Your opinion - Body colour underside or not

[Adrian]

Why do these jobs always take longer than expected!

 

Anyway after two coats of Por 15, Two of etch primer and two of white stone chip (a little touch up required in places) I am going to put on a coat of Dinitrol HP clear as a final layer. This is a clear coat but apparently does have a milky appearance and therefore the true colour won't come through.  As per the photo the stone chip is a 'white' white as opposed to the Triumph White of the body colour. (which I will be using on the outer sill area). 

 

I hoped the finish would be a little better than achieved but axle stands didn't really give me much room to apply evenly!

 

Your thoughts would be appreciated given that a purist would say yes but at the end of the day won't be seen. 

 

Thanks

[Colin Lindsay]

Doesn't matter, unless you're one of these guys who display your car on mirrors. I'm going to paint the underside of my Herald convertible black using underseal; if anyone but the MoT man wants to get down there and look, it's up to them.... 

[Steve C]

It all depends what you use your car for, how much you use it, and how much of your finite lifespan you are prepared to spend cleaning it! Gleaming paint in body colour is fine if you do 500 miles a year to concours competitions, or trailer your car there. If you drive it every day black underseal and lashings of your preferred rust prevention fluid probably make a lot more sense.

I compromised on my own car by using several coats of Finnegan's number 1 primer and red Smoothrite, which is not too far away from the signal red on the body. It is easy to touch in, and cleans up with soap and water or a power wash. Plenty of Waxoyl in all the usual rot spots and that works for me. Body Schutz under body colour is another halfway house approach some have used to good effect. It is a good dictum to remember that cars generally rot from the inside out, not the outside in...

 

Regards

 

Steve C

[Adrian]

That's interesting Steve. I have it in a carcoon for the wetter months unless I'm working on it. Other than ventilation, what options have you seen for inside treatment. I must say for the most part, knowing it was restored somewhere between 13-25 years ago I got a really solid car (so far!)