Paint Prep need some advice

[SteinOnkel]

I've painted a handful of cars. It's not that crazy the amount of work, especially not on a small car like a Fiat.

Just gotta do a thorough job of taping things off - or dismantling them. The issue on a 42 year old machine is that it's not going to want to go back together the same way. So I'd rather just tape it off.

You can of course go completely down the rabbit hole of prepping, sanding, prepping some more, sanding some more bla bla bla. Perfect is the enemy of great when it comes to paint. Again, not looking for a concourse finish.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

You're right about a lot of things breaking if you try to remove them. Back around 1980 when my family had my '69 repainted for the first time, I removed all the bumpers, trim, etc. At that point, the car had experienced 11 years of East Coast winters, so a lot of fasteners simply broke when I tried to remove them. However, at this point in California, everything has been removed and carefully cleaned and lubricated, so my preference would be to remove as much as I could. However, I don't know the history of your car, and things could be different.

Also, as I recall, your car is white, which is easier to paint than darker colors. Just my opinion, but I've found dark reds and blues and black to be hard colors to get right. Things like orange peel, sags, and smoothness imperfections are more visible.

Anyway, let us know how it turns out.

-Bryan

[SteinOnkel]

You're right about a lot of things breaking if you try to remove them. Back around 1980 when my family had my '69 repainted for the first time, I removed all the bumpers, trim, etc. At that point, the car had experienced 11 years of East Coast winters, so a lot of fasteners simply broke when I tried to remove them. However, at this point in California, everything has been removed and carefully cleaned and lubricated, so my preference would be to remove as much as I could. However, I don't know the history of your car, and things could be different.

Also, as I recall, your car is white, which is easier to paint than darker colors. Just my opinion, but I've found dark reds and blues and black to be hard colors to get right. Things like orange peel, sags, and smoothness imperfections are more visible.

Anyway, let us know how it turns out.

-Bryan

They should be fairly easy to remove, as the car has been repainted several times. I think it was originally brown, then red (with primer) and then white w/o primer. Lots of paint means little rust I guess

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Lots of paint means little rust I guess

Yes, unless the metal is mostly gone, and the unibody construction now just consists of many layers of paint...! Don't lean too hard on the fenders.

Share a picture when it's done.

-Bryan

[SteinOnkel]

Dismantling went smoothly. Only broke off two things, both easily fixed.

Questions arise:

1)

How does one remove the upper chrome strip and seal on the door? Seems cemented into place, didn't want to break anything.

2)

Soooo fasteners are out...the two m6 friends in the bottom of the picture just spin uselessly. I'm supposed to pull this thing out? It seems glued into place

Cheers
Steiny

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Answers:

1) the chrome door trim trim strips are held into place by a mixture of metal and plastic clips, and the particular mix of each depends on the model year or how sober the assembly worker was when he/she put the strips on. To remove the chrome strip, I use a very blunt screwdriver inserted below the strip at the rearward end, and then pry upward. Once it pops loose, the strip can be fully removed by hand with some occasional prodding with that same friendly but blunt screwdriver.

2) the M6 bolts that you are trying to remove are the ones that hold the windshield wiper motor to the cowl. You don't need to remove those. What you need to remove are the six screws (4 along the front end and two on the sides) that hold the front section of the cowl to the body. I lied earlier when I said there were 4 screws. There are 6. And yes, the front edge of the cowl often "glues" itself to the body over time, so you need a putty knife or the like to work around the rubber seal between the cowl and the body. Once the front lip of the cowl is loosened, slide it forward about an inch, and then you can remove.

Carry on, fine sir.

-Bryan

[SteinOnkel]

Cool, that worked! The sheet metal piece was a bitch to remove, but oh look I found the car's diaper.

You know I'm not one to question automotive designers (lol right). But riddle me this: Instead of a massive empty cavity to house just the wiper mechanism and motor, how about they make the car a foot shorter or make the interior a foot longer!? What a waste of space. It looked like a forest in there. Surprisingly not too much rust though.

I decided to spend the day rebuilding the wiper motor. And wouldn't you know it, I just happened to need the same long spade terminals it uses the other day on my Derby, and had a bunch of them left over. So I rebuilt the the harness too. That thing hasn't worked as well since it left Turin

Now, I think I am going to remove the convertible top and frame after all. Does it need be readjusted upon installation? And if so, how difficult is that? Also, the windshield...looking at it, it seems I could in theory just unbolt the 4 allen bolts that hold the whole frame in place, right? And just leave everything on? The chrome trim, sun visors, mirror etc? The seal, glass and trim are all in excellent shape, no reason to disturb them.

[toyfiats]

Also, the windshield...looking at it, it seems I could in theory just unbolt the 4 allen bolts that hold the whole frame in place, right? And just leave everything on? The chrome trim, sun visors, mirror etc? The seal, glass and trim are all in excellent shape, no reason to disturb them.

Listen to the guy that just said "The seal, glass and trim are all in excellent shape, no reason to disturb them". Correctly reinstalling the bottom of the window seal is not a walk in the park. Having the dash off makes it a little easier. Of course you can put it all together, and then discover with the first good rain that it's not actually sealed right. Unless you are painting the jams just leave it. No reason to disturb them.

[SteinOnkel]

Also, the windshield...looking at it, it seems I could in theory just unbolt the 4 allen bolts that hold the whole frame in place, right? And just leave everything on? The chrome trim, sun visors, mirror etc? The seal, glass and trim are all in excellent shape, no reason to disturb them.

Listen to the guy that just said "The seal, glass and trim are all in excellent shape, no reason to disturb them". Correctly reinstalling the bottom of the window seal is not a walk in the park. Having the dash off makes it a little easier. Of course you can put it all together, and then discover with the first good rain that it's not actually sealed right. Unless you are painting the jams just leave it. No reason to disturb them.

Got it, will tape it off. Thanks!

[SteinOnkel]

Whoops, went down the sanding rabbithole.






The dent in the hood is a fun one to try and get out. So is the one in the fender (not pictured).

Possibly doing primer this weekend. Perhaps even paint too, we shall see. Hard to do bodywork in the dark.

[toyfiats]

Why didn't you unplug the front turn signals? Easy from inside the engine bay, and then you don't need to worry about them dangling about. I'd also take out the headlights (easy) and the trunk lock. Less masking = better results.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Awesome progress, Steiny! And I see that you did indeed remove the top. The only other items I can see that I would remove are the trunk lock, and the chrome trim at the top of the door. I know you said that chrome strip is difficult to remove, and it can be, but once it's loose, it's obvious how it attaches. Problem is, sometimes the metal clips are so rusty they just break in two and then you have to get new ones or figure out a work-around. AutoRicambi sells the clips, but they're not particularly cheap:
https://autoricambi.us/door-and-1-4-win ... ding-clip/

Keep us posted with pictures.

-Bryan

[SteinOnkel]

Why didn't you unplug the front turn signals? Easy from inside the engine bay, and then you don't need to worry about them dangling about. I'd also take out the headlights (easy) and the trunk lock. Less masking = better results.

Well...

it WAS easy. With the stock connectors. But those were completely roached so I replaced them with a proper, waterproof automotive connector. Guess what doesn't fit through the holes of the fenders anymore

Chrome trim was actually really easy, popped right off.

Trunk lock I will be removing dead last, because I'm not sure I can open the trunk without it? Maybe through the hole for the taillight. Haven't tried that yet.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Trunk lock I will be removing dead last, because I'm not sure I can open the trunk without it? Maybe through the hole for the taillight. Haven't tried that yet.

You could just remove the trunk latch assembly, or the trunk latch pin (the rod that the latch grabs onto). Speaking of which, I seem to recall that I always propped the hood and trunk lid slightly open while painting so that the paint would evenly coat the inner lip. Same for the doors. Of course, you have to mask off the engine bay and trunk and passenger area, but that's what sheet plastic and masking tape is for.

-Bryan

[SteinOnkel]

Trunk lock I will be removing dead last, because I'm not sure I can open the trunk without it? Maybe through the hole for the taillight. Haven't tried that yet.

You could just remove the trunk latch assembly, or the trunk latch pin (the rod that the latch grabs onto). Speaking of which, I seem to recall that I always propped the hood and trunk lid slightly open while painting so that the paint would evenly coat the inner lip. Same for the doors. Of course, you have to mask off the engine bay and trunk and passenger area, but that's what sheet plastic and masking tape is for.

-Bryan

Yeah, I'll be doing that for sure. I also need to still paint the edges of the hood. They look like shit.

Today it will be time for some bondo. So many paint chips down to bare metal Use primer, people!