When I bought my '67 Dart it needed a lot of work, but the sheet metal is very good. It was gray primer (not done correctly) so it'll need stripped and redone when I get to the paint part. The interior wasn't too bad, but the windshield and rear window leaked, so there was mold in the carpet and some interior rust to deal with, the headliner was shot, passenger floor pan rusted through, I had to fix a rear quarter window crank mechanism,etc. so I tore out the interior but for the front seat. My main project has been the engine and suspension first and foremost. But, I foresee in the next say year, that I'll have that worked out, so...

Between bodywork/paint, all new rubber seals around the doors, glass etc, and redoing the interior, which order should I approach this? I have to replace the leaky windshield and rear window seals before I can do the interior, but I need to do the door seals etc, after I paint. I was thinking paint/bodywork is the last thing I'll do, but some tell me that I should do the interior last. I suppose that makes sense 'cause you can paint any surfaces needed, including inside to make it look like a factory paint job, but that doesn't really concern me. It seems to me I could do the interior but for the door seals, and do that after painting, make sense?

Anybody doing a restoration (I use that term lightly, as I don't care to make it exactly like factory, e.g. I plan to install 2000 Sebring seats with the integrated shoulder belts so that's another reason I like the sheet metal all exposed right now inside, I'm likely to cut some floor, weld in brackets, etc.) or have done one and have any lessons learned on the order of things?

thanks all and Happy Holidays.

BG

You can really go about this any way you choose lol it just depends what you're wanting to do.

When I did my dart, bodywork came first, and I painted my dash and jammed without having to tape or mask anything off. Then, I worked on all the seals and made sure it was sealed up tight (dont want to get water in good seats or carpet) and then finished with the interior.

Thats just my 2¢, I'm sure other people will have other ways of going about it.

I think you're right, everyone has a different take on things, priorities, budgets, and there is more than one way to skin a cat.

I was just looking for any lessions learned by doing things a particular way that would have been better had they been done in different order.

bg

The front and rear window gaskets now sold do NOT include the dam that was applied around the perimeter originally. There was a strip of butyle rubber laid up against the outside edge of the gasket upon the flange to keep water away from the gasket edge. You should not rely on the gasket alone to seal it. Modern installers will put a bead of butyl calk inside the gasket slot on both sides, but that dam is still needed.

Sam

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