painting gold seal engine

Discuss mechanical problems here.
Forum rules
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
dudload
Minor Fan
Posts: 417
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:37 am
Location: East London
MMOC Member: Yes

painting gold seal engine

Post by dudload »

morning all!

as I've been doing various bits and bobs across the car this summer I've tried to paint the engine bay as I go along in the original almond green colour.

However, I'm delving back into my timing chain to fix a leak shortly and am thinking of starting to paint the engine in situ as it doesn't have a speck of paint on it, just a light covering of rust. Now, it's a gold seal engine so is the consensus to keep it the gold or all good to paint the lovely engine green? I'm fairly certain I'm going green, but conscious of causing a massive faux pas!
firedrake1942
Minor Legend
Posts: 2942
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:07 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by firedrake1942 »

It is your car, paint it what colour you like. I like a clean engine bay with the original (or as new to it as you can get these days) green engine - mine was gold seal too. However if you want to show it was a replacement gold seal, paint it gold.

The nearest paint colour to original is, I believe

http://www.minimania.com/part/GAP410-RE ... owog-Green

and ESM do a good match both in a spray can and for a spray machine.

http://www.morrisminorspares.com/engine ... es-p830103

I have seen engines painted in many shades of green from Khaki to bright green. The factory shade apparently changed according to what was available, much like many of the other bits too!

It does depend on what year too. Early S2 I think were blue grey.
palacebear
Minor Legend
Posts: 2953
Joined: Mon May 16, 2016 4:39 pm
Location: Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by palacebear »

As my learned colleague firedrake says. Your car. Your choice :) IMHO a green engine has a nice 'familiar' look about it. My Gold Seal engine was (very enthusiastically) painted BMC engine green some years ago by a previous owner. On the rare occasions I lift the bonnet at a show, a purist will invariably appear, identify it as a Gold Seal by its engine number prefix, and admonish me for not painting it gold! :roll:
1956 4-door called Max
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10769
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by philthehill »

As the BMC Gold Seal engine is a genuine and original optional part for the Minor - personally I would keep the engine gold or re-paint it gold.
But as other have said it is up to you.

GavinL
Minor Fan
Posts: 348
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:14 pm
Location: Somerset
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by GavinL »

My '68 1098 is green but not original green paint, and where it is flaking off it is red underneath - was this ever a standard colour?
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10769
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by philthehill »

Red was a standard BMC engine colour mostly if not always on MG engines.

Chipper
Minor Addict
Posts: 859
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:43 pm
Location: Kent
MMOC Member: No

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by Chipper »

Or possibly a type of red oxide primer?

I would personally paint it the original BMC green, particularly if it's a green car. Gold just looks a bit too 'bling' and out of place and shows up any grease and oil marks too much.

Image
Maurice, E. Kent
(1970 Traveller)
firedrake1942
Minor Legend
Posts: 2942
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:07 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by firedrake1942 »

You can see why they did it though! Gold and silver being a hallmark of quality mine looked astonishing when first fitted!
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10769
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by philthehill »

Painting a gold engine green is painting out the history of the car.
Keep it gold and be proud of it. :D
Whether the engine is gold or green it will soon get dirty and that is without even trying.
Many moons ago I fitted a silver seal short engine in my A35 and that was painted silver. Being a poor apprentice that was all I could afford at the time :cry:

GavinL
Minor Fan
Posts: 348
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:14 pm
Location: Somerset
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by GavinL »

It's definitely red paint under the green. I fitted a gold seal engine to my 1275 Midget back in 1983. Cost £100 from what I remember. Served me well.
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10769
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by philthehill »

Your 1098cc engine could have been originally fitted to a Sprite Mk 2 or MG Midget Mk 1............10CG engine number prefix.
Sprite Mk 3 or MG Midget Mk 2.............10CC engine number prefix.

What is the engine number of your engine especially the prefix?


.

GavinL
Minor Fan
Posts: 348
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:14 pm
Location: Somerset
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by GavinL »

Engine number is 10MA U H 311454 which POMMreg tells me is original so a bit strange, unless someone stripped and painted it red to match the interior. I'll have a closer look at it tomorrow.
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10769
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by philthehill »

Yep 10MA is Minor alright.
There is a whole range of engine paints available so it looks like someone painted the engine red at some time.
I have a tin of Hammerite yellow engine paint to use on a 948cc engine I am re-building in slow time. Yellow was a Speedwell colour.

edd_barker
Minor Fan
Posts: 265
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 7:13 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by edd_barker »

Always good to stand out from the crowd, and a shame to lose some of the history of the car. Gold gets my vote. Spend a bit of time spraying it properly and it will look fantastic.

Edd
JOWETTJAVELIN
Minor Legend
Posts: 2775
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: LANCASHIRE (paradise)
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by JOWETTJAVELIN »

Does anybody know what is the best colour match to replicate the Gold Seal paint?
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10769
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by philthehill »

During the later days of BMC/BL Gold Seal engines were not necessarily made up of original Minor parts - parts from other 'A' Series engines were often used to complete the rebuild - so a head with a temp sensor facility may find its way onto a 948cc Gold Seal engine.

Any matt finish gold engine paint should be satisfactory.

JOWETTJAVELIN
Minor Legend
Posts: 2775
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: LANCASHIRE (paradise)
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by JOWETTJAVELIN »

I am going to re-build it soon. There are traces of green paint on it and the engine number matches the log book so I don't think it's been replaced. The only thing which puzzles me is the letters AD have been punched in the tag below the engine number. I just want to find a good paint match, surely other folk have replicated the gold finish.
myoldjalopy
Minor Legend
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:32 pm
Location: Kernow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by myoldjalopy »

philthehill wrote: Sat Sep 02, 2017 12:07 pm
Whether the engine is gold or green it will soon get dirty and that is without even trying.
Mine is painted black - it always looks clean! :wink: :lol:
User avatar
geoberni
Minor Legend
Posts: 3566
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:19 am
Location: North Leicestershire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by geoberni »

JOWETTJAVELIN wrote: Sun Aug 25, 2019 6:09 pm I am going to re-build it soon. There are traces of green paint on it and the engine number matches the log book so I don't think it's been replaced. The only thing which puzzles me is the letters AD have been punched in the tag below the engine number. I just want to find a good paint match, surely other folk have replicated the gold finish.
Well the engine number would match the log book if someone correctly notified a change of engine.... :lol:

What engine number is on the bulkhead plate, if you're got a plate that shows the engine number of course, I don't think they all do.
Basil the 1955 series II

Image
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10769
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: painting gold seal engine

Post by philthehill »

The AD stamped on the engine plate means that that the engine has been rebuilt at some time.

Post Reply