My complete guide to masking for a frame-off restoration paint job, because getting this right is the difference between a professional result and an obvious amateur job.

The edges are where masking fails. Tape applied to a panel edge creates a paint line that's visible from three feet away. The correct technique is to tape to a natural break — a trim line, a door gap, a body crease — never across a flat surface.

For engine bays and trunks, plan the color breaks before you start. Mask the firewall to match how the factory did it — there's photographic documentation for almost every popular car. The door jamb paint, the inner rocker paint, the trunk paint — these should match what the factory used, which is often not the same as the exterior color.