Morris Minor Owners Club

I'm looking at touching up a slightly worrying number of chips in Sleipnir's paintwork that've gone unchecked for too long... bonnet & front wings from motorway driving mostly (me to blame), plus under the drivers door handle from the keys chafing (mum's fault that one).

Aerosol seems the way to go, and I've read up in old threads about preparing with careful sanding back, merging the new in with the old, T-cutting it back to finish up, etc.

What's got me confused now is the array of primers available... ESM have "Etch Primer 450ml Aerosol"; "Primer (400ml)" and "Zinc Primer 450ml Aerosol"...

http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/adv ... e368bec4da

What're the differences? My instinct is just to go for the simple "Primer 400ml" but I'm assuming there must be arguments in favour of the others or they wouldn't be there...

Over the top will be your standard, pretty clipper blue. http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/adv ... e368bec4da

thanks for your help guys!

If you are going back to bare metal you need an etch primer to bond with the steel. I'm not sure but I think zinc primer is a similar product. Then you will need a high build primer on top to bring the repairs upto the same surface level as the original top coat.....

If there are 'chips' - you should fill the indent with surface finisher (it's like v thick primer which you apply thinly with a credit card!) and then flat back/prime etc - otherwise there will be an obvious 'dip' in the finished job.

primer - general purpose sealer and small areas of metal
etch primer - used on large bare metal areas (eats into the meatl a tiny bit to aid adhesion
Zink primer - used when welding.

hope this helps, I think for small crips I would try and minimise the prepped area and create a soft edge on the masking and use a "primer" unless i had "etch primer to hand"

(on and high build does exactly what it says on the tin )

I also reccomend using a guide coat when sanding to show the low spots. this is a very light over spray of a dark color so that when you sand and get a low spot, you will see the dark color left behind

And 'sand' with a block - not with your fingers which will follow down into the low spots!

thanks guys, that's great
will see if I can locate surface finisher/high build, and let you know how it goes. Now I have some weekends again, I hope to spend the winter smartening sleipnir up a little. (scuttle panels to be ordered, new parcel shelf...
and to sand with a block carefully noted!