After the Barracuda’s body was painted, we rolled it outside and started the sanding and buffing process. Unfortunately, we cut through the clearcoat, leaving us with two options: paint the entire body again, or spot-in the quarter panel.

We decided to spot in the quarter panel, so the entire area was sanded with 800-grit paper, and cleaned with wax and grease remover. The damage might not be very noticeable, but it needs to be repaired.

It’s very important to stay off the crowns and sharp edges when color sanding a fresh finish. Here’s the damaged area; while it’s only a faint line across the edge, it would stand out if it were buffed.

It’s very important to stay off the crowns and sharp edges when color sanding a fresh finish. Here’s the damaged area; while it’s only a faint line across the edge, it would stand out if it were buffed.

Rolling the tape like this creates a soft edge and allows the material to flow out, rather than build up on the hard tape line. We suggest using 3M 2-inch-wide tape for this method.

On this edge, we use the rolling technique to provide a soft edge around the rear window opening. We use smaller pieces of tape to hold down the folded edge and keep it away from the quarter panel. This also keeps the tape from creasing.

For the quarter glasses, we simply tape on the backside, since there will be trim that resides on this small edge. The old masking paper is from the first paint job, so we’ll add fresh paper to the spot-in area.

We use the rolling technique on the door jamb, staying about 1/8-inch off the edge, to keep the materials from building up on the edge. Since this is curved, it’s a good idea to mask it off in sections, rather than trying to do it with one long piece.

The rocker panel is flat, so the 2-inch tape can be stretched from one end to the other. Some cars have a seam between the quarter panel and rocker panel, but this Barracuda did not, so we’re repainting the rocker, too.

Just like the other panels, we roll the tape back and use smaller pieces to keep it pulled tight. With enough practice, this technique will come naturally, but it’s a little tricky at first, so be patient.

There’s an edge on this Barracuda that we’ll use as a breaking point, and it will receive the roll-back taping treatment. By doing this, we can avoid painting the very bottom of the rocker panel and the pinch-weld seam.

It’s back to normal masking for the wheel openings since this car will be fit with stainless steel moldings. Before the moldings are installed we will sand off the tape line and buff it, so the spot-in will be undetectable, even with the moldings removed.

The bottom of the quarter panel, behind the rear wheel features a small, flat area, which is a nice breaking point. We let the tape overhang, and then roll it back to make our soft edge.

Out back, we can tape the rear valance panel in traditional fashion, and continue taping around the rear bumper inset and the taillight panel. All of this will be taped normally, since there is a breaking point.

Now that we’ve masked the outline of the quarter panel, we can use paper to protect the finished areas of the car. We’ll allow the paper on the bottom of the rocker panel to lie on the floor of the spray booth.

This car has junk wheels on it, used only to roll around on while the bodywork and paint are completed, so we’re not worried about getting a little overspray on them. The main goal here is to keep trash to a minimum.

The taillight panel and rear bumper area can now be papered, and we plan to run three sheets of paper across the rear of the car to protect it from overspray.

With the quarter panel taped and ready, one of the last steps is to wipe the area with wax and grease remover. Once this is allowed to dry, we’ll go over the panel (and the tape) with a tack cloth to remove any debris.

Since Danny Parton painted it the first time, he gets to help with the repairs and blasts on the yellow basecoat. Danny paints the entire panel to ensure uniform coverage and goes back for another coat after allowing a 10-minute flash time.

It’s time for clear, and he’ll soak the quarter panel and rocker panel with three medium coats, so there won’t be as much of a chance of sanding through this time. After the third coat is applied, the car is baked for 45 minutes.

The day after painting it we started the sanding and buffing process yet again and had wonderful results. It’s a shame we had to go through additional work, but it’s part of the job, and no one will ever notice, unless they read this magazine, of course.