Non lacquer paint colours

[CaptiV8ted]

No prizes for guessing chaps, the question is...

Which colour MX5s (apart from white) do not have a lacquer coat? Oddly red does, mariner blue (I think) doesn't, metallics obviously do...

Looking for one to buy soon and don't minf doing paint repairs on solid colours, but no lacquer please!

Any help gratefully received...

[Evangelion]

Red doesn't always have a lacquer coat, think it's missing from the earlier ones but don't know when they changed over.

One of the most common reds has a different name depending on the presence or absence of lacquer.

[With these feet]

Speak to a paint supplier. They can mix most solid colours in 2k, though metallics will always be a basecoat / clear system. Youll end up painting the whole car as if its old and faded it will never match!

IMO base-clear systems are easier than straight colour. You can drift the base colour out across panels without butting up and lacquer the whole panel.

[CaptiV8ted]

Thanks fellas,

What I'm considering, is if I buy one that has a nasty chip or scratch but is otherwise a good car, if it's a base colour I know I can do a pretty repesectable repair. I can't do that with lacquered colours.

[PlayersNo6]

Classic Red (SU) changed over to Eternal Red (A3E) - SU with a clearcoat, in 2001.

The Isola special edition of that year, with hardtop, was a runout of the Classic Red cars.

Therefore most red Mk2s will be SU. Red Mk2.5s will all be A3E. You can check the paint code on the sticker inside the driver's door frame.

Edited by PlayersNo6 on Sunday 21st August 20:11

[CaptiV8ted]

Now I stumped. I've just seen a mariner blue one in the classifieds, with - wait for it, peelng lacquer!

I thought mariner blue was solid. Does this mean I'm wrong about white paint not having lacquer then?

[MX-5 Lazza]

I've seen white with peeling lacquer too.

[With these feet]

Haha! why on earth are you worrying over paint? solid this, lacquer that! Are you any good with welder as most of the older cars will most likely need sills or repair panels!
The final coat is the easy bit - its the prep work and repair that shows up a st job!