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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Painting GRP & Steel

Hi guys,

It's been a while since i've worked on the midget but im now pretty close to finishing (it's only been 9 years!) and am starting to look at bodywork. I've had a quote for a respray at a startling £3k so im going to have a bash at doing it myself. The only problem i have is that the rear end is a one piece glass fibre part, the front wings, doors, valance, sills etc are steel and the bonnet is glass fibre. Two questions:

Can i use 2 pack paint on both the steel and GRP? Do they require different preparation, primers or top-coats?

The bonnet is fairly wobbly due to having no internal supports. Will i need to stiffen it with rods to avoid the paint cracking or will i get away with it?

Any help is much appreciated!

Jamie
Jamie Watt

Hi Jamie,
i have fibreglass front, rear and doors.
i used the same paint on steel and fibreglass and it worked ok.

I used etch primer then a colour coat (not sure what type, the paint shop mixed the colour for me) then a two pack clear lacquer.

Most important is preparation, and use plenty of coats of primer flatted back with ever decreasing grades of wet and dry paper.

Eventually i got the same finish on the GRP as on the steel.

I painted my dash also and that was in quite a state with lots of rust 'pockmarks' so i used filler primer and about 5 coats flatted back each time before the colour and laquer.. it took a whole weekend just for that one panel.

My front was flimsy so i reinforced it with some strips of wood covered with fibreglass and resin.
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

Thanks Andy. Did you find the spraying process difficult with 2 pack? I've used cellulose before and it wasn't too bad - just needed to get the prep work sorted properly first.
Jamie
Jamie Watt

Be very careful with 2pack.
Wear the right mask with proper filters and proper clothing to avoid contact with the fumes.

3K for an in and out respray does not sound bad. you pay for what you get...
Onno K

More important than price is the quality of the guy doing it. 3k would seem to be the upper end of what I would expect but if you have seen his work then it will be worth every penny.
I paid £1500 for my all fibreglass IOW frog 5 years ago and the paintwork is still excellent. It was a colour base coat then a clear lacquer.
Regards,
Andrew
aj robinson

Another option to consider ...its a strange one and I think worth looking into

vinyl wrap...im going to do this on my work truck next year... check out you tube, this stuff comes in boring tan to exotic green chrome...this stuff is put on like wall paper then spray with a clear polyurethane and looks amazing, and it cost around $100 to $500 for a roll of the stuff...if it works on the truck, then I may do my car with it in green chrome...granted, your prep work is still the most crucial part of the project but at least you wont have to be an expert with a paint gun to get good results

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

When comparing prices you should consider what was done.
just external or also in/underside and engine bay.
Onno K

The 2 pack lacquer went on very nicely (i must admit it was my friend Paul who did the actual spraying).

When you buy the 2 pack get a measuring rule also to help you mix everything correctly.

We are lucky though as we can just spray outside as its normally 34 C + here
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

Prop - vinyl wraps are something i didn't consider but thinking about it im going to look into them further. The car is a bit of a technicolour mess right now and i reckon i could get it wrapped for under £1k.

The paint shop came back to me last night and offered to take the car into their garage and show me how to do the body work. They will paint it and i'll do the donkey work in exchange for a lower cost. Seems like a good deal to me!
Jamie Watt

How about plasti-dip ?
if this video is to be believed you dont even have to mask off your lights and windows...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72WCJfoHWfg
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

I just became aware of plasi dip a few weeks back....a shop in my town is doing it, I think its interesting

To do the vinyl wrap id say easily under $1k...if you do it your self, id get a roll of the cheap stuff and an old car and experment on that 1st, esp with something with some curves like the midget.. id also find a wall paper hanger to help out, as its almost the same job, they will have alot of insight for how that lays and how to fine cut and seam it togather....im a wall paper hanger / painter so I can see alot of similarities between the 2 mediums

Prop


Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed between 21/10/2014 and 22/10/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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