There R No Stupid Questions, Well Maybe

[LUV2XCLR8]

I HAVE NEVER DONE A FRAME OFF RESTO, I BOUGHT A BLAZER, SOME OF
YOU MAY REMEMBER, & IT NEEDS PAINT & FINAL ASSEMBLY, IT IS AT 85%,
SINCE I CAN'T PAINT IT TILL SPRING, FINANCIAL ISSUES FROM GETTING IT
SHIPPED, WOULD YOU ASSEMBLE THE FRONT CAP, PUT DOORS & TAILGATE
ON, NO INTERIOR DOOR HARDWARE, GLASS, OR THAT STUFF, TO SEE WHAT
KIND OF FIT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO HAVE SO YOU COULD MAKE NOTES
ON SHIMS, ETC... AND THEN DISASSEMBLE RIGHT BEFORE PAINT, OR WOULD
YOU JUST LEAVE IT IN PEICES, MY CONCERN ON LEAVING IT IN PEICES IS
THAT AFTER IT IS PAINTED, THEN ASSEMBLED, IF IT ALL DOESN'T LINE UP
SOON AS YOU OPEN DOORS OR HOOD YOU COULD DAMAGE THE NEW PAINT,
ANY THOUGHT ON THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, THANKS.

[68 Suburban]

Your itching to work on it, so start slapping it together I know you are dying just looking at it

[ACES]

I would slap it together to make sure everything fits like it should. If there is a problem, you can correct it before its painted.

[NPilot1975]

I agree, I would get the fit and then take it back apart to paint it. I saw a neat idea in a magazine where they got the door gaps perfect then drilled to small holes through each hinge and door frame. Once painted put the hinges up and put something through to line up the two holes and you are set. No moving doors around on your new paint job. I think the guy used rivets to line it up, just didn't tighten them.

[Dean]

It depends on what color you are going to paint it also. Metallic paints when painted in pieces have a good chance of not matching when you put it together. I'd definitely trim everything out before you put it together in case you want to paint it in one piece.

[Huck]

I would first decide on which body shop is going to paint it then talk to them about how they want to handle the job. The body shop will have to set up the final fit anyway. If you want to see how it looks, thats fine but---what are you going to do to keep the perfect fit---just take it apart so that they can paint door jams, interior cab spots like under the dash, etc. All that moving the metal around creates opportunity for dents. My .02----Huck

[tnblazerk5]

well i have seen several frame off restos and all of them have been put togeather and takin apart a bunch of times before finial painting the reasion for all that is to check to see if everything is going to work togeather (checking door to fender clearances and door to body clearances and soforth and so on ) now for the paint it will need to be primer two or more times just to check for waves and places missed ,and to get that really killer paint job its goin to be painted at least two times once with it apart (to get in the door jams and behide things that cant be painted while togeather and then put togeather and painted again ) theres lots of work involed in taping up things even though there are no windows and soforth and so on that is if you want that really killer paint job and with a blazer like you have there, i would want the best body work and paint i could get my hands on ( and yes even with all that new stuff it has and as slick as it looks it will need sum body work they all do even brand new cars and trucks need body work ) its all in just how nice you want it to look! now if you want to put it togeather its up to you but a real paint and body man(or woman and yes there are paint woman out there) will take it apart and and do the things they need to do !!!! and thats just my personal opinion

[tnblazerk5]

i forgot sum things you may want to do too! huck made a good piont about the body shop thay will do what they need to do to get it right (if they are a good shop) ask quistions about the ways they need to do things and ask to look around the shop(most have a sing that say nobody beyond this piont because of inc reasoins) but if you ask and they want your buss they will let you look around also ask to look at paint jobs they have just done look close at them look for anything like runs paint fad in and out smoothness and soforth and so on and also ask to look at paint jobs thay did a year ago and go look at them or even ask to look at jobs they did 5 or 10 years ago and go look at them to see how they have been holding up sure there goina have scrachs and srapes but the paint sould still be there lol also ask the people about the way thay liked the jobs the shop did ! just remember paint is not cheep its goina cost sum bucks$$$$ with the blazer you got it would suck to see a crappy paint job go on it

[Blue Beard]

Doesn't cost anything to do the mock up, and tear down.

Besides it will show you any problems that may come up.