"To-Do" or "Not-To-Don't" list after receiving back from painting / body shop?

[LowlySatellite]

What would be a good "To-Do" or "Not-To-Do" list when I receive my car back from painting at the body shop? Worded another way, what are some of your "lessons learned" when you guys have fully restored a Mopar?

Should I Por-15 certain areas? If so, which areas?
Should I remove the fuel tank (it's a new unit that I installed 8 years ago with the 3/8" pickup) and Por-15 the underside of the trunk floor?
Should I install the engine / tranny / K-member last? Or first? (my gut says last)
Should I install the restored dash before the headliner? I believe it must be installed before the windshield but I'm not 100% sure about that.
Should I add any insulation to the underside of the roof before the headliner goes in?
Should I buy new AMD sourced windshield / backglass or try to find old glass in better shape than mine to install?
Should I install "X" before I install "Y" so I can install "Z" smoothly later?
Should I install the Z-bar pivot bracket for the manual clutch system or just go with a hydraulically actuated system?
Should I grind down the raised lip where the original heater core tubes protruded through the firewall before the firewall gets painted?
Should I install the vent window and window tracks before or after the doors get painted? They were a PITA to get out and seems like it would also be a PITA to get in after the doors are painted.

View attachment 1532132

 

[pnora]

You should of stripped the car to a bare shell before sending it to the shop.
No POR crap. Prep prime and paint. You can undercoat with the correct undercoating.
Everything should be completely painted before an assembly is started.
No real right or wrong assembly order but common sense is in order.
I like to get it back on 4 wheels as soon as it is painted. So all front and rear components should be restored and ready to drop in including engine and transmission.
All mods for 4 speed , a/c and everything else should be done before paint.
Sub frame connectors should of been done before the body shop got the car.
To me you have to much cart in front of the horse.

 

[zyzzyx]

Please stay away from POR 15 as pnora said! Absolute garbage. You can use "Fluid Film for inside the frame rails
and rockers and use Rick's Resto undercoating underneath for a stock look. Nice project!

 

[R413]

NO por15 or Bedliner coating on a classic car. YUKKY

may as well do the headliner first, then dash, windshield is last as it covers the dash bolts.

I couldn’t read any more of the novel today.

 

[Rebelrouser]

What would be a good "To-Do" or "Not-To-Do" list when I receive my car back from painting at the body shop? Worded another way, what are some of your "lessons learned" when you guys have fully restored a Mopar?

Should I Por-15 certain areas? If so, which areas?
Should I remove the fuel tank (it's a new unit that I installed 8 years ago with the 3/8" pickup) and Por-15 the underside of the trunk floor?
Should I install the engine / tranny / K-member last? Or first? (my gut says last)
Should I install the restored dash before the headliner? I believe it must be installed before the windshield but I'm not 100% sure about that.
Should I add any insulation to the underside of the roof before the headliner goes in?
Should I buy new AMD sourced windshield / backglass or try to find old glass in better shape than mine to install?
Should I install "X" before I install "Y" so I can install "Z" smoothly later?
Should I install the Z-bar pivot bracket for the manual clutch system or just go with a hydraulically actuated system?
Should I grind down the raised lip where the original heater core tubes protruded through the firewall before the firewall gets painted?
Should I install the vent window and window tracks before or after the doors get painted? They were a PITA to get out and seems like it would also be a PITA to get in after the doors are painted.

Back story.........
I'll be receiving my 1970 Plymouth Satellite 2-dr (originally a 318 auto on column, bench seat car) back from the body shop soon. Many months ago, I stripped the car down to a rolling shell. I left the rear differential in the car and fabricated a "dolly" for the front. The car still retains the fuel and brake lines only. As the time of this writing, the windshield, back glass, dash, brake booster / master cylinder, and HVAC unit are still in the car. Hopefully next week, the glass will come out at the body shop and I'll go over there to remove the dash, brake booster / master cylinder, and HVAC unit so the car can then be fully painted. I've recently purchased a Steele Rubber Products complete rubber set for the car and the body shop will be hanging the doors and setting the gaps with my Mopar Leo restored hinges that I received months ago. I will not be installing any sound system in the car as I fancy a "radio delete" type panel. I've also instructed thy body shop to fill the antennae hole. I plan on installing an aftermarket HVAC unit (Vintage Air?) and controls. I plan on installing USTC subframe connectors. I plan on installing an A833 four speed and a mild 440 engine in the car only for cruising and the occasional romp while street cruising. I have a A833 that was recently rebuilt by Brewers. I have the 4-speed transmission hump that I'll be installing in the floor pan. And I plan on reinstalling the stock bench seat (after reupholstering). I have an uncut Ford 8.8 from a 1996 Explorer that I plan on installing in the car. I previously ran this Trak-Lok rear end in a Chevy S10 that I built for asphalt road racing, (but that's a long story). Obviously, I'll fabricate a custom driveshaft to mate the A833 to the 8.8.

I'm not a newbie mechanic and I've worked in the Kit Car industry in the past so I'm very familiar with much of this type of work. But, I've never "restored" a Mopar. This is my first car that I purchased in 1988 for $100 so want to do it as "right" as I can. And yes, I know it's "just a Satellite" but it's my Satellite it means a lot to me.

View attachment 1532132

No issues with order of assembly, but one thing I can tell you is don't let a bird crap on your new paint for a few weeks. Ask me how I know that.

 

[dvw]

I dont agree that POR is "crap". It doesn't need to be used on clean metal or well blasted metal. In fact it adheres poorly to clean metal. It does seal well and adheres great to rusted metal. Where do we use it? In areas where you can't really get to. We put it in a hand pump garden sprayer. Apply to the bottom inner seams of the doors, the cowl, over wheel arches of the 1/4's, inside the back lip of the deck lid, etc If there is any external rust in these areas repair it first. Lay paper under where you spray. It'll run out and make a mess. But when it dries, its solid as a rock. No moisture will penetrate from the back side. We've been doing this for 25 years. Have several cars painted back then. They still are perfect and rust free. All of them had metal work to repair rust. None of them have shown any failure of repair. I've used Kil Mat sound deadner. It's like Dyna Mat but less money. It works very well.
Doug

 

[Gus chiggins]

Put your brake lines, brake booster/master cylinder wiper motor in first. That's easier than trying to put that stuff in after the motor is in.

 

[pnora]

Put your brake lines, brake booster/master cylinder wiper motor in first. That's easier than trying to put that stuff in after the motor is in.

All that stuff is still on the car. He needs to rethink things a bit. That car should of been stripped to a bare shell before he sent it to a body shop.

 

[1967coronet]

We like por15 stories back to the car..... yes insulate the inner roof,, myself I would leave the glass out until the headliner and dash are in.
Door glass frames go in after paint just take you time and be careful.
Place a strip of tape on the top door edge.
Tie the frames before the bottom is sprayed. Get your pedals and linkage in before the engine. Like posted allready just think ahead..
.

 

[LowlySatellite]

You should of stripped the car to a bare shell before sending it to the shop.
No POR crap. Prep prime and paint. You can undercoat with the correct undercoating.
Everything should be completely painted before an assembly is started.
No real right or wrong assembly order but common sense is in order.
I like to get it back on 4 wheels as soon as it is painted. So all front and rear components should be restored and ready to drop in including engine and transmission.
All mods for 4 speed , a/c and everything else should be done before paint.
Sub frame connectors should of been done before the body shop got the car.
To me you have to much cart in front of the horse.

In hindsight, yes. I should have installed the 4-speed hump and subframe connectors already. I don't have Graveyard Carz money so I'm doing the best I can. I left the stuff on the car (deck lid, doors, hood, fenders, etc.) in that picture per the instruction of the body shop as opposed to removing them and having to deal with them separately. The shop will blow it all apart when they perform the metal work and then fit it all back together. I'll replace the existing, old brake lines with new ones when I get it back from the shop.

You mention POR15 is crap. My floorboards are rusty but have no holes. I was thinking of using POR15 on them. Would that be a mistake?

 

[BigFlo]

If you’re not going to get the rust out of the floors, then you should use some type of rust inhibitor - POR15 or something else.
You’d preferably get rid of the rust, prime and paint.

 

[Dave6T4]

Don't get in a big hurry to put chrome or stainless trim on fresh paint. Let the paint harden up for a month or so, otherwise the trim can slightly sink into the paint.
As others have said, put dash back in, headliner, and glass . Always use new window gaskets and new window molding clips. Install upper inner garnish molding brackets before the glass goes in (ask me how I know.). Install heat and sound insulation on the floor pan before new carpets go in. Also on the underside of the roof, before the headliner is installed. I even glued it inside my doors before I installed window risers.