60's Spridget paint?

[nomad]

What was the original paint on a Mk 3 Sprite? Enamel???


Kurt

 

[mightymidget]

Enamal paint would be my answer. Not able to verify but the orginal paint feels and sands as enamal would.

 

[nomad]

Thanks....had a body man swear it had to be lacquer.

Kurt.

 

[mightymidget]

Acrylic lacquer maybe, a lot of American vehicles used straight lacquer during the 60s. The paint is just to heavy and shiny in overstay areas to be lacquer in my opinion. The body man could be just as right as I could be wrong with no proof. The Healey register could possibly answer.

You've got me curious now.

 

[nomad]

Well, I believe the two aren't compatible so I image a test in an area that's not visible would give an idea.

Kurt.

 

[JPSmit]

What was the original paint on a Mk 3 Sprite? Enamel???


Kurt

Blue? Red? (sorry I have been stifling myself for a week now. :grin:

 

[nomad]

Blue? Red? (sorry I have been stifling myself for a week now. :grin:

Well, it happens to be red enamel???? Red lacquer???.....Anyway, red!

Kurt.

 

[nomad]

Goes to the shop for paint this week, hopefully. I'm sure they will figure out what to do with it. I am expecting urethane/clear. Specifically promised no water base. Would be great to have it done as original and was considering that with a shop that is full of trophy's for the cars they have done. The quote sorta choked me though!

Kurt.

 

[mightymidget]

Orignal type paint would add no real value, yes let the painter use what ever paint they perferr. Usually money is well spent on a professional spray. Every time you wash your car you will thank yourself in the pleasure of beautiful finish.

I had sprayed my body with primrose yellow in a cover coat until ready to full coat , then changed to Blue. Make you want to own more than one so you can have different colors

 

[drooartz]

Make you want to own more than one so you can have different colors

Never seemed to work for me, everyone I buy keeps being white. :grin:

 

[nomad]

Orignal type paint would add no real value, yes let the painter use what ever paint they perferr. Usually money is well spent on a professional spray. Every time you wash your car you will thank yourself in the pleasure of beautiful finish.

I had sprayed my body with primrose yellow in a cover coat until ready to full coat , then changed to Blue. Make you want to own more than one so you can have different colors

Well, the modern base coat/ clear coat paint's just look too shiny to me. The old original paints needed a good wax to look good but somehow they were just different and a look I kinda prefer. They were thick and could stand up to a few buff outs as well. Anyway its going back to its original "Tartan red". The award winning shop quoted me 8K to do a completely stripped Sprite! For the midwest that is a bit pricey.

Kurt.

Kurt

 

[Jim_Gruber]

About $7,950 more than my $50 Rustoleum Paint Job I did on Bugsy I. Scary I think you can do better than that. Paint is just not that expensive.

 

[nomad]

Jim, its going to the guys I've had do other work for me with a quote at 2K. If you saw the work that the 8K shop has done you would be impressed. The first thing I saw done by them was pickup that just looked to have a very nice candy apple paint job on it...till you walked by it...then you could see a fabulous ghost mural in the side of it!

Kurt

 

[histerical]

An $8K paint job on a Bugeye ? In my eyes the new 2-stage or catalyzed paints are way too shiney and don't really look like original paint even with a good wax job. Vintage cars with high gloss clear coats do nothing for me. Of course I can admire the skill, but there's a point where the finish obscures the object. What I have done to both acrylic enamel or urethane is to color ( wet) sand with 2000 grit and then compound it out to a beautiful sheen, not shine. This , to me, has the closer look of the solid paint I remember from my youth. If you're going for the trophies and the judges are still giving them to the guys who spent the most money, then go for it.
I have painted about 8 cars myself and also two where I did ALL the prep work, chrome removal, and the critical edge masking and taken them to MAACO and was very happy. ( except for the one where the windshield cracked in their oven). I like my cars to look like they are 4-5 years old and just driven out of the garage and not the restoration shop. People always tell me " That's in really good shape".

 

[nomad]

histerical, i agree with you completely! I like the car to have an original looking finish but have only ever painted tractors myself. Plus that, time comes into play.

Had a friend in the Navy that fooled with cars and always had his cars painted by Earl Shide. As he said "those guys shoot paint all the time and know how to do it". He would always do the prep work and supply them with quality paint.

Kurt.

 

[sqbsprite]

I still prefer the single stage acrylic enamel with urethane hardener. If color sanded and buffed properly, it can look as good as any professional job. Plus, it is very durable. Mine still looks respectable after 30 years.

 

[JPSmit]

I still prefer the single stage acrylic enamel with urethane hardener. If color sanded and buffed properly, it can look as good as any professional job. Plus, it is very durable. Mine still looks respectable after 30 years.
View attachment 42438

much more than respectable!

 

[histerical]

" had his cars painted by Earl Shide. As he said "those guys shoot paint all the time and know how to do it"."
My feelings exactly. Just don't rely on any of their prep work. Why I still shoot my own paint is a mystery to me.

 

[nomad]

Memory??? Earl Scheib had the paint shop's!

Kurt.

 

[sqbsprite]

much more than respectable!

Thanks JPSmit! Someday I'll do it again. Right now it's just perfect for driving and not worrying about it.