TR4/4A How best to proceed with my TR4?

[SCguy]

Clearly I have more to do! I'm taking this week and finishing off some little details and then its on to the body. My fenders are in great shape with very litte rust on the insides. So My question is... Do I clean up the insides myself striping the paint and treating what little rust there is and then spray can painting the inside fenders (with what?) and then mount all the body pieces? I would be taking the mostly aassembled car to a body shop for final paint or...

Should I take it all to a bodyshop now while its still in pieces and let them handle it?

 

[TR4nut]

Larry-

I can't believe no one has responded yet on this one. I'm not up to speed on the various best paints as I haven't worked with them for about 10 years. But on the inner panels I'd push you to do it yourself - you do not have to be a paint expert to do them and you already have done a great job on the rest - why pay someone else the money?

Randy

 

[tdskip]

Hi Larry - I loved the picture of the TR4 being driven around. How exciting.

I'd personally be inclined to finish the work myself (targeted at being a real world solid driver vehicle). Per the Piggott book on TR4 restoration it looks like the interior fenders are painted body color.

Treating them preinstallation has to be the way to go.

I'd probably error on the side of rust & chip prevention and they try to get the paint as close as possible. Maybe a coat of POR15 or Eastwood Rust Enscapaltor, primer and then body color rattle can paint then reinstall them?

 

[NickMorgan]

Larry,
A bit of advice from the other side of the Atlantic, so I am not sure if the same products are available over there. With my TR3 I took off the wings and sanded/wire brushed any rust. Then I treated it with Jenolite to kill the rust. This was followed by zinc primer and then white Smoothrite (It is a white car!) Their red is very close to signal red. You could then leave it like that, but I chose to coat this with black underseal, which I later sprayed with Waxoyl. I respray the Waxoyl every three years or so. Quite a number of processes, but 16 years later it is still holding up well.
I would always prefer to do a job like that myself as you then know it has been done properly. Who's to know if the body shop really treated the rust before painting it?
I would be inclined to put each wing on the car losely with a few bolts. This will allow the body shop to remove them to paint, but they can be re-attached for transporting the car home. Make sure that all of the captive nuts are in place and the threads are clean before the car goes for paint.
Your car is looking great. Keep up the good work.

 

[Alan_Myers]

Hi Larry,


Have you talked with the body shop about the paint job?

The most common method with TRs is to paint the fenders, hood, trunk lid, windshield frame (if applicable) and doors off the car, so that insides can be painted body color at the same time. Some shops might paint the door and fender inner areas, then hang them loosely for external painting. Better shops would then bake the paint for an hour or two, color sand and polish it up.

Now, you have already gone "non-original" by painting the inner fenders black (I did too on my TR4 last time I resorted it). So, you could finish the paint inside the fenders the same way, if you wish, then hang them for the body shop to paint the external areas. However, they will still need to be removed to install the stainless steel trim strims along the tops.

Is the paint shop going to be doing other prep work, such as block sanding the car all over to make sure panels are perfect? If so, they will need it assembled and all panels in adjustment. If not, they might give you a break if it comes to them disassembled.

One argument in favor of having the paint shop do the inner fenders is baked on paint is more durable than what you and I can usually get to spray on at home (especially in California, where painting is highly regulated). Also, you could have an "anti-chip" undercoat done in those areas.

The best shops usually prefer to do their own surface prep and priming. That's the only way they can really insure compatibility of subsequent coats of paint. They often won't give a warranty on a job where some of the paint is put on by the owner at home and they are left with just doing the top coat.

In the latest restoration of my TR4, I'm using a primer that removes easily with acetone, for just that reason. The shop will quickly be able to remove it entirely and get right down to bare metal to put on their own primer and sealer coats.

All this might best be decided by talking with the shop where you plan to have the paintwork done. Let them know you'd like to do some of the work, assuming that's the case, and get their guidance.

Lookin' good! Glad to see all the progress you are making.

 

[Guest]

Larry, have you considered taking the wings to someone that does a profession job with Line-x or the likes? Just keep the areas that fit back to the body either really thinly coated or none at all and paint it at the paint shop.

Sure wouldn't have to worry about rocks or rust again, ever.

I have a friend that Line-Xed the entire interior of his CJ7, several years ago. Totally bullet-proof.