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MG TD TF 1500 - Paint color for 52 TD

Went down to the PPG paint shop today with the color code from the "original MGTD midget" web site and they questioned the color. Has anyone used PPG 71993 as "MG Red"?

Thanks
mgaviator

I painted my 53 TD with PPG 71993 and it looks right, but I once had 4 MGTs side by side, all painted "MG Red" and no two were the same shade. Due to the changes in paint formulation and fading between 1950's and today you are only going to get an approximate match. PPG 71993 is listed as MG Red in "The T Series Handbook" and in Clausager's "Original MGT Series".

Jan
Janson Hurd

Thanks, did you use a two part urethane?
mgaviator

No - the car was done in PPG Duracyrl Acrylic Laquer

Jan
Janson Hurd

I went to PPG today and it turns out that the only 2K paint for MG Red is in their "economy" line (MTV Omni). Does anyone have experience with a code that is also close to MG Red or another brand that might be better in a 2K paint?

Thanks
mgaviator

I know when I purchased paint from the local PPG dealer, the code I was looking for was only available certain lines. I used PPG concept single stage urethane. The nice thing was the local dealer had all the cards with numbers so you could pick the virtual match in the paint style you wanted. With the variation of colors as Jan said it's only an approximate match anyway.

Dave
D Runnings

Interesting: the latest body shop I spoke with has used Omni for years. I had not heard of this brand until last week. They absolutely swear by it. A brief web search seemed to find favorable comments. Any one here had any experience with it? Thanks, George
George Butz

PPG's MTV Omni brand is their (according to my PPG dealer) economy brand. I am trying to find a great quality 2K paint closely matching whatever was MG Red.

Thanks
mgaviator

I just glanced at Hal Kramer's 1996 TSO paint article. The only brands that list MG red numbers were PPG and R-M. I entered the RM code (BM121R) that Hal listed on their web site and got no match. So either that number has been changed, or is no more. He also says that not all colors/codes are available in all lines of the PPG paint. I recall recently that they have discontinued one of their popular lines. In 1988, a TF-1500 I helped restore was painted with the PPG MG red code, acrylic enamel with a hardener. It has held up beautifully, and with a little buffing would look like new. When this car was first shown, there were a couple other cars just painted with the same code number, and all the reds were markedly different. See if you can dig up the '96 article. Hal makes it clear there was a marked variation in color even when new, and with the different pigments used today, nothing will be exact. My car will eventually be dark green- not sure which one yet- the MG Almond Green crosses over to a 1970 Datsun/Nissan code 703. I think that may be too light, but the Woodland green too dark. Mix 50-50? Just kidding. This paint deal is a problem! We could always have a paint dealer scan the color you wanted and custom mix of whatever type/line of paint you wanted, but where would you find the color? George
George Butz

Thanks George. I have also been unable to track down the RM paint. As you might imagine, I don't have a representation of the actual MG red, so a custom mix is not going to happen. I don't have the '96 article as I just got into this (often times maddening) process about a year ago.
Dave
mgaviator

Paint and color is pretty subjective. I'm convinced that the instrument panel paint sold by Moss is too light, but when I found my little unmolested paint spot on my panel and matched it up with a plasti-kote can, everyone said 'Too Dark!!!'

If you park your version of MG Red next to someone else's, who's to say which is right? You may find the exact correct shade, and if the perception of the 'judges' is that it is wrong, is it still correct?

Of course, 'unmolested' paint, even hidden from sunlight, can darken or fade with the years depending on chemical reaction and composition. Even the current paints will color differently in different lights, application styles and buffing and clear coat applications.

My point is that no one really knows what was correct, and how it looked for that brief moment as it left the factory before the first acid rain drop hit it... My guess is that their colors varied quite a bit out of the factory, day to day, week to week. Do what you like, assure yourself that you've come as close as you can, match it to an 'unmolested' paint spot and fool yourself that it is good, but still be prepared to be 'wrong' in some folks eyes, or perhaps even wrong in your own eyes as I feel I am with my now Moss 'correctly' colored instrument panel.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Dave, I would do that but I am going from Black to Red. I am half tempted to buy a quart of the economy paint, shoot a blank sheet of metal, and have it color matched in a better grade of paint. In fact, now that I write that, I think I'll do just that.
mgaviator

This thread was discussed between 08/09/2006 and 13/09/2006

MG TD TF 1500 index

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