Thread: When is STRAIGHT, straight ENOUGH for final paint?

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Well, I have been working on getting my '32 high boy roadster ready for paint for the past several weeks. The body has been off the frame, all the body parts have been media blasted, and every square inch of metal was powdercoated in primer. The body was then remounted on the frame, doors adjusted and everything block sanded with 60 grit before my actual bodywork started.

I have been slowly working my way around the car doing the bodywork, fitting the body panel gaps, and making every panel straight and flat. Another couple of days and it will be ready for the first coat of high build primer/filler and more block sanding.

I went to the saturday morning car show this past weekend (The Donut Shop) and saw a beautiful black 29 full fendered roadster with carmel/tan spoke wheels. It was so straight, it looked like someone spray painted over glass mirror. The fit and finish was Grand National car show quality. This got me thinking about my body prep work. When do you know if "you have it straight enough" for the final paint?

My car will be "a driver" (I have already driven it 9000 miles in bare steel) and it will be done in a dark opaque color, close to '40 Ford Maroon. The "fit and finish deal" is important to me. It drives me crazy to walk through a car show and see $10K paint jobs on roadsters that the body/hood lines do not match up.