be showing car but want it to be reasonably accurate

I?ve seen the AOSmith photos and pretty sure i understand the original process.  But wondering how folks have navigated painting front end.   

Thanks

I have seen it done a number of times on my cars as well as others. The front end was bolted together on the jig and painted in place. First the body color then the black out of the lower valance , the front was taped off so that the grill color in the headlight buckets and sides could be painted . Then the grill was added and sometimes if the fiberglass headlight bucket area got scratched during installing the grill a painter could gave another coat of grill color to cover any scratches etc.  The grill came painted a flat black and apparently laid down flat to be painted the dark gray grill color because the backside typically does not have but overspray of the grill color .It was mostly still black on the backside of the grill. 

[AJ]

After the front clip is painted on the jig,  is  the common practice to transfer as one assembled unit and bolt it onto the car (as it was at AOSmith).   Or is it more practical to disassemble the fenders, valance and grill parts in order to mount them to the car a piece at a time?   Just trying to determine how to minimize damaging new paint.

Thanks Bob for you input.

[Bob Gaines]

After the front clip is painted on the jig,  is  the common practice to transfer as one assembled unit and bolt it onto the car (as it was at AOSmith).   Or is it more practical to disassemble the fenders, valance and grill parts in order to mount them to the car a piece at a time?   Just trying to determine how to minimize damaging new paint.

Thanks Bob for you input.

You want to move it and install it on the car in one piece. Of course it takes at least two people but it is light just awkward to handle. After going to all that trouble it would be counter productive to do it any other way. It is easier and time saving to do it this way compared to separate individual pieces . Less handling means less chance of damage plus there is no way better to get the overspray and shadow patterns the way they were from the factory. This efficient way to do it is the reason why Smith did it.   

[Bob Gaines]

Remember to use the factory type shims for the front radiator support that have to be used when the front end is installed . Not all cars used the exact same amount. Also the fit of the fenders at the rockers was most of the time not very perfect and the way most came . That flaw should never be deducted for given it was a factory common occurrence. At least not deducted for by a informed 69/70 Shelby judge. If you can get it perfect more power to you but might not be able to installing in a already bolted together one piece assembly. 

[J_Speegle]

The installation of the front is fairly easy but I would prefer and have used at least three people so that it can be lifter into place and held as the third person guides some of the key landmarks to meet up with their uni-body counter parts. Goes much smoother than you might think. Remember to  apply some edge protection to the rear edges of the fenders and the front edge of the doors at least. Just what has worked for me over the years

Good luck