MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Another paint question

For those officianados of cellulose paint spraying
Do you favour a finish coat of lacquer to get a gloss. Or do you rely on cutting and polishing?

I do have a DA polisher. But also wonder about the pros and cons of lacquer, especially if one needs to do any repairs or blowing in at a later date.

Tempting to do the lawyer as a quick and easy solution though!
GuyW

I've never tried lacquer over celly. I suppose it would be nice and shiny but, as you allude to, repairs would be more fiddly. You'd have to blend in the lacquer as well as the colour. Isn't it easier just to polish the celly top coat every now and then?
Bill B

Personally neither as I get a nice gloss finish with cellulose paint straight from the gun, I'd only polish it if I wanted a show queen. The only time I have polished my car is small areas after flatting if I got a run or after a number of years to remove traffic film. The only time I've used lacquer is with base and clear after that superseded the one coat metallics.

Lawyer??? latter? auto spelling corrector?
David Billington

It depends on the colour coat. The only time I tried it was to add UV-stable lacquer to red colour coat, in an attempt to inhibit fading. The clear coat blistered after a few years. So it all came off, and now there is just plain old red celly. I am not sure if clear coat makes it any glossier. I would not bother.
Les Rose

When I sprayed my Sprite red it was in the 1980s and they've subsequently phased out UV stable pigments with mercury and lead so red is not a great choice now as it needs UV protection with lacquer AFAIK. Mine will be getting sprayed a different colour when done. More recent spraying was done in other colours like blue. I know a few red cars locally with factory lacquered red, a MB and Nissan, and they now look a mess. The Nissan has been redone by a pro but those panels lasted a few years before blistering, the blistering starting when the frost set in so I wonder if the coat was porous and once water got in it froze and spread.
David Billington

Well when I asked earlier it was between coats. I have since done 3 more this afternoon, the final 2 of which I diluted to about 70% with more anti- bloom thinners. I've done this before to get a bit of a glossy finish. It's worked well though there is the added risk of runs in the paint. - and 1 have 2 ! Still they will polish out if I am patient and leave it a few days. The colour is Teal Blue, so no real issue with UV protection. Looks like my litre of 1K lacquer is staying in the tin!
GuyW

When I sprayed my Sprite I took advice from a semi pro bodywork sprayer I knew and settled on 10 coats back to back thinned 50:50 throughout. IIRC the advice was the more coats the better within reason. No advice to use addition thinners for final coats but to get it on with a decent thickness so it would flow out, just on the border of runs but not quite. I ended up with 2 small curtains on the rear which got flatted out once dry.
David Billington

Well this has had 8 coats, the first 6 were standard 50:50.

I seem to recall doing 14 coats last time I sprayed this car (c.1994) It was then done again in 2015 by a 'professional' who used 2 pack + a pig's ear. The only thing qualifying him as a professional is that he got paid for the work.
GuyW

You are right Dave, cellulose is not what it was. It is nowhere near as forgiving. I've probably said this here before, but in my youth I sprayed all my vehicles, and despite not knowing what I was doing, they all came out very nicely.

You are also right that red is not a great choice for UV stability. But it's the colour the car was when I bought it. Also I don't like any of factory Frogeye colours. I now realise they look boring because they were cheap. Be honest, who buys a beige sports car?
Les Rose

Les,

Mine was originally leaf green, it was red of some description when I got it and I selected Lancia Rosso Corsa (Corsica red?) from the International paint swatches at the factors because I liked the colour. I'm tempted to paint it Lancia Midnight blue next as that was the colour of my Beta HPE and I liked it.

As an alternative my neighbour brush painted his miniature steam loco in International 2k yacht paint and that came out great, a really nice finish, he had to rub it down with like 2000 paper to make it look more like the working loco it was modelled on. That 2k paint was brush or roller, no spray due to the isocyanate, but safe to brush paint without a respirator IIRC.



David Billington

As I've posted before HMG 99 celly gloss from the gun.

https://www.hmgpaint.com/products/classic-car/topcoat/122/m99-cellulose

And I only use an electric pop pop gun.
anamnesis

Well following my question about getting a gloss with celly paint this is the result from the gun. Reasonably pleased. A light polish will finish it off well enough for my standards.

Just the wing! Haven't started on the bonnet yet.
No idea why it's upside down!


GuyW

Was that done outside Guy? If so, I think you've done a good job.
Bill B

Yep just on the drive. Top few coats done on Tuesday as it had been dry for the previous fortnight and the weather was due to break on Wednesday. So it was a last opportunity.
GuyW

I believe the original paint on the cars was cellulose. I have kept the Bronze Yellow 1971 midget waxed since it was new. With the exception of a parking lot scrap, the original paint on the car still looks great. The clear coat on the parking lot repair is starting to peel off as is the clear coat on the 1970 MGB repaint.

Maintained, the original paint has been phenomenally durable. It has endured in a high UV location (altitude + severe sun exposure).
Glenn Mallory

Yep, that looks good Guy. And even if it does take a bit of polishing compound for a higher shine, so what? I found it's only really orange peel that's hard work, and that's where those multi coats are essential too. Lol.

I'm lucky though, in that pe white is kinder to my eyes regarding imperfections.

Plus, I don't really give a rat's, as long as the paint stays put, prevents rust, and most importantly the bloody thing starts, goes, and stops everytime I need it too..🤣🤣.


Edit.
Is that an illusion, or is your wheel proud of the arch? Wider wheel or spacer perhaps?



anamnesis

Finally somone who has seen the light, Mr A. 《 l don't give a rat's ar*e etc etc...》
I don't take mine to 'shows' because too many people look at the paintwork with disdain. My reply was always : do you have one?..

Mine starts; goes; stops and ain't rusty. I've owned it for 50 years and it carries its age, and dings too.

It's out in all weathers, give me a huge buzz when l'm driving it so ticks all the boxes.

Random rant over.
Dave
David Cox

Oe not pe white. Finger trouble.
anamnesis

Wider wheels on that car, Anam. 5&1/2J Cosmics. Rare wheels, I am told. But is also lowered with neg camber so the top of the wheel is just inside / flush with the wheel arch.
GuyW

Dave
You make a good point! I sprayed the Frog with Celly but it's not perfect, far from it. Friends and the general public seem to think it looks good so that's good enough for me. I'd spent too long panel beating (well trying to), filling, rubbing down, repeating the last two ad infinitum before deciding it was good enough for paint. Then re-painting some panels and trying to blend the overlap with older paint. Still a work in progress I guess. But I have a packed garage and knew the car would get scratched so am not too precious about it. It's just a car.

In the end, you want to drive it, that's what it's for.



Bill B

Nice and chunky Guy. I thought they looked a bigger.

Show room condition that Bill. 🙂.

I reckon most of us who've had our spridgets for yonks, aren't overly bothered about its looks compared to how it goes.

I originally wanted an early spit, as I love the look of them. And that's what I was supposed to buy. But it was gone when I got there ( breaker's yard). So instead I bought my scabby mk4 Sprite.

Now I know the way the two compare in terms of driving, I'm glad the Spit was gone, since out of the box, a bog standard Spridget is brilliant really. After 48 years, I still feel like I'm driving and having fun in a road going go kart with more comfort.

Shiny paint has always been a welcome, but non essential bonus to me. Very nice to have, and once upon a time I used to polish mine. That liquid diamond shine stuff. 🤣🤣. But I think that phase lasted only a few months. Now I 'wash' it maybe once a year, - with a damp rag. I do wipe bird's crap off though. Bloody stuff's like cement if you leave it.



anamnesis

Looks like you've been polishing, Bill!
This was last summer.


GuyW

That was an earlier picture that I posted Guy. Polish must have faded!
Bill B

Bill B,

What colour is that? It looks good.
David Billington

David

Thanks. BRG although that's another story. I originally bought BL code GN29 from Jawels which is a darker BRG, for engine bay and interior. In the middle of painting the exterior with that same paint some years later, I ordered more paint in a hurry and didn't realise until sometime later that they'd changed the BRG paint code in their cellulose range to a RAL code, which is lighter. That is now the finished shade in the picture. There are various shades of BRG.
Bill B

My red Focus bonnet is a disgusting mess, lacquer deciding to quit the party in a hurry.

And the red getting painfully thin, hue and depth of layer but it hardly seems worthwhile dealing with it, I 'spect the politicians will have it off me as soon as they get another policy change going.

Lovely finish on the wing Guy, one to be pleased with and Bill's Frog looks wonderful.

You will note I am not putting in any upside down or sideways on photos of Lara as her celly painted fi-glass wings have been getting a hammering in the garage acting as a shelf.

Oh that means I vote no to lacquer, by the way.
Bill sdgpM

This thread was discussed between 25/08/2025 and 01/09/2025

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.