What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? : MGB & GT Forum : The MG Experience

What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #1
purpleGT Bud Osbourne Pittsburgh, PA., USA Sign in to contact 1956 MG MGA 1500 1972 MG Midget MkIII 1972 MG Midget MkIII 1974 MG MGB GT "The Grape" & more	Topic Creator (OP) Mar 31, 2015 12:34 PM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 4,501 Posts

I'm about ready to paint an 18G I've rebuilt, for my MGA and I'm wondering who makes the best paint for it?
Anyone have some experience they would like to share? Right now, I'm looking at POR15 and Bill Hirsch, but I'm completely open to suggestions.
Thanks!

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #2
mgbanthony Anthony Henderson Eastern Thousand Islands, ON, Canada Sign in to contact 1962 MG MGB 1974 MG MGB	Mar 31, 2015 12:36 PM Top Contributor Joined 18 years ago 13,232 Posts

If you get Tremclad paints down there their wild raspberry is dead on color wise, does not need clear coat and is tough stuff, designed as a rust paint. We use it on boat trailers and it holds up very well in a tough environment.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-03-31 12:37 PM by mgbanthony.

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #3
CederholmC Carl E. Cederholm BROOKLYN, NY, USA Sign in to contact 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air "The Sled" 1969 MG MGB GT "Supercharged" 1972 MG MGB "Brooklyn B" 1981 Toyota Land Cruiser	Mar 31, 2015 01:00 PM Joined 19 years ago 3,473 Posts

I'm a fan of POR-15 but years ago I had to send their MG Maroon back. The color was horrible. I hope I had a bad batch.

~ Carl

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #4
dmeadow David L Steamboat Springs, CO, USA Sign in to contact 1972 MG Midget	Mar 31, 2015 01:17 PM Joined 12 years ago 355 Posts

I painted my MGA motor with the Moss paint many years ago. I think the color is dead-on and it has held up well. It tends to discoloration, though, where coolant weeps out from the head. If I were to do it over again I'd topcoat it in the clear Duplicolor Ceramic Engine Enamel. That's how I'm going to do the TD motor soon-- Moss paint topcoated by the Duplicolor clear.

Note there are two different MG maroons-- the one used for T-Series cars and the one used for MGAs and early Bs. I don't know which the Hirsch paint is, but I know folks that have used it on T-series cars thinking it is the T-series color, but I think they may be mistaken. The T-series is redder/brighter and less maroon.

Rustoleum Dark Canyon Red is a good match for the MGA color (I've tested it against the Moss MGA color and it is virtually identical). I understand it may be hard to find, though. I had heard it was discontinued.

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #5
73midget Chris Edwards Garland, TX, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG Midget MkIII	Mar 31, 2015 01:24 PM Joined 13 years ago 2,941 Posts

I'm really happy with the color from por15

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #6
dipstick Kenny Snyder (RIP) La Center, WA, USA Sign in to contact 1941 Ford N-Series 1958 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "Rosie" 1970 MG MGB GT "Pat's GT" 1971 MG MGB "Gifted To Me" & more	Mar 31, 2015 02:13 PM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 7,564 Posts

The engine is MOSS 220-540 Maroon.
The starter and generator are Duplicolor Dark Canyon Red.

Be safe out there.
Kenny

IMG_1205s.jpg 57.9 KB

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #7
ClayJ Clay Johnston Mt. Olive, MS, USA Sign in to contact 1972 MG MGB	Mar 31, 2015 02:15 PM Top Contributor Joined 18 years ago 17,625 Posts

My engine is black so I can't comment on color. I like the POR engine enamel on cast surfaces, not so much on sheet metal or smooth surfaces. It can be difficult to get the POR to brush out smooth. I used a combination of Duplicolor engine spray paint for smooth surfaces and POR for the rough cast surfaces. Since it's all black no match issue(s).

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #8
purpleGT Bud Osbourne Pittsburgh, PA., USA Sign in to contact 1956 MG MGA 1500 1972 MG Midget MkIII 1972 MG Midget MkIII 1974 MG MGB GT "The Grape" & more	Topic Creator (OP) Mar 31, 2015 02:40 PM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 4,501 Posts

Thanks for the responses, guys!

It seems that Hirsch doesn't show any "furrin" car engine colors, so that rules them out. Duplicolor is a possibility, if my local autobody paint supplier carries it. POR15 is, also, a possibility, but I'd really rather buy the paint locally. Rustoleum now offers engine paint, but I didn't see any Dark Canyon Red. From their color chart, it looks like Chrysler Universal Industrial Red might be close, but it's going to be hard to tell without seeing it "live".

I think I'll head over to a nearby town, which has a hardware store shown as a Rustoleum Engine Paint retailer and see what they have. I'll let you guys know what I find out.

Thanks, again, to all who responded.

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #9
nickj Nick Jenkins Novato, Marin Co, CA, USA Sign in to contact 1970 MG MGB GT 1972 MG MGB	Mar 31, 2015 03:12 PM Joined 12 years ago 2,558 Posts

I used the Moss paint about two years ago and it still looks good, very original, even in the way it's aged. From Kenny's picture, the dark canyon red looks a lot darker than the Moss paint. I had may cooling issues early on, and soaked the engine bay in coolant a few times, but it didn't seem to affect the paint.

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #10
dipstick Kenny Snyder (RIP) La Center, WA, USA Sign in to contact 1941 Ford N-Series 1958 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "Rosie" 1970 MG MGB GT "Pat's GT" 1971 MG MGB "Gifted To Me" & more	Mar 31, 2015 03:55 PM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 7,564 Posts

Rustoleum #248567 Merlot. My ACE hardware store does not stock it but they order it, and is there ASAP. The color is not quite as red as the photo.

Be safe out there.
Kenny

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #11
dmeadow David L Steamboat Springs, CO, USA Sign in to contact 1972 MG Midget	Mar 31, 2015 03:58 PM Joined 12 years ago 355 Posts

You're right about Kenny's picture, though it looks like there's a lot of differential in lighting between the top of the engine and the bottom that may exacerbate the issue? Attached is photo of my MGA motor painted Moss 220-540 next to a piece of metal I painted Dark Canyon Red. They looked almost identical in real life, as well.

The second picture is the same Dark Canyon Red (upper) next to the Moss T-Series paint (lower) just for grins. Even in the two pictures the Dark Canyon Red looks different due to different lighting and what it is next to. It is the same piece of metal, though, with the same paint. I swear!

In reply to # 2953233 by nickj I used the Moss paint about two years ago and it still looks good, very original, even in the way it's aged. From Kenny's picture, the dark canyon red looks a lot darker than the Moss paint. I had may cooling issues early on, and soaked the engine bay in coolant a few times, but it didn't seem to affect the paint.

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t series paint.jpg 32.5 KB

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #12
Gary E Gary Edwards Kernersville, NC, USA Sign in to contact 1962 MG MGA MkII	Mar 31, 2015 04:16 PM Top Contributor Joined 17 years ago 16,299 Posts

A lot of MG restorers swear by Bill Hirsch.....

http://www.hirschauto.com/ENGINE-ENAMEL/productinfo/EE-QUART/MG%20MAROON/

Gary

Murphy's law

Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe, and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it, and he'll have to touch it to be sure.

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #13
dmeadow David L Steamboat Springs, CO, USA Sign in to contact 1972 MG Midget	Mar 31, 2015 04:18 PM Joined 12 years ago 355 Posts

LOL, all I could think of was this.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2Dq1ooL6jk

In reply to # 2953253 by dipstick Rustoleum #248567 Merlot. My ACE hardware store does not stock it but they order it, and is there ASAP. The color is not quite as red as the photo.

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #14
Perdido Rut Rutledge Tuscaloosa, AL, USA Sign in to contact 1960 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite "Scarlet" 1962 Triumph TR4 1966 Triumph TR4A 1966 Triumph TR4A & more	Mar 31, 2015 04:48 PM Top Contributor Joined 16 years ago 5,263 Posts

Bud,
I used Duplicolor Dark Canyon Red with the clear top coat and I like the results. I don't gave anything original to compare it to, but I like the color.
Rut

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Re: What's the best engine paint, in MG maroon? #15
purpleGT Bud Osbourne Pittsburgh, PA., USA Sign in to contact 1956 MG MGA 1500 1972 MG Midget MkIII 1972 MG Midget MkIII 1974 MG MGB GT "The Grape" & more	Topic Creator (OP) Mar 31, 2015 05:44 PM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 4,501 Posts

I'm wondering if Duplicolor discontinued Dark Canyon Red, as I can't find it on their website, or on Summit's, either. Of course, I couldn't find MG Maroon on the Bill Hirsch website, either (thanks, Gary!), but I now see they do offer it.

Does anyone have a part number, for the Duplicolor Dark Canyon Red?

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