MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - cellulose or 2 pack

I'm looking to have my '68 B resprayed. I will strip the paint off and get the painter to prime and top coat. My question is whether to go cellulose or 2K finish. I have always thought that the 2 pack finish is a bit plasticy looking. Assuming I can get the cellulose (my local paint factors are waiting for the binder) is this a better finish for that age car and more in keeping? Or isn't there really any noticable difference? How does the long term durability compare? I'm also concerned about doing any touch up work in the future which would probably slant me towards the celly route.
Steve Church

My midget Heritage shell has just been sprayed with cellulose. You can get it mail order from Autopaints of Brighton - Google them. Celly won't stay glossy as long as 2-pack without polishing, but in my experience 2-pack is brittle and can crack. I'm happy with cellulose. Interestingly, the painter said he doesn't normally use either. Almost all work these days is done with water based paint and an oven.
Mike Howlett

Steve. 2 part is a bit easier to fix if you get scratches. The biggest drawback IMHO, is the cars are too shiny. Staying with Lacquer keeps it a bit more original looking.
Bruce Cunha

If you are home shop finishing, you can solve the shiny problem on base and clear by buffing the clear with Rubbing Compound and then swirl remover and not going with the mirror glaze.

On my TD I stopped at the rubbing compound to keep the finish from being too shiny.

Once it is clear coated, you never have to wax it.

Water based finishes are very difficult to spray in the home shop. The base and clear (the 2k actually refers to the reducer/acclerator added to the base anc clear coats to control the reaction to the temperature and other factors) is the easiest and most forgiving way to paint.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Steve
If you decide to use cellulose don't buy cheap stuff, spend the money on a quality brand, they don't look much different to begin with but after a few years the quality stuff holds it shine better.
Mike
I got Tet celly from Strathclyde Paints in Kilmarnock a couple of years ago, they had some standard colours off the shelf but others had to be ordered.
Ron
R. Algie

Both my Gt and Roadster are painted in cellulose. The Gt was done 14 years ago and is as good as it was then. In my opinion 2 pack is too plasticky but as Dave says you can knock it back a little to make it quite acceptable. However if you can still get a good quality cellulose I'd go that way.
Iain MacKintosh

I took the car to the painters today for them to look at. They recommend two pack but they will flat it back to remove some of the plasticy look. They showed me a BMW they had just done in this way and it looked ok. I just have to wait for them to send me the estimate. I shall be providing them with a stripped rolling shell with a coat of etch primer on it ready to apply the primer.
Steve Church

I would not go 2 pack again. I think it caused the cracks over the wing/scuttle join and over the beading on the rear wing. The cellulose never had a problem from 1969 to 1988.
Stan Best

This thread was discussed between 31/08/2011 and 01/09/2011

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.