I'm getting to the stage of getting my '68 painted. It is currently off the chassis (that being completed and shiny).

What is the collective wisdom about delivering a car to the painters on or off the chassis. I would have thought it is better to have it off the chassis as the amount of masking is diminished, but it is a hassle to move the body around not on a chassis.

Yes, I know every shop will have a preference, but some of you I am sure have a preference.

When I did my 68, I made up a trolley that I could lower the body on to. I used threaded rod through the trolley so that it attached to the body via the holes in the body that pan bolts go in. There were a couple of nuts on the thread so the body sat above the trolley allowing the painting to be done easier with access everywhere.

The trolley had wheels (with locks) that could be removed from each of corners of the trolley so it was easily moved around to work on. I could remove the wheels from the legs of the trolley which then fit in to the square holes in each corner of my trailer to make transporting it easier. You can just lift the trolley and body with seat belt webbing hooked up to a block and tackle and then just roll the trailer in our out as needed.

Yogie

Here are some photos

and some more

Thanks for the replies. Yes I have a frame of sorts but I know I would have to do more like you have.

But the question was, whether it is better to send the whole car, or just the body.

I sent the body only so they could get to everywhere easily and I could keep working on the pan at the same time so I think it is better to do it like that.

Do you have a painter

Did you ask what they would prefer If off the chassis then you will need a trolley so it can be wheel around

I have done both ways Depends if you want the underside painted i think its much nicer to have the inner guards painted as good as the out side of the car

Haven't done much on the car lately.

One of the issues I have is that I have removed all the paint on the guards and bonnet and boot etc and now working on the rest of the body. Flash rust is obviously a problem. I've used phosphoric acid on a fair bit of it and that seems to stop it for a while.

I would like to spray the body with some epoxy primer in my garage to protect the metal after I do the major rust repairs and welding as it will still take some time at my current speed to complete the car to be sent to the painter. I approached one painter who said that if I painted the car with epoxy they would not guarantee any of their work because of possible ill effects from the paint.

So what to do? Change painters? Present them an unpainted body with potentially flash rust on it that they would have to deal with? Obviously the more I do the less it is going to cost me to repaint.

Are there any VW sympathetic painters out there who are not just insurance collision workers? And how long is a piece of string -i.e. how much would I expect to pay for a single stage complete repaint to a high standard. I don't want the bc/cc as it does not look right.

I'm in NW Sydney.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

You could prepare the body work and wipe it with Lanolin or a Light oil to stop any surface rust
then wash off with prep sol before you give to painter as they will want bare metal to work with BUT they will still winge

You have to find some one you can work with and talk to most shops only want to do Insurance so you have to find old school person or private shop