Motor and trans back in before or after final paint?

[JCBond]

Do people usually put the motor in before or after final painting?

[Lou's Comet]

I usually put the engine/trans back in after.

Lou

[A/FX]

Do people usually put the motor in before or after final painting?

If at all possible install the drivetrain and interior after body and paint. It’s somewhat nerve racking because the fear of scratching something but is is the preferred sequence. Most professional shops do it this way.
Jim

[JCBond]

Thanks.

[SASSY]

My powertrain has always been in before paint.
Like Jim says too nerve racking.
Its bad enough trying to get all the trim back on. Then have to go through the startup, maybe valve set, leaks etc.
Plus if your sending the car out for paint just all the more handling.
This last paint job I drove the car to the paint shop, about 10 miles without trunk lid, doors, fenders and hood! Gawd,,, 20 years ago this summer!

[Kingspeedy2]

These are great points.I am working on my first complete teardown. And after 9 years so far i will have to consult what pictures and manuals I have for reassembly which will hopefully be within the next 2.
I dont want to hijack a thread but an detailed order of re assembly after paint would be good. (obviously there will be opinion)
installing the trim after scares me and the windows and adjusting ,I am going to do a dry run prior to paint as i remember the vent and 1/4 rears were hard enough to get out and I wasn't worried about scratching the 6 coats of paint it had on it. Stripping paint was like an archaeological dig

[A/FX]

These are great points.I am working on my first complete teardown. And after 9 years so far i will have to consult what pictures and manuals I have for reassembly which will hopefully be within the next 2.
I dont want to hijack a thread but an detailed order of re assembly after paint would be good. (obviously there will be opinion)
installing the trim after scares me and the windows and adjusting ,I am going to do a dry run prior to paint as i remember the vent and 1/4 rears were hard enough to get out and I wasn't worried about scratching the 6 coats of paint it had on it. Stripping paint was like an archaeological dig

Everyone has their own preference on how to do things, when I respond to a thread or question please keep in mind that this is how I do it or would do it if It was my project.
I never try to imply that what I do is gospel and other methods are wrong.

With all the complete ground up builds or restorations I have completed over the years I find myself assembling and disassembling the vehicle numerous times before it is ready for bodywork and paint. There is a point where the vehicle is completely assembled (except for interior and paint) and everything is bolted together to make it look complete. Doing this makes final assembly after paint almost trouble free because I know that everything fit together previously. That said when one of my projects goes to the body shop it is completely void of every component except the body panels. No interior, electricial, suspension, glass, etc. I find that this method makes it much easier to do body work and less trouble masking off items that should not be painted. When the body and the fenders, doors, etc. return from the body shop they are ready for sub assembly before final assembly. Yes it is sometimes difficult to assemble everything when damaging the fresh paint is possible but in my mind this is the sequence that yields a better final product. To protect painted surfaces during assembly I use wide masking tape to protect areas that could be hurt while installing components, another item I have used is clear plastic protective film that applies without adhesive and is easily removable.
As for the sequence of assembly I would suggest something similar to this:
Assemble sub assemblies first, doors should be complete with glass, trim, and weather strip before being installed on the body.
Then go after the suspension, body trim, weather stripping, the driver train could be installed before the front clip this helps prevent fender damage. Wiring and glass can follow, deck lid and hood can wait. I always install the interior last, if you are careful it can be done without damaging anything, if you are having the interior done by a professional shop make sure everything is complete and ready for them. My interior guy gets very frustrated when a customer brings a car in and it is not ready for the interior, think ahead.
Hopefully I have been able to help you. One more piece of advice I could share with you is that when the project becomes a chore or overwhelming just stop, step back and take a break, the next day (or two) when you revisit the project you will have a fresh outlook and feel better.
You may find some interest in my Cyclone build album, it has been posted here before but new members might not have seen it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kabinenro ... 464305953/
Jim

[JimsHot66]

One more piece of advice I could share with you is that when the project becomes a chore or overwhelming just stop, step back and take a break, the next day (or two) when you revisit the project you will have a fresh outlook and feel better.

Best advice ever!!
Jim

[Kingspeedy2]

Thanks Jim,and I have been keeping an eye on your build

[JCBond]

These are great points.I am working on my first complete teardown. And after 9 years so far i will have to consult what pictures and manuals I have for reassembly which will hopefully be within the next 2.
I dont want to hijack a thread but an detailed order of re assembly after paint would be good. (obviously there will be opinion)
installing the trim after scares me and the windows and adjusting ,I am going to do a dry run prior to paint as i remember the vent and 1/4 rears were hard enough to get out and I wasn't worried about scratching the 6 coats of paint it had on it. Stripping paint was like an archaeological dig

Everyone has their own preference on how to do things, when I respond to a thread or question please keep in mind that this is how I do it or would do it if It was my project.
I never try to imply that what I do is gospel and other methods are wrong.

With all the complete ground up builds or restorations I have completed over the years I find myself assembling and disassembling the vehicle numerous times before it is ready for bodywork and paint. There is a point where the vehicle is completely assembled (except for interior and paint) and everything is bolted together to make it look complete. Doing this makes final assembly after paint almost trouble free because I know that everything fit together previously. That said when one of my projects goes to the body shop it is completely void of every component except the body panels. No interior, electricial, suspension, glass, etc. I find that this method makes it much easier to do body work and less trouble masking off items that should not be painted. When the body and the fenders, doors, etc. return from the body shop they are ready for sub assembly before final assembly. Yes it is sometimes difficult to assemble everything when damaging the fresh paint is possible but in my mind this is the sequence that yields a better final product. To protect painted surfaces during assembly I use wide masking tape to protect areas that could be hurt while installing components, another item I have used is clear plastic protective film that applies without adhesive and is easily removable.
As for the sequence of assembly I would suggest something similar to this:
Assemble sub assemblies first, doors should be complete with glass, trim, and weather strip before being installed on the body.
Then go after the suspension, body trim, weather stripping, the driver train could be installed before the front clip this helps prevent fender damage. Wiring and glass can follow, deck lid and hood can wait. I always install the interior last, if you are careful it can be done without damaging anything, if you are having the interior done by a professional shop make sure everything is complete and ready for them. My interior guy gets very frustrated when a customer brings a car in and it is not ready for the interior, think ahead.
Hopefully I have been able to help you. One more piece of advice I could share with you is that when the project becomes a chore or overwhelming just stop, step back and take a break, the next day (or two) when you revisit the project you will have a fresh outlook and feel better.
You may find some interest in my Cyclone build album, it has been posted here before but new members might not have seen it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kabinenro ... 464305953/
Jim

Thanks Jim. I printed this out and hung it in my shop. I appreciate it.