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MG MGA - MGA engine color

I keep seeing information that the MGA and MGB had the same engine colo and see many vendors selling the same paint for both cars. Here is a photo of the oil canister from my 59 MGA and it has the original paint on it (I purchased the car in 1970 and the engine had never been touched). Next to it is the oil canister from a 65 MGB with the original paint visible on the scratches. Both are laying on a B engine painted Reno Red. Clearly they are not the same. I think the bright flash makes the A canister look a little more orange than red. I also think the Reno Red is a little darker than the original.




Mike Duvall

Mike,
Where did you get the "Reno Red" paint? The rattle can paints currenly supplied by MOSS and others is almost a crimson colour.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

I recommend Hirsch Automotive for accurate MGA engine paint. http://www.hirschauto.com/

I just painted my engine about a month ago. See the photo for the color. Good luck.

Steve


Stephen Lofaro

Chris Betson gave me the tip of using aerosol cans of Tiguan Red, which is easily available from Halfords in the Uk
dominic clancy

The ( admittedly few ) examples of unmolested engines or parts I have seen seem more red than the nearly maroons that seem to be popular nowadays.

One paint supplier told me that he has 4 different "MG Engine Red" colours, each required by a different "major restorer". I guess you pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

Jim
J N Gibson

+1 on the Hirsch paint.Did mine in 95 still looks great. I use the quarts and spray it myself. On the cast iron parts you can brush it and it leaves no brush marks.
gary starr

Gary I presume in ten years mine will also look great. It's a great product and I was very pleased with the application ease and result, as shown in my prior post.

Cheers,
Steve
Stephen Lofaro

Here is mine about 5 years ago,it's the most current I have


gary starr

gary, if you see this I noticed your air cleaner set up is just like the one I have. How do you clean and maintain yours?

Stephen
Stephen Lofaro

Steve I'm embarrassed to say I never have. In the 28 years that it's been on the road,I only have about 8k on it. Life has seriously gotten in the way.
gary starr

Has anyone used the Moss Dark Red paint? Any comments on the tone matching original?
Stephen Lofaro

I used one can of it about 25 years ago. Apparently it was the correct color at the time. When I needed more on short notice I was informed that aerosol cans cannot be shipped by air. So I took a painted part to the local paint supply store, and they matched the color in a pint of acrylic enamel (which will paint a few engines when properly reduced). Since then I make another trip to the local paint store occasionally to renew my supply, and save a lot of money in the process.
Barney Gaylord

I get you, Barney. My paint will not be by air and it is on short notice, so I will try it from Moss on ground shipping. I used the Hirsch Automotive paint on the engine in a quart supply...it was excellent. If the Moss doesn't pass the tone, I will just delay the job and get a supply from Hirsch and shoot it from my aerosol gun. It's encouraging to hear their color was correct. It may help me out of this pinch. Thank you again.

A note on the motor I removed...could not verify the engine number to a specific car. It is 15K926. Searching it out led to a dead end, except to conclude it was an 'other use' engine. I think the previous owner or owners removed both the original A block and gearbox. If you read my recent post about the back plate issue...then you probably realized that. Anyway, I am thrilled to be having an original 15GB motor with mechanical tach and grateful for a gearbox that is working, quite well. Albeit, a low mount back plate. Thank g_d I had the back plate from 15K926 that was hooked to my gearbox, previously. I switched them out today and waiting for new gaskets and some paint. I was inches away from mounting the motor when I noticed the differential in the starter motor housing. Geeze. Lessons learned the hard way.

What a hobby.

I have another question about repainting 15K926 which I will address to you under a new thread.

Stephen
Stephen Lofaro

No Dominic - Gambia red! It's a standard VW colour.

I have no doubt the factory used different shades of MG maroon over the years.
Chris at Octarine Services

I have used the Moss paint in the past, it will stain if splashed with antifreeze. Engine now painted with the Hirsch product, color is correct IMO and no issues with application or durability.
G Goeppner

For people in the UK: I use Classic Transport Engine Enamel paint sold by Frost: http://www.frost.co.uk/engine-enamel-paint.html

It looks the right shade and has lasted me well. I hand painted and it left no brush marks.

Steve


Steve Gyles

This my dynamo sprayed with a Moss rattle can of their MG maroon. It is quite close to the engine colour which may or may not be original ( as far as I know the engine has never been rebuilt)


Cam Cunningham

This is VW Gambia red - definitely a bit redder than the Moss product and probably closer to the original oil filter cover colour in the first post above - I matched it to a similar known original oil filter cover that had spent many years under a layer of oily dirt and thus had not suffered any fading.


Chris at Octarine Services

What is the best paint thinner to use when spraying the Hirsch Automotive paint?
Richard Taylor TD3983

Richard the best automotive thinner to use on the Hirsch paint is none. The ratio they recommend is so small that my painter said to just shoot it. If you feel so inclined to dilute the quart with an ounce of thinner as Hirsch recommends, they call for a slow acting Lacquer Thinner. Also of note, I applied some paint to the renewed back plate of my engine with a rattle can of Dark Red from Moss Motors and the color is definitely shades darker than the Hirsch color. Close match but it is noticeable on a close look.

Steve
Stephen Lofaro

I just painted some marine manifolds with Hirsch paint and used dupont 8096s enamel hot weather reducer. I have in the past sprayed it without reducing,it was too thick and dried too fast resulting in orange peel.
gary starr

This thread was discussed between 20/06/2013 and 27/06/2013

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