Painting trunk lids off the car, What's your process? Options

[bbrock]

I'd like to say this will be my last painting question, but I don't want to lie. I'm planning the logistics of painting all the pieces not attached to the car (trunk lids, engine lide, headlight covers). It shouldn't be hard except I'm spraying 2-stage metallic which complicates things a little. Some considerations:

1. Metallic should be sprayed with panels oriented the same as they will be on the car to avoid funky discontinuity in how the flakes lay where panels meet (e.g. trunk to fender).

2. PPG DBC base coat has to be clearcoated within 24 hours.

3. PPG Concept clear coat requires minimum 16 hours air dry time.

I can think of a couple ways to tackle this:

1. Lay panels flat and upside down on racks. Spray base and clear on the underside, then give them a day or so to air dry. Then flip them over and and repeat to paint the top sides. That means the whole car will be painted in stages over 2-3 days.

2. Same as above but spray base coat on bottoms. Let dry an hour or two. Flip over and spray base on the tops. Let dry. Then hang them so I can clear coat both sides at once. Complete car sprayed in 1-2 days but more handling parts.

Which would be less likely to bite me in the ass? Or maybe something I haven't thought of. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[914forme]

Paint the backs, mount them on the car. Seal the jambs and flanges and paint the entire car as it sits so you don't have the flake lay issues. 3m makes good Soft Edge Foam Masking Tape for just this situation.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[DickSteinkamp]

Paint the backs, mount them on the car. Seal the jambs and flanges and paint the entire car as it sits

I considered doing this, but running a dry test, I had trouble keeping the same distance away from all surfaces of the rear trunk lid and frunk lid with the gun with those parts mounted.

Others may have longer arms. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/live.staticflickr.com-20876-1570803605.1.jpg)