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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
 Posted - 21/11/2012 : 17:39:23
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OK, MMM Groupies (as mgtommm in sunny oHIo would say),
What evidence do we have that J2 headlights were painted to match the colour scheme of the car? My newly refurbished Rotax K624 headlights are nearly ready and I'm wondering whether to abandon the black colour scheme of my current Lucas L140s and go green (as in body colour). I had them left black as I felt they looked more 'vintage' but wonder should I do the same with the Rotax ones?
What say ye?
EDIT: spelling correction 
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Edited by - Simon Johnston on 21/11/2012 18:00:06 |
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PeterL
United Kingdom
1723 Posts |
Posted - 21/11/2012 : 18:16:52
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Pretty sure my L140s are the darker green on J3485, it appears to be the original paint on the original lamps but you never know...
Cheers
P |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 04:54:21
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Thanks, Peter. We have a few differences in spec as your car is a duo tone swept wing with Lucas lights and mine is a monotone cycle wing with Rotax lights! Might that have had any effect on things I wonder? What about your sidelights? Are they painted or chrome?
EDIT: Spelling again! |
Edited by - Simon Johnston on 22/11/2012 04:54:59 |
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PeterL
United Kingdom
1723 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 07:44:10
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Painted...
Headlamp rims are painted too...
Cheers
P |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 09:39:29
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| Hmm...painted headlight rims would surely not be original which perhaps casts doubt on the provenance of the painted headlights themselves? |
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tholden
United Kingdom
1638 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 10:50:07
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Simon on standard production J2's the headlamp shells ( including the badges ) were painted body colour as was also the sidelight body and badge. The rims were chrome plated. Judging by original cars and headlamps I have seen over the years I think MG took the lamps as supplied by Rotax or Lucas and masked off the rims then painted the whole thing body colour. You can usually see on original lamps that the inner edge of the shell where the rim fits were not painted colour but still makers black.
On my first J2 which was very original and still had its original paint the badges looked chrome because the paint had come off or been polished off over the years.
It must however be remembered that people could order things to be different and I have no doubt that some people ordered chrome headlamps and sidelights.You can often see them in original photos.
I also believe that if larger or later headlamps ( 140's or 150's to replace early Rotax lamps ) were subsequently fitted which was quite a common mod in period, they were supplied by Lucas with black painted shells and were often fitted as supplied. Hence you may also find pictures of cars with larger or later headlamps painted black.I have also seen pitures of coachbuilt cars that appear to have black headlamps and sidelights presumably again fitted as supplied.
I guess that at the end of the day you can do whatever pleases you the most. Personally I rather like the lamps painted in body colour.
TH |
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PeterL
United Kingdom
1723 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 11:03:45
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I am always a little wary about these details on my J as there is evidence of a significant front end bump! Maybe the front wings, radiator and headlamps were all replaced at some time...
Mind you, I am now used to the painted rims and like them, makes the car look distinctive. Wouldn't have painted them specially, though.
Cheers
P |
Edited by - PeterL on 22/11/2012 11:24:24 |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 11:06:57
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| Many thanks, Terry. I hadn't contemplated opting for chrome, but am vacillating between black and body colour. Your comment about MG just masking the rims makes sense as dismantling the lights to paint them would be very labour intensive. And I've heard it said that the body colour lights are unique to the J and that other models had either black or chrome. Can you comment on that? |
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tholden
United Kingdom
1638 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 12:30:02
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L types were also body colour and I think F types but David Bass might comment as to whether all F type lamps were finished that way.
TH |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 13:33:24
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| Thanks again, Terry. Something to ponder on over the weekend. |
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Terry Andrews
United Kingdom
546 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 16:37:13
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| I agree with everything Terry H has said for the J’s and I think this could well apply to the L1 and L2’s. However for the L1 Continental Coupe the L 150’s were definitely Chrome….. Terry A (The other Terry) |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 19:05:15
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Thanks again, Terry and Terry,
When I look again at the photos of my car in its youth, it would indeed seem that the headlights were not black. In this photo the headlights shells are clearly not the same tone as either the black dials of the instruments or the black hood of the adjacent car.
But none of the photos show the Rotax badges clearly enough to determine whether they were painted or not. But it does sound plausible that only the rims were masked off and the rest of the lamp was painted. Simple and inexpensive.
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dbass
United Kingdom
140 Posts |
Posted - 22/11/2012 : 21:02:51
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Terry, my knowledge of F types is i'm afraid very limited only 7 years experience unlike many owners with a lifetimes knowledge but F type "guru" Tim Edwards did i believe teach me that F types had body coloured sdelight and headlamp bodies with chrome rims as standard.
Regards David (F0708) |
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