The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop preparing truck for paint job

As soon as I pick who's going to paint my truck, I'm going to need to start preparing it. I am not going to do the body work since I'm all thumbs in this field. I'll have the shop take the body down to bare metal and then start the body work, etc.

My preparation will be to start removing as much as possible such as chrome, glass, rubber,bed wood, etc. Since I'm going to have the interior painted as well, the gauges and other interior pieces will also be removed. I just need to keep the truck somewhat driveable for the shop.

Assuming the shop will be needing to get behind the bed to attack the back of the cab, I assume I'll need to either heavily loosen or disassemble the entire bed. Not knowing yet if the shop will accept a truck in pieces is a stumbling block. I'd love for them to paint the outside of the bed with the rear fenders removed. This will allow me to then install new fender welt. Yes the bedwood will be discarded and repaced later with new wood.

The PO put in these ungodly speaker holes in the door panels which will be filled in with pieces from an extra door panel supplied by our infamous MT of Arizona. The shop will first (I assume) paint the interior, then the outside. The engine compartment could use a new paint job but I don't see how this will be done properly unless I pull the engine. I think this will be saved for another day.

If anyone has any comments/recommendations, I'd be greatful.