SAVE THIS FOR REFERENCE!!!!
I painted the RB's on my '80 Carmine Red B. It was a pretty simple process.
My experience prior to doing the B was on a 1987 VW Jetta. I did the
plastic bumpers & wheel arches in body color. I used the same process as
VWoA did on one of their show cars. It came out so well & lasted so long, I
decided to do the same on my B.
You can see the results on the Connecticut MG Club web site. There is a
head-on shot ( HTTP://www.homestead.com/mgclub/files/photoX.htm ) and a
distant shot with my '66 B and a friend's '67
HTTP://www.homestead.com/mgclub/files/photoX1.htm ). BTW, the sheets of
plywood can be replaced with a windsurfer or Sunfish when necessary.
Here's the step-by-step method of doing it. (For perfect results, remove
both bumpers & de-rust the metal parts, sealing them in rust-preventing
paint. I left mine on.)
1- Cut off any loose chunks of rubber that have resulted from bumps using a
fine point X-acto knife. Ensure that there are good "gripping" surfaces for
filler in any dings like these. Clean with wax & grease remover. Fill the
resulting craters with a product like 3M's "P.R.O. Fill E-Z Sand."
2- Thoroughly sand the bumper surfaces to be painted with a dry medium grit
sandpaper. Remember you want to have lots of "gripping" surfaces. Clean
with wax & grease remover after sanding and wiping off rubber & sand dust.
3- Spray with a Flexible Primer Surfacer. I used SEM's product. Follow
directions. Let dry & wet sand with 320 wet & dry paper if too much "orange
peel" or 400 if smooth .
4- Ensure you have a good primer finish. Touchup if necessary. Prep for
final paint.
5- Use a urethane paint (Remember, urethane is a form of plastic & is
relatively flexible) and paint as you would paint metal.
If you need any more detailed advice, your local automotive paint shop can
help.
Good luck & enjoy the more modern look.
Norm Sippel
'66 MGB
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