Lyndwood

I would really like to "jam" in some paint on my headlight assemblies, door jams and hood before i actually paint my car. I cringe at painting the headlights off the car then trying to reassemble with out messing up the headlights or the nose of the car, I'm just not known for patience or tedious work so pre-jamming would work for me if you know what I mean? So I want to know if I can spray those parts with a coat of my base coat now and be able to just spray over them again later when I do my complete paint job. I was told by someone else not to spray my BC and to use the same color but in single stage on all the jams and then come back later with my BC/CC. Is there a reason I cant just jam in with my BC why is this person telling me to use single stage for my jams?

Dave Tracy

I have recently painted my '64 using single stage urethane. I had the headlights off the car and reassembling them was no big deal. You will have a neater job if you take them off. I know it can be done with the light buckets on as in the factory but make it the best you can. My $.02.

Lyndwood

I have the bumpers covers and light buckets out already, I want to paint the under sides and edges an reinstall before painting the body. The doors are on the car as it's a respray so the jams are the correct color they just need freshening up. I want to know if I can jam with my base coat now ,reassemble and paint the car later. The guy I spoke with says I can't do that with BC and I should jam with single stage?

csherman

I thought about your comment and I cant think of a good reason to jam with single stage before final paint
I paint everything apart - so that is not an issue
There are so many way to do it but if the jams are masked or taped you will get a hard tape line
If you wanted the overspray to flow into one another - I would base it - assemble it - the base it and clear the whole thing at once

Lyndwood

this is what i want to do, the guy I talked to said I can't? When I spray my base on the whole car I'm going to cover the overspray thats there from my jamming blending it then i will clear coat over it all.

csherman

Talk to another painter -
If you shot the jams single stage - your going to get base and clear on the jams - unless you mask them - then you have a hard line
you can try to back mask it - but it would have to be perfect

NONN37

you only have a certain time window to clear over the base or youll have adhesion problems. about 24 hrs. then you have to scuff and base clear again.

you can backmask the edges its very common with the panels on. just dont start/end spray on the gaps. you dont want heavy buildup on the panel edges, \
once the clear drytime is good, pull the tape and polish the edges with a towel, itll polish out the uneven-ness of the tapeline that creates the hard line. basically flattening/softening it. Or you can wetsand and polish it by hand. If you have the panels off you can mask to a seam line or weatherstrip lip.

My friend painted a black camaro with s/s engine bay, jambs and trunk. and bc/cc exterior. It was for a cruiser car that was gonna be driven a lot but still be a nice show car. and the SS jambs would be easier to touchup from scratches of daily use, getting in and out and doing engine work etc. The car is Jet Black. The car parked outside so the clear helps with uv protection and general upkeep that comes from having a single stage paint job. I wouldnt do it for metallic, because im sure the clear will change the color tones a bit.