at our shop we always paint the doors off of the car, but i hear this can sometimes bite you in the ass. how do you pros do it?? its getting close to paint time for the 51 chevy/holden ute, and if i dont fk it up hopefully it will be in magazines because it is the only one in the US. thanks, sean

Im a collision tech in Arizona. The way I would do it is get the door alined first than take a drill with a 1/8th bit and drill 2 or 3 shallow marks at the edge of door to henge and henge to piller so after you paint you can realine every thing. Have some one help reinstall the door Don't go it alone. If you have to tape some small rags on the door edge. And always aline doors, hoods, etc. with the latch or striker out they can mess you up or get jammed. Hope this helps. Matt

Remember to paint the doors hanging or standing up. If you don't, the color will be a shade different than the surrounding panels. Even with white!!!

It is a natural tendancy to put more color on a horizontal surface than one vertical.

Watch on the next TV show that repaints a car for someone, ie Overhaulin or a show that is similar. Very often you can see on the TV the slight color difference between the doors and fenders,1/4 panels.

Yes, I have done it myself, couldn't see it untill the pictures were taken in a setting sun situation. I was the only one to notice, but the very light silver showed it very well. Yes I painted the doors flat, then hung them.
1956 Ford Thunderbird painted with just tinting base, pure medium aluminum. Then cleared, colorsanded and buffed. Lacquer done about 1980. Learned then, and still learning!!!

Just my.02

:gmc: CCDually

thanks for the help. its a dark blue metallic by the way

hey ghettocruzer, how do you usually do it?"

Any progress pics of that project besides the ones you posted a couple of months ago?

Man i prefer to have front cap unbolted and doors still on vehicle base the jambs get em covered set cap on base outside then remove cap clear it in pieces and just wait till last coat of clear open the doors and shoot a coat then go right back over it quick gives plenty of shine and protection and u get no edges also color matches.

"Basics of Basics" Masking jambs
By Brian Martin

Painting jambs
There is as many ways to paint jambs as there guys doing it. Unless it is an out and out show car I say paint the jams and then paint the outside. Many guys will say do it all at once with the panels off. The extra work and chance of damaging your new paint are so great, I say save that for the out and out show cars. If tape off the jambs well, you can barely tell the difference.
These are a few things I have learned that save a lot of work. First off, when you paint the jambs, apply both color and clear. DO NOT let the overspray go out onto the outside! This can cause HUGE problems along with the extra sanding that can be avoided. Unless completely removed, that overspray can ruin you work. The solvents from the paint on the exterior will get under the thin overspray and lift! What you want to do is be sure that the outside is TOTALLY done and READY to be final sanded and painted BEFORE you do the jambs. Now, tape off the outside along the jamb edge with at least 18" paper so you don't get that direct overspray out on the exterior. I tape the paper up to about 1/8" from the edge of the jamb. Then take your tape and "backtape" to the edge. This is when you lay the tape up to the edge on the outside so it is hanging over the edge, then gently fold it back, exposing the jamb but keeping the outside covered right up to the edge. This back taping will make a "softer" edge and be much easier to sand.
Go ahead and paint and clear the jamb, and remove that last tape that is back taped while the clear is still a little wet if you want (not necessary but you could choose to do that) the clear will then flow a little at the edge and leave you will even less of an edge to sand off.
Now when you paint the outside tape off the jambs up to about 1/8" or 3/16" from the edge so the seam won't be seen when the door is closed. Sand the exterior including that little edge left from the jamb paint and do the last little bit of jamb paint up to the new tape line with a gray scuff pad. I even will put that tape a little bit further away (about another 1/16") from the edge and after the scuffing with the gray scuff pad, apply a fine line (the blue plastic tape) tape over that last tape but hanging over the edge onto the new jamb paint that 1/16" bringing the line up to the original desired 1/8" to 3/16" from the edge. This will ensure that your jamb edge doesn't peel.

You could also use "aperture" foam tape that 3M makes. It is a rope made of foam with adhesive on it and is like "back taping" it leaves a "soft" edge.
I can go even more anal for you.
This may not work well in your jambs but if you can open the doors before clearing you could do it. I have found an even better way to all but eliminate that edge.
Tape off the edge as described with the extra line of fine line tape over the last 1/16" of new jamb paint (this works with when painting up to any paint actually, it doesn't need to be new paint you are painting up to). Then add ANOTHER strip of fine line the same way, over the next 1/16" or 3/32" getting up even closer to the jamb edge. Now, after you paint the color on the outside, you remove that last fine line added BEFORE you clear the exterior. Now, you will be burying the edge of the base coat under the clear! You don't have to do this by any means but it adds to that detail that is almost like you removed the doors to paint.

Martinsr is dead on right as usual that is the way i do evryday paintjobs that arent as critical as a car that is being shown. I paint the jambs after the last session of primer before unmaskin so there is less to mask to shoot jambs. And if any overspray does get on exterior u are already sandin anyway. Then i use backtaping method when i mask off jambs for exterior paint gives very little edge another good tip is to set the gun down real low on stream after final coat and open door and spray ur edge with some slow urethane reducer it will help the edge burn in. Also look at what ur workin with lot of cars will have a breaking point in the jamb so u can simply tape it off and open door on final coat of clear and spray it and have seemless jambs.

I paint with the doors on the truck so the bolts and all get covered and dont get destryed by wrenching on them. I paint the whole vehicle then do the jambs last with a smaller gun while everything is still wet so it will burn in, and then just leave the doors open while drying. great jambs every time, nice and uniform and no tape lines or irregularities to jack with.