• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Engine compartment to clear coat or not?

Share this page

TR6oldtimer

TR6oldtimer

Darth Vader
Offline
Any opinion on the pros and cons of clear coating a TR6 engine compartment will be appreciated. This is a car intended to be driven and occasionally shown. At this time I am leaning to not using a clear coat.
 
Hi Ray,

I had my bay painted at a shop that does a lot of restoration work. They talked me into clear coating mine.

They told me it would make it easier to keep clean and show better. They use the same clear as for the exterior, high gloss, and add about 20% clear that is slightly satin so it does not look quite as shiney as the outside.

I like it.
 
Mine is clear coated and I'm sure you've seen the pictures. It's a matter of personal preference, but it is infinitely easier to keep clean and looking good.

Now with that being said, what are your plans for the preparation? is the engine out and have any rough areas been taken care of? Those are factors to consider moving forward.
 
I guess I don't understand why you wouldn't want to clear coat it?

Is is a cost issue? Appearance?

I am asking because I honestly don't know.
 
jackag91 said:
I guess I don't understand why you wouldn't want to clear coat it?

Is is a cost issue? Appearance?

I am asking because I honestly don't know.
Click to expand...

Many cars come from the factory with a different paint in the engine compartment, trunk, etc. than the exterior. A lower gloss color is generally used there. The body work there is not as smooth or carefully finished (notice the ripples in the inner fenders of the TR6s?). The lower gloss of the factory paint doesn't make all of those imperfections as obvious as a glossy paint would.

I'm not sure that the TR6 came with this treatment, however. To each his/her own, I suppose.

Bryan
 
Actually I just got a sticker shock on the Mallard Green paint for the car at $75/quart plus the catalyst and reducer. The clear is a little less expensive, but wow.

I will probably get over it and do the clear.

Just have to convince the little lady who remarked, "Why? Nobody sees it."

Or give her more money. Yeh, that'll work!

Oh, by the way, the body is off the frame.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Oh, by the way, the body is off the frame.[/QUOTE]

All the more reason. If you don't do it now, you will regret it later.
 
Clear coat it so you won't ask yourself later why you didn't. The clear coat is tough, it stands up to chemicals better than single stage, and you have alot more to work with if you need to remove a scratch, or run. It is very difficult to paint all the nooks under the hood without any flaws, I tried and tried, and then had someone else do it. Now, if you want to know how to paint a Norton tank, I am the guy to ask.
 
OK,
original cars (almost every one ever made) are built on a budget for profit margin and costs are cut anywhere possible. this does not mean it is the best thing to do. Paint is one of those, lets say, cost cutting areas. the underside of the car, the engine compartment, the underside of the hood and trunk lid, inside the trunk etc. If you want originality, you will need to do the same for points. If you just want a great looking/driving triumph and don't care so much about points in shows, give it the best paint job everywhere. Remember that the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do is perfect prep work.Go ahead and clear coat if you did it on the outer body.
IMHO
Rob
 
Definitely clear coat it! If you want the factory flatters look ask the shop to put a flatting agent it. Their right it will tremendously help in keep your color looking fresh. It seals it. Base coat will absorb the chemicals and dirt not to mention that the clear is your protection from UV sun rays. If you don't clear it wherever the sun penetrates the seams the paint will soon start to fade and then will turn gray. I know you've seen older cars out there where the clear is pealing off and there a large gray areas on the paint. That's what yours will look like around the seams.

I used an integrated clear in the engine compartment of my TR250 and wish I hadn't. That's taking the base and incorporating some clear into it to get the satin or semi gloss look you want. Well I had a fuel leak and the gasoline wrinkled the paint. So as you can see there is no good reason not to.
 
Back
Top