Hey all. I finally got an FD after wanting one for over a decade. It's everything I've ever wanted, except it's Montego Blue. I have Always been in love with Vintage Red and am considering a paint change for the car. My only question is: from what I can find online, doing a complete color change decreases the value of a car. I don't EVER plan on getting rid of the car, so this is not the major determining factor, but how far into the car should I prep for painting? I already planned on removing the motor completely to get the engine bay done right, but is there any reason to remove the interior completely to get 100% chassis coverage? I do want the job done right and don't mind the work involved. Thoughts? Oh and here is a picture of what I'm working with!

 

Generally, you will want to take off the door panels and trunk trim and all the door moldings at the very minimum.
One of the hardest places to reach is around the front and rear windshields trim area. I replaced my front windshield at the time so the only issue was the rear..

I changed the color on mine from ssm to titanium grey. Before you remove anything make sure you know what will be visible and what won't. I made the mistake of masking some areas where the panels don't fully cover.

I don't see the need to remove the entire interior since everything will be covered and virtually non-visible after you paint it, unless you're removing the sound deadening material and installing some dynomat.

Look at some of the build threads, there's some good advice/info there.

 

mine was done by the previous owner...looks great, trunk, door jambs, hood etc.

they didnt do the engine bay which is montego blue. now i have to go & have the motor pulled to make it look finished in there.

 

Thanks for the input guys. What are your thoughts on the windshield flange where the window seal is applied. That will never be seen right? Sorry for the noob questions with painting, but when diving into a big job like this, I like to cover all my bases...