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block together or apart from the start

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JHunter

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Guys - I've got the body of my 68 in DP90LF (with etch wash underneath), all major dents/dings/rust repaired, sprayed inside and out.
My fenders, hood, trunk lid etc still need to be stripped/repaired/sealed and my doors need new skins.

So my question is, should I:
1. Block the body (tub) now, fix the other panels, seal and block those separate, then put together and block the panels together.
OR
2. Get the rest of the panels fixed and sealed in DP, assemble the car, align the panels, then shoot high build primer and block the car together.

The main question is, is there a benefit to blocking each panel separately then worrying about blocking it together or is it better (faster / more efficient) to block the entire car together to start with?
I have two seemingly conflicting priorities: quality of the job and speed/efficiency (I'm moving this summer and will most likely be deployed shortly thereafter - don't want to move a car in a thousand pieces and don't really want to bolt it all back together then have to undo it later - I feel that I can get this car done by the summer)
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
So from start to finish, block sanding wise, you guys threw down the first and last coat of high build with the car together?
Makes sense to me, just wasn't sure if it would cause problems somehow.

Thanks guys.
 
#6 ·
I prefer to do filler work and blocking on the doors when they are off the car. It's much easier and I can do a better job. The fenders should be done on the car because they can flex when not attached. I like to do a final blocking when all panels are installed and aligned. I plan to paint with all panels attached. I am shooting a high metalic.

Just my preference.
 
#7 ·
Codi said:
I blocked my car assembled. This way I could check for any high or low spots where panels meet and take care of the problem.
Click to expand...
Thats how i do it. I usually end up assembling/disassembling a bunch of times.Usaully do filler work and prime and block the pieces apart, then assemble to final block it, check the fit, find and fix any issues.Disassemble to paint jambs/edges reassemble to paint. Unless im painting it in pieces then after final block i diassemble and paint,then reassemble.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Sweet - thanks guys, makes me feel better about my plan. The remaining panels don't require too much work except the lower valance has a few dents. Shouldn't take to long to body work the bad spots, shoot some DP90 and I'll be ready to start blocking. Im guessing you guys tape in between the body gaps when spraying high build like you would when spraying color to keep from having a ton of high build in the door jambs, trunk area etc.
Thanks again guys.
 
#10 ·
I would rather see a person block it all together and across the gaps and different panels. Here’s my thinking:
The factory fit leaves a fair amount to be desired. The doors don’t always fit the best they could on all of the edges like the rocker sill, quarter panels and against the fenders nor do the fenders always fit the best they could against the hood or the cowl, nor do trunk lids always fit the best against the quarters, taillight panel and back glass filler panel. If you feel confident all of these things will fit together without any work then do it all apart. If you look at the better done cars they have probably been disassembled, reassembled, disassembled again and reassembled numerous times but if the person is doing it right the end results should show in the final product.
When you look down the side of a car you want to see a nice reflection in the paint surface to where it looks like it was originally one piece of steel from the front bumper to the back bumper and someone then took a 1/4" wide or so cutoff wheel and cut the gaps in. The only way to do this is by having it together in the bodywork/primer stage.
Fenders will twist more than doors but door can still be twisted and the time to correct it is while they are on the car so they can be adjusted to fit the other area’s.
On my car with the doors on it I had to use a hammer and dolly to tweak some of the edges to where I didn’t have a bunch of filler on an edge. On my car I’ve bolted on the door handles to where if it does distort the metal in the area around them I can block around them and when they are off the metal may go back to a slightly different shape but once the car is buffed and the handles torqued back down the metal should be straight in that area as I stressed it like it would be assembled while doing the body work.
All the work shown in the final product is from the attention to details. The more things you address, the better the end result should be.
Jim
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
Jim - great write up - thank you very much. Did you install your doors / trunk with new weather stripping (assuming you put new on at some point). I believe I read that somewhere, to use the new stuff when blocking / fitting. Then again, I've heard that in the next few months after putting in new weather stripping that it compresses more so would that then mess up the alignment?
Thanks again guys
 
#12 ·
I have been under the impression that panels are not lined up flush from the factory for a reason. For instance isn't the rear edge of the front fenders supposed to stick out just slightly farther than the front edge of the doors to cut down on wind noise when driving down the road.
 
#13 ·
JHunter said:
Jim - great write up - thank you very much. Did you install your doors / trunk with new weather stripping (assuming you put new on at some point). I believe I read that somewhere, to use the new stuff when blocking / fitting. Then again, I've heard that in the next few months after putting in new weather stripping that it compresses more so would that then mess up the alignment?
Thanks again guys
Click to expand...
I hope with what I write helps you and others and also gets me to thinking about issues I might have with my stuff. This is suppose to be a fun hobby but sometimes the little things test you and your tolerance level.

When I get further along on my car I will probably install the weatherstrips without any glue so I can check things, remove them and put them back on later. I have used the soffseal brand before and not had any issues but I have read about others brands and other cars having problem with how pliable the weatherstrips are. I have seen on my factory and aftermarket weatherstips how in some area's they look like they have had a lot of pressure on them but in other area's it's hardly detectable that the weatherstrip even sealed against the other surface. Most of the weatherstrip you cannot see how hard it's hitting against another surface so what I might do is try the one dollar bill trick or a piece of paper to try and get a feel for how tight the edge of the weatherstrip is to the other panel.


While I've not heard about having a fender sticking out for wind noise reduction I have heard that the doors were hung slightly up in the back to where when the parts were put in the doors that this weight would weigh the back edge down and bring it closer to being even on the rocker sill gap. I wonder how this was setup on the line though. Did someone further down the line go back up in the line and tell the person, hey the door needs to be a little bit higher or lower or what. I kinda doubt that happened and that's why I think a lot of cars you see the gaps are not as good as they could be. I know I didn't think of the added weight in my doors and when I get back to working on it I may dig out the regulator, glass, and the other parts and put them in the door and see how much if any the door does move. I will have to address it then before I have paint put on the car as the hinges on mine are welded on and when I tweaked the factory tolerances I had to get out a floor jack and I bent something but I got the gaps where I wanted them. Luckily the door was low in the back and not high. If that was the case I don't know of a quick way to pull it down.

Jim
 
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