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paint mystery conjecture

To: Triumph list <triumphs@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: paint mystery conjecture
From: Sholtes IV <joeiv@concentric.net>
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 1997 13:54:10 -0400
Cc: karim.marouf@cancom.com
karim.marouf@cancom.com writes:

> My '68 Mark I GT6 is factory British racing green.  The paint code certifies
> this, and I'm  certain that the actual paint is factory (the car only has
> only 70K miles on it)=2E There's no evidence of any other coat of racing green
> or any other color.

  Same as the color on my TR 250, only it's called Triumph Racing Green (#25).  
It
appears , from the same observations that I've also made, that this must be the 
original paint on my car.

> 
> For this reason I've been why there's a coat of  white primer (or paint?)
> between the top color of British Racing green and the bottom coat of red
> oxide primer=2E  Absolutley everywhere on the body, even in hidden areas where
> no one would have painted but the factory (like the floorboards, under the
> dash, in the trunk behind the gas tank) I find the same combination: racing
> green on top, white primer or paint in between, and red oxide primer on the
> bottom.

  I've noticed though, since I've removed paint from every square inch of of 
the car, that the red oxide is only on the more "visible" areas of the car.  I
supposed the red to be a primer-surfacer, which was sanded smooth.  I have seen
evidence of this-in the red primer having sanding scratches under the white 
primer.
  This process fills in minor imperfections (egad! did I just say Triumph made 
in-
pefections? I'm sorry...) in the sheet metal stamping processes.  If you sand 
through
the color in the less conspicuos areas, you'll note less red-oxide primer.
> 
> I wonder why the factory sprayed that middle layer of white primer or paint.
> Has anyone found this on their cars? Why would they put two different primer
> coats under the paint? Does green not show up well if it's painted over red
> oxide? Just curious.

  The "middle" layer of white is most likely a sealer-primer.  It is common 
practice
to use a primer-sealer to promote adhesion and uniformity of the top coat.  The 
p-sealer
is usually followed wet on wet with the top coat, and is found every where that
top-coat is applied, not site specific, like primer-surfacer is.
  Most top coats are opaque if applied properly.  If the painter is trying to 
econ-
omize the job, a primer sealer that will acheive desired efect (lightening, 
darkening)
of the (insufficiently) applied top coat is chosen.
 I have saved a few areas of sheet metal, from a discarded front fender, and 
intend
to wetsand them in a way to show the variuos primers, then clear coat the piece.

 BTW, you neglected to mention the dark brown primer.  It is a very thin layer 
and
is right against the bare metal.  This primer is found evrywhere, on every 
piece.
I suspect it may be an etching primer, that was applied to each component 
shortly
after manufacter, OR maybe the entire body shell was dipped in a tank of this 
stuff,
to ensure all of the car was protected.  This whole body shell dipping was done
by Volkswagon and Renault in the sixties.

                                           JOE IV
                                           TR 250
                                      WALLINGFORD, CT USA



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