Thread: To off-frame or not to off-frame...

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Starlight, I've done 'em both ways. It's easy enough to throw some plastic drop cloths over the frame, and mask it tight at the bottom edge of the cab.

Old trucks are always a lot of work. I just helped a friend with all of the body work, primimg, block sanding, then repriming on a 1950 3-window.

The biggest reason they are sooooo rough, is that they are work vehicles, and no one ever takes care of them. They get used and abused until, one day someone wants to make a nice truck out of them again.

If you do it off-frame, you need several strong backs,to move it, or a "body dolly" to set it on so it can be rolled around. I'd loan you a dolly, but you are a little too far from Tucson. :-)

If you decide to paint it apart, you will need to pick a solid color with a simple formula. Keep the paint well mixed before spraying. You may not get the best match this way, but the alternative is to shoot the inside of everything, put it together, mask carefully, and shoot the outside.

Unfortunately, I have no help here. Wish you did live closer! I need some advice to chew on.

I have access to a paint booth and lots of advice there but it is 40 miles away. I would almost have to bring everything down there and work on it nonstop until finished. I am retired military and the facility is the Auto Craftshop at Fort Carson. I can buy paint at wholesale prices through them so going that route is tempting. I don't think the paintshop I visited today is interested so I am stuck doing it myself.

The reason I have everything off frame is because I bought another '53 frame after an "expert" welded a '69 Camaro subframe on crooked. Plus, the truck was a 3/4 ton and he cut too much off while shortening it and messed up the welding there. I bought another frame and put a Mustang IFS on and got an expert welder to do the hard work.

If I buy enough paint to do the whole truck, why would I get shade variances? I can just see a dark fender here, a lighter cab there and a pink bed.

Thnks for your informative reply. I appreciate all the advice I can get.