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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - What to paint or cover components with?

Evening all,

Having finally decided to change my car to RHD, I now have a new steering column as I didn't want to hack my LHD one, or it's brackets, about to fit. And a RHD one was only £10. Having cleaned it all up and sanded the rust off I now need to paint it. It's had a couple of coats of zinc etch primer, as all my car parts do, but what is the best thing to paint or coat it with now to give a nice finish?

I don't want anything that chips easily, and I'd like it to come in a rattle can if possible for convenience. I also don't want to powder coat it, as I need something I can touch up at home should it be required.

So what are my options? Hammerite? Just any old black paint? Or, as is more likely, something I've either forgotten about, or have overlooked?
S Overy

Satin black looks nice on things like racks, Anti roll bars, wishbones etc. and it comes in rattle cans.

Bernie.
b higginson

I hammerited mine, nice finish and easy to tip-by(not sure if this translates well in english) when damaged.
Arie de Best

If you really want good protection from road debris damage and chips then consider using a spray on truck bed liner such as this http://www.duplicolor.com/products/bedArmorAerosol/
It covers great, holds up to abuse very well and looks pretty good as well. Has a textured finish similar to a wrinkle finish but not as fine.
It is rather thick, so I'd probably mask off the area where the rack clamps go and leave those in just paint.
B Young

That truck bed liner is the sort of thing I'm after, but I'd like a smoother finish than that appears to be.

I know that modern Hammerite isn't quite what it used to be, but would it hold up to the amount of debris likely to find it's way into the engine bay? I will also need something to paint my new wishbones and so on with, but they will see much more road rubbish.
S Overy

Where can you get this in the UK just what I need for my pickup

Thanks B Young Missouri USA
K A Smith

I think that there is a lot to be said for ordinary oil based gloss paints. They dry to a good finish and are easy to touch up and less prone to chipping than Hammerite. At one time Valspar was the stuff to use. I brush painted a couple of cars with the stuff years ago and it gave a very good durable finish.
Guy

yes but can you still get it Guy?
can you name any brands for us?
David Smith

David,
Valspar is the brand. Just not sure that the stuff sold now is the same as 45 years ago!

http://www.valsparpaint.com/en/index.html
Guy

Guy,

I used some Sikkens paint that seemed excellent when I was in Holland last year. It was an exterior gloss and seemed to be oil based, the guy that bought it said it has a very good reputation in Holland. A quick search indicates Sikkens products are available in the UK also. Will have to wait and see if Arie chimes in with any comments on it.
David Billington

K A Smith, there are a couple of sources that I found in the UK for a spray on truck bed liner. Search for Scorpion Linersl for a liner applied in their shop, for a DIY product try contacting the Plasticoat (Valspar) site at http://www.plasti-kote.co.uk/Contact
Plasticoat makes both an aerosol as well as a brush on truck bed liner in the US but doesn't list it on the UK website so you'll have to ask. Comes in colors as well to match your vehicle.
B Young

Has anyone experience with the Eastwood range of paints that Moss sell? I'm just leafing through their restoration tools catalogue and see they sell something called Under Hood Black, which they say is good for detailing brackets, pulleys and the like. Would it do what I'm looking for?
S Overy

I have used the eastwood under hood black and I am not that impressed with the product quiet expensive for what is is. Go to your local car paint supplier and they will sell large rattle cans of satin black, looks great and is easy to touch up, and half the price...


Ian
I Pickering

I'm using an oil based black chassis paint from ebay under my forgeye, it is item number: 360370763057, costs £14.00 inc postage and seems to give a really good and seemingly tough surface. Obviously I can't give a long term report yet, but it's oil based and easy to apply plus not too expensive, what more could you want?
Graham.
Graham P 1330 Frogeye

Graham, that looks interesting.

I need to paint the underside of my B - which is black, anyway - so that looks ideal.

It also says it is 'semi-gloss', which is what I believe that 'facelifted' Spridget sills were, rather than satin or matt.
Dave O'Neill 2

Many thanks for the link
K A Smith

Tetrosyl Chassis Black works wonders for me.

Just started going through all the salvaged components from the deceased race car which I did many years ago and after a quick clean up and a refresh of the paint work they are all looking quite nice.

Alternatively I've just redone the fuel tank on the road car with an enamel rattle can spray from Halfords (not Halfords brand though) and that is really nice to look at.

The chassis black is more suited for applying in our garage as the spray tends to get everywhere and the brush doesn't of course, only on the components.

HTH
Andrew McGee

Like Graham and Andrew I've used chassis enamel paint. I got some form the NEC Classic show years ago from Rustbusters http://www.rust.co.uk/. I think it's enamel - use in a well ventilated space and it's gloss and has stood the test of time.

Jeremy
Jeremy 3

For the underside of mine I used the epoxy mastic 121 from Rustbusters as Jeremy's link above.

Very tough - smells a bit ! so need plenty of ventilation.

R.
richard boobier

David B
In absence of Arie ( who i think uses a competing brand) I'll just say the sikkens is exelent stuf but i have never used or seen it used on car parts!
So I am intrested to see how it holds
Onno Könemann

Onno,

The Sikkens paint wasn't being used on car parts but it was being used on exterior metal work.
David Billington

Here is Arie who should be on Lelystad midlandstrack with his midget but by smoking wiring is sentenced to the office at work... :(

Sikkens is very good paint as half my workshop is packed with it.
I use it for work which means construction, houses, big buildings and so on.
Although ready available to me ive never used it on my car.
On my metall gardenfence but not on my car.

I know they have some accelent 2 comp. paint (Redox-series) which could do well on carparts.
Most of these paints are not available in shops.
If I would be restoring my car I would consider but now I just get the Hammerite out and work on stonechips damages. easypeasy.
Arie de Best

Following advice from here, I popped into my local Halfords at the weekend for a browse around their paints. And I've discovered that they do a rubberised enamel paint that looks promising. So I've got a tin of that, and the first coat is drying on the column now, so I'll report back in a day or two when it's had time to thoroughly dry.
S Overy

Has anyone tried the POR 15 chassis stuff, I think you coat it in normal POR 15 then a coat of chassis paint. Seems expensive but looks good.

Ta

Simon
Simon Taylor

Do you mean the spray rubberised enamel? I bought a can of that, then tried to buy another, everytime I went to (two different) halfords they didnt have any for about 6 months! Think it is OK stuff tho if you can get hold of more than a can!

Phew, restraining myself from ranting about halfords there was hard!

Cheers
Malcolm
M Le Chevalier

This thread was discussed between 23/06/2011 and 03/07/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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