Problem Areas
Most people know to check the trunk and floorpans for rust, but there are additional problem areas to look for when purchasing a project car. "Check around the windshields and along the bottom of the quarter-panels, doors, and fenders," Rodney suggests. The area underneath the lower hinge of doors is a common hotspot for rust as well. "Older Chevys, especially Camaros, are notorious for rusting in the front lower windshield, upper dash panel, around the rear glass, inside the trunk, and along the lower quarter-panel. The condition of the lower front windshield determines how bad the floorpans are." Leaves and dirt get stuck in areas you can't see or get to. Once they get wet, they stay wet for months and create rust problems.
Stripping
If a car has had more than one paint job over its factory paint, then it should be stripped down to bare metal. Likewise, major imperfections such as peeling, flaking, bubbling, chips, cracks, and deep scratches require stripping. "Moisture, debris, and other contaminants that got stuck between coats of paint can cause these problems, along with solvents and primers that weren't fully cured," says Rodney. "The idea is to promote adhesion, which won't happen if the paint doesn't have a solid foundation to stick to."
Media-Blasting
If a car's paint is peeling or in bad shape, it must be removed, and media-blasting is a great way to strip it down to bare metal. "Media-blasting uses plastic beads or walnut shells, which strip paint but don't heat and warp metal like sand," explains Rodney. "Soda-blasting also works well, but the drawback of using baking soda is that if it gets in an area that you can't get it out of, it becomes corrosive when wet." Depending on the size of the car, media-blasting costs between $800 and $1,800. The process also uncovers all rust damage that would otherwise be difficult to spot.
Tape everything up during reassembly. The last thing you want to do is scratch or chip a fresh paint job.
These days, shops would rather do collision repair than restoration work because it's faster, pays more, and takes up less space in the shop.
Paint Booth
A barn or garage can sometimes work well as a makeshift paint booth, but not without sacrificing paint quality. Paint booths precisely control airflow, which is a huge benefit in warmer climates. "Without enough airflow, paint will solvent-pop as the top surface starts to dry more quickly than the paint underneath it," explains Rodney. Solvents trying to escape from the paint can result in blisters everywhere. Furthermore, barns can't control dirt, dust, cobwebs, and other impurities in air. "Paint booths have fans and filters to control airflow and filter out airborne particles. Some can also control humidity and temperature."
Finding A Body Shop
Like finding a good machine shop, word-of-mouth referrals are a great tool for getting set up with the right bodyman. Rodney suggests finding cars you like locally and seeing who did the bodywork. Then go to those shops and ask to see some samples of their work. "A quality shop won't mind showing you the process of how they do things," says Rodney, "and I've never turned anyone who asks away." Don't just go off one car, but rather look at a broad sample of their work. "That one car at the show that looked nice might be a buddy's car that they went all out for. If they won't show you samples of their work, maybe they don't really want your business."