preperation for paint

I'm in the process of stripping my '65 Coupe down for paint. The engine has been out for some time, the front and rear glass is out, the mirrors, bumpers badges and all the chrome trim is off, the front lights, indicators are all off, the gas tank is out (I'm painting the trunk), everything is out of the engine bay including wiring, the front and rear fender caps are off, there's a new fiberglass Shelby front valance and rear GT style rear valance on, and I'm going to buy a Crites teardrop fiberglass hood.

I've never had a car painted before, but my philosophy dates back to making plastic models as a kid. A friend of mine would build a model in a day or two unpainted, then paint the completed thing. I would take much longer, sometimes never finish, but paint the individual parts, or subassemblies, prior to assembly. Sure enough he was finished before me, but my build was a lot better.

To summarize, the more you remove the better the finished job.

I took out my glass, engine and trans, all brake lines, fuel lines, wiring, master cylinder, steering column, took all the body panels off, all lights out and basically everthing but the front seat, carpet and dash pad. You wouldn't believe how fast you can fill up a garage with parts. Is it a pain? Absolutely. But now that the car is nearly finished, I'm glad I did it that way. The engine compartment looks incredibly clean and detailed, the jambs look like new and the wiring doesn't have any overspray on it. There is no way anyone could tell this car has had a color change, and that's what I want. But do yourself a favor, take LOTS of pictures, label everything and buy a bunch of storage tubs to keep track of all the parts. Bag and label every bolt and it's location and you'll lose fewer parts when reassembly time comes. Trust me, your memory doesn't cut it after a few weeks or months go by.