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Triumph TR3 - Achieving 'Metal Finish'

I'm refinishing/cleaning the crud-crusted lever shocks, and I notice Mr. Piggot suggests they can be finished in either black or natural "metal finish." How is natural metal finish obtained? Is this an enamel, or a finish put over the base metal part? Am I asking for trouble given the "natural black stuff" that will eventually be deposited on these parts?

Between the rear spring leaves and the lever shocks, I haven't had this much fun painting since...wait...I don't think I've ever had this much fun.

Merci,

Bill Stagg
1960 TR3A
Bill Stagg

Have the parts sandblasted. The rear springs as well as the shocks plus the connector links and shackles. Then get them spray painted. Mask the holes and threads, especially if you are using POR-15 paint.

I re-did all this between 1987 to 1990 and they are still like new. I did everything black. My painter used vinyl wash, primer then Dupont Imron black glossy aircraft and truck paint. All products were from Dupont to be compatible. If not, all kinds of bubbling, crazing, etc can occur. It took a long time to really harden. Maybe he mixed it wrong. With these paints, you (or he) must add the right amount of hardener for the paint depending on the temperature in the spray/cuing booth as well as a certaint amount of reducer to make the paint flow properly.

I did mine all black. Never lost any points. By "natural", I think Bill means steel parts black and alloy parts aluminium/silver colour or I have also seen gray which looks nice but takes more time for masking twice and painting/curing twice. There is also a cast iron colour which looks nice for the front wheel brake caliper bodies. Mine are black.

I clean all this rear area about once every 3 years or 25,000 miles. Never lost any points. With it all black, there is no reflection and where it is, the judges can't see there. After cleaning, it still looks shiny - like new. Judging rules are that the judge has the right to get down with one knee on the grass, in the mud or on the concours floor to examine under. These TR's are pretty low. He is never allowed to touch the car. At least at VTR or TRA. It may be different at Pebble Beach. That's why TRA aor VTR want you to be near-by during judging to open the doors, close the trunk door and the "bonnet" to check for fit and gaps.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

BTW Bill get a machine shop to make you 4 "flat washers" but 1 and 1/4" long to act as tubular "flat washers" to slide over the shock bolts that are also 1 and 1/4" longer than normal - so you can get a socket on the nuts and really tighten the shock bolts.

Don
Don Elliott

This thread was discussed between 28/01/2004 and 29/01/2004

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