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C n J Gorman
USA
14 Posts |
 Posted - 19/02/2025 : 14:56:04
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I am in the process of replacing the head gasket on PA1875 that my father-in-law restored about 20 years ago. The engine paint he used has not held up very well and I plan to repaint the engine as part of my process. I found the thread from 2017 that states that this car should have a red engine. My question is which red? Mike Allison states it should be "Cardinal" red. I suspect this is not the MG Maroon that I have used on the MGB's I have restored.
What do you suggest I use?
Chris and Jill Gorman
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DanPA
USA
166 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2025 : 15:39:23
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Hi, Chris,
I use the Moss T-series red engine spray paint. It is a bright red not the maroon used for the MGA and MGB.
Cheers,
Daniel Shockey |
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C n J Gorman
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2025 : 15:46:56
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Perfect Daniel
That is the confirmation I was looking for. I did not think MG Maroon was correct for the older cars.
Chris and Jill Gorman
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Bruce Sutherland
United Kingdom
1603 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2025 : 16:08:56
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quote:
Originally posted by C n J Gorman
Perfect Daniel
That is the confirmation I was looking for. I did not think MG Maroon was correct for the older cars. Chris and Jill Gorman
Perhaps this long-standing draft re MG Triple-M paint colours can help - with any updates from those with more authoritative knowledge i.e., facts rather than opinions, please!
https://www.triple-mregister.org/uploads/retro/paint%20colours.pdf
Bruce. (PB0564) |
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Andrew Fock
Australia
397 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2025 : 19:30:48
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I have just rebuilt my N type engine which to my knowledge has only been rebuilt once before. While the block had been repainted bright red the engine mount, flywheel housing, bell housing and front engine housing were all still in the original factory paint. The photo below shows the original colour.
I also have a front engine housing for a K type that I am about to send to a friend. It is still in its original paint and is green (as are other parts of that engine).
Andrew
NA 0279
PA 1294
L2061
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Edited by - Andrew Fock on 19/02/2025 19:39:19 |
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Oz34
United Kingdom
2657 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2025 : 21:18:49
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Andrew,
When I bought my PA in 1966 there were quite large areas of the gearbox, (including the alloy parts which have often been discussed in the past) bearing Post Office Red or something very similar. The car was definitely at the student banger stage then & I would have thought it unlikely that anyone had troubled to re paint the box in the previous 30 years. It is the car's original box and I doubt at that stage had ever been removed.
What I think might well be the case is that paint batches differed from one another far more in the '30s that they do today and so the next batch of engines may easily have received a different shade from the last thus confusing all of the OP.
Bruce, you say facts rather than opinions and yet you keep on trotting out this table which includes things such as the tank and front apron being in the darker colour. Over many threads, in which you have participated, ample evidence has been produced to show that tank, front apron and bonnet top on the 4 cylinder models were in the lighter colour.
Dave |
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Andrew Fock
Australia
397 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2025 : 04:18:30
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Interestingly the engine mount in my photo appears to be pillbox red.... so I would appear that as you suggest dave, there were several colours.
The bell housing on my P type is the same as on my NA.
The dark red does look good though....
Andrew
NA 0279
PA 1294
L2061 |
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ozel52
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2025 : 02:43:04
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Just to add needless confusion. After bead blasting through black, red and yellow layers of paint it appears the bottom layer (factory) of my PA engine was a sort of apple green.
Orvid Zollinger
PA 1301 |
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C n J Gorman
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2025 : 02:50:13
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Green is the same color my father-in-law found on our PA when he was restoring it, but was advised MG Maroon was the correct color, so that is what he painted it and what it will remain.
Chris and Jill Gorman
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Bruce Sutherland
United Kingdom
1603 Posts |
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Bruce Sutherland
United Kingdom
1603 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2025 : 13:05:43
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Further data regarding two-tone paint colours posted my Mike Allison:
"Posted - 16/07/2008 : 12:37:16
Hi Bruce,
I am glad you asked this one, as most people seem to think that a colour break at the waist-line is the way to go for the Midgets, but this only applied to the N-Magnettes. The NA having the lighter shade lower, and the NB higher.
All the Midgets were as you described, body tub lighter shade, and wings darker. The apron, tank and so forth all match the wings. I was told by Jack Butler, foreman of the paint shop in my time, that the reason for this was that the wings, apron, and tank were painted at Abingdon, and the body tub in Coventry! Colour matching in those days was done by batches of paint, and it was never easy for the two factories to mix IDENTICAL colours. The radiator slats on the two-tone cars was to the darker colour. All parts associated with the chassis were black, except the heavy parts of the spare-wheel carrier, which should be the darker shade.
MG were one of the pioneers in this country of two-tone colour schemes, this being a feature of the original Bullnose panelled (as opposed to fabric) saloons, the tourers having engine-turned and polished lower panels.
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
Mike Allison"
Bruce. (PB0564) |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6471 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2025 : 15:43:19
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I really shouldn’t have to drag out this photo yet again to clarify that, despite Mike Allison's recollection, the front apron and tank were painted body colour as evidenced, for the tank at least, by what looks to be a J2, in duotone paint in the background.
And this well known picture of the J3 on the 1933 Monte Carlo clearly shows the front apron is body colour.
Simon J
J3437
P.S. See also the L2 in this thread - https://www.triple-mregister.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7629 |
Edited by - Simon Johnston on 04/03/2025 16:13:09 |
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Oz34
United Kingdom
2657 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2025 : 20:08:50
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Bruce, I have no idea how to update the table but as to the theory of the body being painted in Coventry and the other parts in Abingdon, I can see some sort of logic there. The idea falls down though on two fronts as I see it.
1) I doubt very much that the bonnet would go to Coventry to be painted, ergo Abingdon had to mix the pale colour for that. It must be said that having a pale body and a dark bonnet would be quite bizarre.
2) How were mono-tone cars treated? I can only assume that again that one shade was successfully mixed in both Abingdon and Coventry.
I prefer to believe in the evidence in many photos, at least one of which was published in Mike's book, The Magic of MG and two of which Simon has posted above.
Dave |
Edited by - Oz34 on 04/03/2025 20:12:06 |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6471 Posts |
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coracle
United Kingdom
2169 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2025 : 21:44:11
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| What a hue and cry! |
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P Type engine paint color
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