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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Which white paint is whiter than OEW?

Having trouble with white paint for my Frogeye which I had assumed was OEW. I have tried the Healey shade and the later MG shade and they are both far too creamy. I had one batch shade matched (by eye at the paint factors) and it was closer but still a noticeable shade too creamy.

I can see the difference under flourescent lights in the garage so the match may be closer under natural light but I would like to solve this before I have to paint the whole car.

Hopefully, the PO has used a BMC/BL shade paint so my question is which white paint code is less creamy than OEW?

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Rob

Old English White (Wt3) is bit creamy, but the only MK1 Sprite white.

It was the only white available until MkIV Sprite and Mk III midget when Snowberry White (WT4) was also available. Later cars only had Glacier White and then 1500 Midgets offered Porcelain White and Leyland White. Info from Midget and Sprite Club Technical Pages, also in Terry Horler's book.

Slightly later paint charts:
http://www.mgexp.com/article/bmc-paint.html

NB OEW and Snowberry White were used on other BMC/BLMC cars, e.g. Mk1 Minis. And the BL colours on other BL cars. Useful for buying paint.

Cheers
Mike

PS your car is not Whitehall Nevada Beige is it?
M Wood

As far as I know, if your frog was white originally, it would have been a shade of bmc old english.

If the previous owner has used a different shade of white, how can you be sure that he even used a bmc shade at all? Might have used ford/vauxhall etc.

I'd use the existing colour as a base, and spray the correct shade of bmc old english over the whole thing.
Lawrence Slater

This may also be useful info on changes to Old English White and use on and variation for other cars, who knows what source of paint/chart your car was painted to if it has been resprayed:
http://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=957

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

If it has a creamy hint at all it won't be Snowberry White as I had an A40 that colour and it was the purest white of the whites that BMC did at the time.

Trev
Trevor Mason

It doesn't bode well for my plan not to spray the whole car. IIRC Snowberry White has a feint hint of red (hence the berry in Snowberry) and Glacier White has a feint hint of Blue.

I followed some of the links and one suggestion is BMW Mini Pepper White. Anyone seen this colour?

I will take the gear lever cover with me next time I visit the local paint factors, see what they say. Needles to say my first visit I had nothing to compare it with as I was convinced it was in an original colour.

Thanks one and all.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

"BMW Mini Pepper White"

Yup I saw that link too. I've also seen that as a suggested colour somewhere other than that post.

It makes sense. Since the NEW mini was attempting to recreate the past, I can well imagine that they copied the BMC old english white colour in a modern paint. You can pick up a touch up pot for circa 9 quid as a tester agains the colour you have. But if yours doesn't match OEW anyway, it will be a waste of time.

Also, the new paints won't be cellulose. If yours is, then for new paint you'd have to strip it anyway wouldn't you?

Just spray a thin coat of OEW WT3 over the existing.

Lawrence Slater

Well, the OEW I got from the factors can't be Cellulose as they can't sell it to the public. The paint I got is the modern equivalent, Acrylic with binders, and where I have sprayed over the original it has gone on really well. I suppose time will tell as to how well it has bonded.

I took the gear lever cover to my local car shop to compare colours. I used rubbing compound to get down to the true colour and its OEW (though slightly whiter than the OEW I bought). Interestingly, the doors look a little whiter than the gear lever cover so I wonder if the paint originally on the car has lost it's creamyness due to exposure to sunlight. Anyway, to get to the point I found Mazda Chaste White is slightly whiter than the gear lever cover and an almost perfect match for the door shade.

I don't have time to do a full respray as Le Mans is just around the corner and I haven't even put any mileage on the new engine and gearbox. So it will be a quick rectification of the obvious paintwork faults and a few rattle cans of Mazda (washes mouth out with soap and water) Chaste White.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

You can buy celly, as long as it is for a 'classic' car. Brighton sell, it for one. I'm sure there are many other paint suppliers that also sell it.
Lawrence Slater

Rob,

Are the paint matching scopes rare in the UK (like rolling roads are here)? When I needed to do the engine bay of my 77B I just went to a body shop, they buffed a section of fender, pointed the scope at it, the computer told them what to mix, and they sent me out the door with a can of it. It was a great match.

Charley
C R Huff

Hi Charley, yes, paint matching by scope is very rare here. The paint suppliers said they have a paint match service involving sending a painted part to their main supplier but the £60 minimum charge put me off. I must ask locally if there is one in the area.

I might just bite the bullet and put a thin top coat over the lot.

And cellulose paint is hard to find where I am. Too little demand at local paint factors for them to bother.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

http://www.classiccarpaints.com/about.html

Any good ?

Malc
Malc Gilliver

That's a useful website Malc.
Lawrence Slater

rob try colourweld.co.uk for any cellulose you need. . .I find them to be efficient and keen on price too. . .
P Bentley

Thanks for all the leads, I will follow some up. The classiccarpaints link revealed thaty are in Birkenhead about 45 mins away so when the Frog is mobile I might just trundle down there to see what they can do for me.

The Mazda Chaste White turned out to be way off. It wasn't really the same as the cap colour.

I have fitted the bonnet now and done a bit of localized touching up. The car had a major rebuild about 1985 and was done in typical 80's style with thick flat steel plates and lots of fibreglass and filler. The inside and outside of the bonnet are different shapes, in places it must be nearly 1 inch thick, and consequently is due for a serious rebuild. But that will be for another day.

This all started with a Sunday morning notion that it might be a good idea to tidy up the inner wings. That was over a year ago and more money than I dare think about. But that's the way this hobby goes and will enable me and the missus a few more years enjoyable motoring.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

You could try a VW colour as used on camper vans - the code is L90D and it's known as Pastel White. It's white but with a hint of cream - sounds like a a Dulux advert!


My 71 Midget was resprayed in Glacier White but is I think, slightly creamier than the original, lacking a little of the bluish tint. It seems to be dependent on the factor's ability to mix as accurately as possible.

Jeremy
Jeremy Tickle

This thread was discussed between 16/05/2014 and 22/05/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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