T-Series MG TD Dash Panel Color

[zahnej]

There are many discrepancies when it comes to MGTD colors since no factory color codes exist. One of the colors is the chrome rimmed dash panel that the oil, temp, and knobs are located in. I had the good fortune to run into a restorer who had a NOS panel still in its original box!!
It was pretty cool holding on to something that was put in a box almost 60 years ago!!

For those who own TDs the following is the paint code. This is for PPG DCC Concept which is a two part single stage urethane. The formula is for 8 oz. of paint.

DMC 981 168.0
DMC 908 10.4
DMC 900 43.0
DMC 929 6.7
DMC 902 18.6
DMC 930 34.2
DMC 995 97.5

As some of you may know Concept is a high gloss wet look paint. I normally would not use a urethane on a vintage car, but for this application I wanted a tougher paint than the original. The last ingredient DMC 995 is a flattener. If you want more or less gloss you should vary the flattener.

This formula was developed using the PPG "Prophet" color matching system and was read directly from the panel. And after several attempts, it is a dead match to the original!! Because of the addition of the flattener it will make slightly more than 8 oz. You should end up with a metallic tannish bronze.

For those of you who are looking for more authentic colors I hope this helps.

 

[Steve_S]

That may match the color of the panel in your hands, but the color the factory used varied from month to month. Therefore there is no one correct shade of color for all cars. The same goes for gauge face color, which varies from blue to green. I've found the Moss Bronze to be a very close match to original.

 

[tony barnhill]

Photo?

 

[zahnej]

Steve_S,

The intent of my post was not to be a "World expert on this color". I was trying to -

1) Provide an alternative to the spray can paint with a more durable automotive paint.

2) Provide the documentation.

I have seen the Moss color and it's certainly in the range. I'm not sure why you think the Moss color is a close match to the original if as you said the color varied month to month.

The only guys who know for sure are probably all at the big MG garage in the sky!!

If someone want's to use the Moss paint, the color on the NOS panel or anything inbetween it's OK for me. Heck, someone had painted mine crinkle black - actually looked pretty nice.

 

[Steve_S]

I was merely providing more information on the topic as you were. Some people don't know that the colors varied so widely, but now they do. Use whatever you like, it doesn't matter to me.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I'm not sure why you think the Moss color is a close match to the original if as you said the color varied month to month.[/QUOTE]
It did vary, and it is a close match to the general color of the original panels.I posted this information for the same reason you did... to let people know what might work in their restoration.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]The only guys who know for sure are probably all at the big MG garage in the sky!![/QUOTE]
I know at least 50 people in one of my clubs that were around when TC (and TD) were new. Some of them are still driving the same TC they bought new in the 1940's. And some of those still have the original paint on the panels. I would be happy to ask them about their panel colors if it would help your research.

 

[zahnej]

Steve_S,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I am one of the guys who was around when the cars were new. I meant that most of the guys who built the cars are no longer around.

Thanks for the offer to ask your club members. I think the problem is that the paint ages, fades etc. with time and we would probably have quite a wide spectrum. That's why I was excited to get my hands on a panel that had lived it's life in a box for 60 years - who knows it may have changed a bit also.

At any rate I would agree with you on people painting the things whatever they want.

 

[tony barnhill]

Well, all I know is I'm glad this subject came up - & wish it had done so a couple of weeks ago! Now, I've gotta pull my dash, disassemble things & paint mine!

I'm gonna spray half a piece of metal with the Moss color & the other half with the formula Ed provided.

My dash after 54 years of cleaning:

....pretty much all the paint is gone & she's been polished/cleaned down to bare metal in places.

Ed Zahn's OE dash right out of the box after 50+ years:

 

[Steve_S]

I should add that I had a NOS map / 30MPH lamp base with the bronze color, which had lived its life in a box also. The color was more of a fleck than a flat one, and the shade was a slightly darker shade than the Moss color. Same color, just different shade, mainly because of the flecks. I'll try to dig it up if it's still around here.

 

[zahnej]

For those of you out there that don't own TD's or earlier MG's the banter that Steve and I had is part of the fun of owning one. Get a couple of owners together and there can be some real debates on colors or go to a show and you'll see a rainbow of colors.

Engine, wheels, dash, oilfilter, valve cover, you name it you will probably see different colors.

I'm restoring mine to BRG with a biscuit interior - absolutely not offered by the factory in 1953. But it's OK I like it!! Steve's comment on the gauges is interesting and right on. My speedo is a light grey blue and the tach is a light greenish blue - they don't match!! Either they faded differently over time or one was switched - the tach actually matches the rest of the gauges.

At any rate it's part of the fun!!

 

[Steve_S]

I never understood arguing about what color was correct, especially when it's clearly documented that shades of accessory paints varied wildly. Red versus blue, yes. But one shade of dark red versus another is just silly.

As for gauges, there are still plenty of NOS Jaeger gauge faces out there, and they also vary in color from almost blue to green. The greens vary from dark to light. Often a restorer will look for gauges with a color that best compliments the other colors in the car. I prefer green in a red car, but I ended up with a bluish tachometer because I couldn't pass up a nearly NOS, perfect gauge.

 

[tony barnhill]

Well, regardless of shade of color, mine has hd all the paint rubbed off it...so now I have a good example of what it should look like....& that's the fun of doing one of these old cars - learning what it should've looked like.

 

[Steve_S]

That color looks very close in shade to the Moss paint. However the Moss paint has more of a bronze tinge to it. In a TD I would prefer a flatter brownish tan like what you have there. But to me TCs look better with more bronze.

 

[vping]

That pics looks more like a brown whereas the Moss color is a metalic bronze. Actually in looking at it, it looks like the side curtain frame color.

 

[tony barnhill]

Well, I'm gonna look up the Moss color tonight & order a can tomorrow - the can of side curtain paint came in while I was out of town so we'll put the final coat on them tomorrow - if anybody knows the # of the dash paint, lemme know.

 

[tony barnhill]

Well, we're mixing the paint per Ed's (zahnej) formula this morning & a can of the Moss color is in the mail....stay tuned!

 

[vping]

You gonna compare before spraying?