I have my car almost ready to paint but I have most panels off of it now. The problem is that there are so many parts (fenders,6 pcs front, hood mirrors and spoilers) I'm afraid that I will be to slow to do it all the same time. If I put it back together before I paint the joint areas will just have primer on them and I'm afraid it will rust. Is it possible to paint the body with the doors on and paint all of the other parts the next day and the paint match. I know it is best to have the panels sitting as they are on the car. I know this sounds crazy to some of you but I am having a great time doing this and I think I am doing a pretty good job of so far. I don't want to mess up now. I have painted some things in the past mostly work trucks I used in my business and than we just sanded taped and shot it. Thanks for any help

This is what I call trimming, painting the door jambs, inside the fenders, under the hood, etc. Is this what you're referring to? Dan

No, As you guess its a 70 camaro and the front end together to make a seems at top of the fender and across the bumper. The front end is made up of seven pieces( upper and lower panel 2 bumper fill 2 bumper mounts and a nose). These are the places that give the most concern. If I use base-coat clear-coat I feel that I have to get the inside of the seem with paint and clear-coat. This means that all the panels have to be apart. I would rather put it together and paint it all at once because I know that there is a good chance of scratching something. So as it is now the car is in one end of the shop and the doghouse is in the other taken apart. I guess I will have to paint it all at once while it is apart but that is a lot of stuff hanging around in a not so big area a lot of moving lights. I see it as a maze. Thanks John

I am not clear on exactly what you are asking. Yes, you could paint the car in pieces on different days. If it is a metallic, I HIGHLY recommend against it. Even seasoned pros end up with different colors doing this.

You can "jamb" all the parts ahead of time and then assemble the car and paint it all at once, which is what I recommend.
I think that is what you are asking, if you could paint the "edges" ahead of time,that is called "jambing". Sure you can, I have never paid much attention to the exact numbers, but I would say far more body shops do that, than paint them off the car.

Where I work, we do about 150 cars a month, about half the new panels are installed on the cars and painted, while the other half are painted on a rack inside and out. So you see, it can be done either way.
Brian

Painting your car in pieces is not as big a taboo as some make out. I was about to paint my '66 Mustang - Silver Blue Metallic base/clear, having spent almost a year prepping all the parts (part time). This was my first car to paint so is was extremely nervous but wanted it right. I had sprayed quite a bit of furniture finishes and I had an ex body guy walking me through it. The important aspects are to cross mix all containers of paint and to pay particular attention to the direction you move the gun, especially with metallics. The other issue I found was the dwell time, or pace of moving the gun. On metallics, the metal flakes are suspended in the medium, or fluid and will take on a particular direction based on the amount of medium and spray direction. If you spray at a different pace or hesitate over a spot, you will put on more spray and it will lay differently. I had to go back over a couple of areas after it tacked to get the metallic to lay the same. My car came out great, the joints look fab and I have had several want me to paint their cars for them. When I tell them how much time goes into it and what it would cost, they crawfish and settle for a cheaper job.

If you are going to paint sections at different times do yourself a favor.
If you get a gallon of paint mix it thoroughly and immediatly pour off
three quarts of it to new paint cans for later use.No matter how well
you stir a gallon if you keep pouring off the top by the time you get
to the bottom it will probably be different, especially with metallics.
I have painted most of my cars this way and haven't had a problem
with color match. Take note on all your gun settings, air pressure
and mixtures, etc. Duplicate everything as close as possible and you
won't have a problem. Base coat is a little more fogiving because you
can dust on your last coat of color and keep your metallic much
more consistent.

Thanks for all of the replies and sorry that I am not very clear about what I am trying to do. I just feel that if I paint the car with the parts off I have a better chance not to develops rust between the panels. Also with so many parts and as slow as I move I was afraid I would take too long to start the next coats with so many parts. Thanks again John

I like your idea of mixing the paint and poruing it off into new cans. To me it makes logical sense.

What I will be doing when painting my car in about two months time is to "jamb" the doors like MARTINSR suggests. I actually though about that the other day. Two reasons for that. 1. I won't run risks of scratch the doors or door frames with fitting and adjusting. Once they are properly fitted and adjusted I'll do the rest of the doors. 2. You can get into the sides and bottoms of the doors properly with a good coats of paint.

Same goes for the trunk lid and hood.

Yea, that sounds good to me too.
After reading this forum about a good "flowcoat" I'm tempted to
paint all the parts like I usually do assemble everything then wetsand
and "flowcoat" a couple of additional clear coats.
That way if I do scratch anything I can basecoat a small touchup
before final clearing. Does anyone out there do it this way?