Joe Peck wrote:
<SNIP>
> So I've decided to repaint the engine compartment.
>
> What's the best way to accomplish this? I'm stripping everything
> out that I can (heater, MC, wiring harness/fuses/relays, everything).
> But I'm an amatuer when it comes to painting. I have no
> equipment or experience. Can I get away with spray paint? (I'll
> duck here while the flamers of the group pontificate :-)
>
<SNIP>
> I'm not looking for show quality or even close, and I've got no
> plans to do anything to the exterior paint for a long while even
> though it might eventually need something. The exterior is in
> decent enough shape that I'm not ashamed of it, even with the
> few dents and scratches that it has.
>
<SNIP>
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
> ------
JOE:
I'm probably going to get richly flamed for this suggestion, but it
worked well for me when I had a similar problem. As someone has already
suggested, I cleaned the engine compartment with comet and touched up
the rusty areas with rusty metal primer, then covered the car and masked
until I was blue in the face, then spray painted it with stuff right out
of a can. We are talking about the engine compartment here, and Rags (my
75B) isn't a show car and never will be. Rags is a white MG; I painted
the engine interior black (old hotrodder custom, I suppose) and I think
it looks just fine. I used high temperature semi-gloss enamel black (the
kind you use on barbeque grills) and it gave it, IMHO, a very nice
appearance. With the red bits of the engine, chrome hoses and new copper
pipes, and yellow ignition wires, I think the overall appearance is
striking and rather menacing looking for a four-banger. Semigloss
worked well for covering up the minor details that don't look so good,
and it's held up very well indeed under the temperature extremes I get
under the bonnet. Good luck.
<SNIP>
> Thanks much for reading this far. Comments welcome. Flames ok too.
> Help with the above engine compartment painting questions appreciated
> more though :-)
>
> Cheers,
> Joe P.
I heartily agree. I don't see any problem with Triumph-bashing as long
as it's in the nature of good fun and general competitive
testosterone-driven spirit, but I'd hate to see it done in earnest. I
used to own a TR4, after all, and rather liked that little machine. As
far as the rest of your post goes, I'm firmly with you.
Corey
75 MGB 'Rags'
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