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MG MGB Technical - Painting suspension parts


I'm rebuilding the front end of my '80 LE and was wondering if anyone could suggest the best paint to use on the parts. I was thinking of using POR-15 as a spray on, but wasn't sure. I'm going to sandblast the parts so I need a good primer as well.

Were the shocks gray originally or black?

Thanks,
Dave
David Plantz

Hammerite Smooth is pretty good. Clausager shows the dampers as 'natural' or light grey on the two MGBs you can see them on. Rebuilds generally seem to come as black, although I have seen red if uprated valves have been fitted.
Paul Hunt 2

David,
I used POR-15 once and it's OK, but a pain if you don't use the entire can in one go. Also, I think (could be wrong) that it depends on some rust on the metal to hold it. If you sandblast, it may not work. However, I think they do sell some primers.

You might just want to contact a POR-15 distributor directly.

You can also buy self-etching primer at a body shop supply, but the require sanding before a top coat, and that would be no fun.

David
David Steverson

I used Eastwood's Chassis Black for my '64 rebuild - very easy to use and they have a primer to use with it. I also media blasted all of the parts. Three+ years later the paint is still very good.
don scott

David

If you are sandblasting you could send the parts off to be powder coated. This gives a really tough finish and will even coat the areas difficult to get too. I also believe it's inexpensive.

John
john

A good photo of original front suspension assemblies at the factory was linked on the MGB General board. Looks like the shocks were natural aluminum finish. Careful about using powder coating, this could reduce the size of the bushing bores which could make installation difficult.
Bill Young

I don't know if this will help with POR15, but you should always store aerosol paints upside down, standing on the lid. that way the tube doesn't sit in the thick paint as it settles.
Martin Layton


Thanks for the quick replies, fellas. I was planning on getting the rebuilt shocks from Apple Hydraulics with the uprated valves. I want them to be the original aluminum color, so I wonder if Apple could just send them without painting?

I'm also going to replace the A arms. Has anyone tried the negative camber ones? Add a better sway bar? More than likely I'll keep the original ride height since this is an LE.

Cheers,
Dave
David Plantz

I use Hammerite on mine, I think they have always been black. Astonishingly my car is still on the same A arms and spring pans that were on it when I got it in 1969, so some of them may be the originals from Dec 66 when it was built.So, it's worth looking after them, oh and keep the drain holes clear in the spring pans.
Stan Best

I always thought that POR-15 is sensitive to UV
(sunlight) radiation, and so needs a topcoat
in exterior applications.

For your suspension and crossmember, any
good brand rust resistant epoxy or enamel will
be OK (Rustoleum, etc.).

If you're really worried about rust in an exterior
application without a need for a topcoat, then I'd
take a look at Rust Bullet paint (in Nevada).
Daniel Wong

To all the Brits who read this board, it's not that we ignore your suggestions to use Hammerite, it's just not sold over here, as far as I know. At least not in these parts.

Derek Nicholson


Derek,

I'm not really sure what Hammerite is since we don't have it here. At least I've never seen it sold at the local painting supply stores.

I checked on Don's suggestion to use Eastwood's Chassis black. That might be the route I take. I never was a big fan of powder coated parts, but the fact that they have a tough finish is appealing.

Thanks again guys.
Dave
Dave Plantz

I wish I'd googled before my last post. Seems it is available here:-

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search.do?freeText=hammerite&page=GRID&history=&engine=adwords!6456&keyword=hammerite&match_type=

But I've never seen it on the shelf. And Dave's answer rather prooves my point. Not well know, that's for sure!

Derek Nicholson

The Hammerite Rust Cap aerosol is commonly available around here in big box home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot. I don't think it's the same product as the Hammerite sold in the UK. I seem to recall some recent discussion probably now in the Archives that the US product wasn't anything special compared to Rustolium and other off the shelf aerosols but I honestly haven't used it myself.
Jon Sjoberg

The Hamertite we talk about is a thick paint that you can put on with a heavily loaded brush after just wire brushing the loose rust off. The original dried to a hammer finish to disguise any imperfections in apearance due to minimal preparation.
Stan Best

Stan, I remember Hammerite from the '60s & '70s when I lived in England and the only recollections I have of it was as the hammered finish and the only time I thought of using it was to repaint a steel tool box.

Since I'm wandering down memory lane, I've still got my first socket set and tool box, obtained from the Green Stamps store in Kinston. 1/2" drive, SAE, Metric & Whitworth, allin 1 case. Only missing 2 sockets, 1 lost, 1 broken. At this point, the tool box and socket set case could actually use a coat of Hammerite. I could probably use a coat myself!

What was I driving? '62 MG midget (MOO375, first registered May 1st, '62 bought for GBP135. Osselli 1050cc Big Bore). Also had a '59 Riley 1.5 (1187CR, GBP50). Wish I had them both back.

TTFN from Memory Lane

Derek Nicholson

When I did mine recently, I bathed the rust off using HPO4/HCl acid mix (Rust-Off), followed by CRC 'Zinc Black' which comes in an easy spray can. Might not be as tough as some options, but very easy & cheap, looks good and and so far no probs!!
Curtis Walker

"To all the Brits who read this board, it's not that we ignore your suggestions to use Hammerite ..."

No offence taken by me, at leats, I'm sure many of us respond for the benefit of all readers/contributors, not just the poster of a problem or question.
Paul Hunt 2

I have used both Hammerite and POR15.

Derek - Hammerite has been available in a smooth form for a number of years.

I have found that if used with a brush both tend to shrink away from sharp edges while drying. So take a deburring tool or file over the sharp edges first. Alternativly spray the paint.

Hammerite seems to chip more easily than POR15. POR15 is more sensitive to surface cleanliness when being applied. There is no need for rust on the surface but it needs the surface to have some tooth so use 60 sand paper first.

I often use POR15 under the car due to its resistance to chipping. I believe that it does not get much UV exposure under the car.

When I painted my front suspension arms with Hammerite I found it quite disheartening that it chipped the first time I slid a trolley jack underneath.

David Witham

Paul, I rather put that comment there as an informational item so that readers of this posted in North America would know what the magical potion known as Hammerite actually is. It'll be in the archives, too.

The same info goes for the NA vs UK Moss catalogues. Same name, but completely different catalogues. I find it usefull having both handy as references. I'm not sure if Moss NA & UK source their parts from the same suppliers. Therefore, I don't know whether, for example, a quality problem with a 'B radiator in the US will be of concern to those in the UK.

There are many other examples of different products available on one side or other of the Atlantic. PB Blaster? Great stuff. Fantastic (or Brilliant!!!!, as you say over there) penetrating oil/rust buster. What's a Halfords? About the same as Pep Boys. Motor factor? About the same as NAPA. Pattern part? Repro/jobber part. I sure find it's useful being fluent in both languages.

TTFN/See y'all later.

Derek Nicholson

Actually, I speak Canadian, too!

TTFN/See y'all later/Later, eh?

Derek Nicholson

I used black VHT engine enamel on mine. Probably doesn't go as hard as when used on an engine since it isn't being 'baked' but it goes on easily and is pretty tough it seems.
Simon Jansen

Dave, I've used Eastwood's Chassis Black for years with tremendous luck. Its very difficult to remove even with a sandblaster and as close in durability and thickness as you will get to powder coating at a much lower expense. One can will paint the front crossmember and contorl arms. buy 3 because you'll find a hundred uses for it!!!
I also HIGHLY recommend their Oxi-Solve rust remover. Buy a gallon and soak your parts in it and they will be rust free even in the deepest of pits!
I've had bad luck wioth hammerite finishes rusting around the edges and in the "pits" it creates to give the hammered finish. You're better off with a rattle-can of Rustoleum than using that stuff!

See the "Rust and Restoration" section for more great tips and others' experiences.
Jeff Schlemmer


Hi Jeff,

By using the rust remover solution would I still need to sandblast the parts? It's settled, then, I'll order the chassis black paint.

Thanks,
Dave
Dave Plantz

Dave. I had the crossmember, A arms and spring pans sandblasted. Cost me $40-60 as I remember it. The sandblasting removed the old paint and left me with a bare metal finish. The use of a rust stripper, in any form, can leave the paint in place. Depends on how violent the acid is and how much the paint resists it. That problem, along with the known problem of hydrogen embrittlement, was what caused me to decide to use a local sand blaster for my job.

I used POR-15 on the parts because a local, professional restorer recommended it. David's comment about very little UV under the car was one topic the restorer mentioned. His feeling was that there was no chance of the POR-15 being damaged by UV when used for chassis parts. He has several restoration which have been running for a number of years with no problems when coated with POR-15.

If you have a Harbor Freight near you, and own a compressor, pick up a couple of their $5 air brushes. Worked quite well in getting the POR-15 into the inner areas of the crossmember and should work equally as well with most other paints. Clean up is easy--throw them away when the job is done.

Les
Les Bengtson

I use a caustic soda stripper tank to do all my small parts. Works great. Same thing they used to do to clean engine blocks.

Unsure about your area, but powder coating has proved to be actually reasonably inexpensive. I just had a dash done in wrinkle powder coat (got a lot of great comments at Gattlinberg and even the judges did not pick up that it was powdercoat.

Had my air cleaner cans done at the same time but in smooth black. charged me $60 for all the above. I am rebuilding my front end this fall and plan to use powdercoat.

Put caps in the bushing holes and you also may need to ream the bolt holes out.
Bruce Cunha


Hi Les,

Did you thin the POR 15 down before spraying it into the holes in the bottom of the crossmember? I'll checkout Harbor Freight for those air brushes.

Thanks and Cheers,
Dave
Dave Plantz

Dave. No, I did not thin it because I had been advised to brush it on. Turned out that you could not get inside the crossmember interior adequately with just a brush. Nor, did a brush do all that well at the seams. Hence, decided to see if I could spray it on, and I could, but at high air pressure. When I bought the POR-15, there was also a "Chassis Black" version which costs a little less and weighted significantly less. Probably the same thing as I bought, pre-thinned. Next time, I will try it out to see how it sprays. As with most things, the first time you do it is a learning process and it gets easier the second time.

If you decide to use the POR-15, either pick up some thinner or try the Chassis Black version and let us know how it works for you.

Thanks, Les
Les Bengtson


Hi Les,

I'll probably go with the chassis black version of the POR-15. Do you know what color the calipers are supposed to be? I was going to replace my old ones with rebuilt units and I was thinking that they were supposed to be black. Advance Auto Parts has rebuilt ones for around $50 each. Should I buy these or get rebuilt units elsewhere?

Many thanks,
Dave
David Plantz

Haven't read all the responses, but, for what it's worth, I had my front cross member powder coated with a low luster black.

I figured it would last the longest. The shop charged me aprox $50 ---(i think) Compared to all the work of sandblasting, cost of paint and application etc. it was worth it for me.
glg

I have used an epoxy paint product called "Endura" It's almost bulletproof, gives a nice finish and is easy to apply although it requires a compressor/spray gun and a good respirator as like most epoxies the mist remains wet in the air and causes severe lung damage if inhaled.

Rich
R.J. McKie

Dave,
Oxi-Solve does not remove paint, but its very fast and effective at rust removal. A mixture of Muriatic acid and hot water (1:4) will remove the paint and most rust over night. A Rubermaid tote works well to hold the parts and solution, and it only costs about $10 to get set up. The acid can potentially weaken metal though, so I don't recommend leaving it in the solution for more than 12 hours. Periodic wire brushing (with rubber gloves!) will speed the process.

I painted my calipers in the "cast iron grey" from Eastwood. They look like new iron parts! They have lots of other great spray can paints too. Their Aluminum is a perfect match, and Spray Grey matches closely to bare steel/plated parts. All of them have very high solids content which makes for better durability, color, and coverage.
Jeff Schlemmer

This thread was discussed between 28/08/2006 and 01/09/2006

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