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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Steel / glass fibre painting

Morning all,

I have a midget with an entire glass fibre rear end (it was replaced after someone decided to park their skoda in my boot) and standard steel front wings etc. Im about to start the painting exercise but im not sure what primer to use - someone has told me etch primer and others say high build. Do i need to use different primer for the steel and glass fibre?

Any thoughts?
Jamie Watt

Someone might scold me now for thinking I'm wrong but. If it would have been old dry fibreglass like a vintage bonnet different primers and a gel coat would be preferred. But since I guess your fibreglass rear end is of the shelf I myself can't see any necessity for it as long as you choose a primer that sticks.
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

. . . (Jamie - did you sort out your stuck clutch problem?) . . .
Andy Hock

I think i'll go for the high build as there are thousands of tiny imperfections on the rear end that i'll never be able to get rid of by hand and filler.

On the clutch front, i haven't tried the various remedies and tips that i received on this forum but will be putting them into action on Saturday. Unfortunately the car is stored 30 minutes away from where i live so the weekends are the only time i have with it.
Jamie Watt

LOL I suggest that you swap your back end for my back end and have solid steel all around :)
rachmacb

All this offering to exchange back ends is very disturbing.
Guy

Jamie it could be worse, to get to my project sprite I have to spend two hours by car and three hours by ferry and you can imagine how often that happens.

Guy, LOL! :D
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

LOL Guy - just be glad it ain't the front ;)
rachmacb

It might be okay if all the above mentioned parts are true MG.. Or does it mean MIGHTY GOOD posteriors?
Sandy
ss sanders

Thanks for all the responses guys but for the record i wont be swapping my rear end (or front end for that matter) with anyone anytime soon!

Has anyone else ever fitted a one piece glass fibre rear end? The collision crumpled the rear offside wing and a good section of the rear valance. My metal work skills aren't exactly honed as yet so this was the easier alternative. After much cutting and measuring we got it on but im still anxious to see how it will look after paint.
Jamie Watt

Hi Jamie

Do you have any photos of fitting the rear end. I've been thinking of doing the same to my Sprite, but it looks like a pig of a job. Also, did you consider crash protection? Cheers Karl
K W Seddon

Hi Karl,

I don't have any photos im afraid but i can take some of the fitted piece this weekend and post them on Sunday/Monday? The hardest part was getting the B posts sorted. The glass fibre doesn't have a lot of give around those parts so it was a fiddle to get it to stick and look good. I used tiger bond to glue it all together, its uber strong but also remains flexible. Word of warning though, don't get it in your hair!!

As for crash protection, there isn't anything over and above the structural steel underneath. If i am unlucky to have a collision again then i imagine the back end will explode into a million pieces and it will be back to square one.
Jamie Watt

This thread was discussed between 10/02/2011 and 11/02/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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