Lotus Elan

Lotus Grey Block Paint

PostPost by: Ianashdown » Thu Nov 28, 2024 9:13 pm

Can anyone recommend a supplier and color code for the Lotus light grey that was used on the Twin Cam blocks?

I like the Eastwood Ceramic Engine paint very much but I don’t see a color that matches the light grey.

Thank you and happy Thanksgiving!

Ian
Ianashdown
Second Gear
Second Gear
 
Posts: 210
Joined: 14 Oct 2022
Location: Orange County, CA, USA

PostPost by: steve lyle » Fri Nov 29, 2024 2:44 am

This is what I use. And no one has ever looked at my block and said “That’s not the right shade of gray”.

https://www.eastwood.com/dupli-color-en ... rZxxnwhegI
Steve Lyle
1972 Elan Sprint 0248k @ https://www.mgexp.com/registry/1972-Lot ... 48K.30245/
1972 MGB Roadster @ https://www.mgexp.com/registry/1972-MG- ... 842G.4498/
2007 BMW 335i Coupe
User avatar
steve lyle
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 510
Joined: 15 Jun 2015
Location: Tulsa, OK USA

PostPost by: trw99 » Fri Nov 29, 2024 9:26 am

Attached is a cutting from Graham Arnold, posted in a long ago issue of Club Lotus News magazine.

Furthermore, QED can still provide a pot of paint for the engine: https://qedmotorsport.co.uk/product/gre ... paint-tin/

Tim
Attachments
Paint Grey Cylinder Block.JPG and
User avatar
trw99
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2611
Joined: 31 Dec 2003
Location: Essex/Herts border, UK

PostPost by: Ianashdown » Fri Nov 29, 2024 5:54 pm

Thank you, I know QED sell the correct color paint, but I’m not sure if shipping to the US is possible.

Ian
Ianashdown
Second Gear
Second Gear
 
Posts: 210
Joined: 14 Oct 2022
Location: Orange County, CA, USA

PostPost by: wobblyweb » Fri Nov 29, 2024 6:27 pm

My S2 Seven spaceframe is painted Graphite Grey RAL7024 Standard Lotus colour as far as I know. Not sure if it is the engine block colour but looks about right.
User avatar
wobblyweb
Second Gear
Second Gear
 
Posts: 122
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Location: North East UK

PostPost by: Ianashdown » Fri Nov 29, 2024 9:30 pm

Ianashdown wrote:Thank you, I know QED sell the correct color paint, but I’m not sure if shipping to the US is possible.

Ian


Courier only from QED

Ian
Ianashdown
Second Gear
Second Gear
 
Posts: 210
Joined: 14 Oct 2022
Location: Orange County, CA, USA

PostPost by: 2cams70 » Sat Nov 30, 2024 5:07 am

I’ve tried previously and QED won’t ship engine paint internationally. If you use a UK based freight forwarder they may be able to do it but likely expensive.

As for Graham Arnold whilst he is a good read I sometimes get the impression he may have stretched the truth a bit on occasions in order to impress an audience. Certainly a skill you need when you work in sales.
1970 Ford Escort Twin Cam
1972 Ford Escort GT1600 Twin Cam
1980 Ford Escort 2.0 Ghia
Peugeot 505 GTI Wagons (5spdx1) (Autox1)
2022 Ford Fiesta ST.
2cams70
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2168
Joined: 10 Jun 2015
Location: Australia

PostPost by: jono » Sat Nov 30, 2024 9:55 am

I was always told it was Massey Ferguson grey with a touch of blue in it.

but I just bought the QED paint and it looks correct
jono
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1861
Joined: 17 May 2007
Location: The wet bit in the top corner of England

PostPost by: Ray419G » Sat Nov 30, 2024 10:35 am

I have also heard that "Ferguson Tractor Grey" is a good match for the colour Lotus used on their engines. It was the standard paint used on the Ferguson TE 20 tractors of the 1940s & 1950s and is still widely available in the UK from machinery and agricultural paint suppliers. Having seen a number of restored examples of these tractors, the grey does look close to that used on the engine in my Elan, but I am not sure how widely available it is outside of the UK, but it's another possible line to follow.
Graham Arnold described the colour as "Battleship Grey" but the issue here is that the Royal Navy has used several grey shades over the years, and which they specify depended on what parts of a ship were to be painted. At work our paint shop used both "Light Admiralty Grey" and "Dark Admiralty Grey" for various stuff, but neither of these shades was close to the grey used on my engine.

Ray.
Ray419G
First Gear
First Gear
 
Posts: 30
Joined: 15 Jul 2023
Location: United Kingdom

PostPost by: NickWilmshurst » Sat Nov 30, 2024 11:02 am

I too believe it was Ferguson TE20 paint (which is still available) - I restored a TE20 during lockdown.

The story I was told was that Ferguson got hold of navy surplus paint after the second world war and used it for tractors. They then ran out and switched to red and Ferguson and Massey-Ferguson tractors have been red ever since.
1967 Elan S3 SE
1936 Lagonda Rapier
NickWilmshurst
First Gear
First Gear
 
Posts: 35
Joined: 30 Aug 2013
Location: United Kingdom

PostPost by: tonyabacus » Sun Dec 01, 2024 1:11 pm

Ian
The story regarding Graham Arnold has a bit of a ring about it as Chapman was always trying to cut corners especially in the early days when money was tight at the factory. The thought of going into town to buy a gallon of Battleship Gray leads me to believe it may well have been a Ral colour which was a widely used standard at that time, with colours in both gray and blue hues, so it may be worth looking through some Ral charts for a match.

I well recall during the sixties when living close to Massey Ferguson, that there was a a contact that supplied a few Lotus dealers and engine building outfits with TE20 tractor paint as this was either the same as, or close enough to the Lotus colour. The TE20 tractor paint I believe was also a RAL colour from memory.

But in the event there are very few people around now at Lotus, who worked on Elans to know the exact colour, although many so called experts exist (especially at Concour events) that claim to be able to distinguish between the different shades of paint used both on the bodywork as well as engine detailing.

So for me I would not get too pedantic about the exact shade so long as it is as close as you can get.
Tony
tonyabacus
Third Gear
Third Gear
 
Posts: 440
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Location: Cornwall

PostPost by: Ianashdown » Sun Dec 01, 2024 4:39 pm

I’ve decided to not worry about which shade of grey to use on the block of my Twin Cam, which is being build to go in my ‘61 Lotus 7, I’ll be painting it Red! :shock:

My 7 was originally white with red interior, dash etc. and this is what it will be again. The red block will compliment this nicely, I think.

Thank you for all the information, I will be using the grey on the engine for my ‘65 S2 Elan which will be a much more correct restoration.

Ian
Ianashdown
Second Gear
Second Gear
 
Posts: 210
Joined: 14 Oct 2022
Location: Orange County, CA, USA

PostPost by: greg40green » Sun Dec 01, 2024 7:28 pm

Massey Fergusson tractor grey
Find you local tractor dealer .
Although some would dispute the colour as being correct , it does what it says on the tin ie , brush straight on all metal parts.
Good enough to go ploughing , good enough for the Lotus block .

Ianashdown wrote:Can anyone recommend a supplier and color code for the Lotus light grey that was used on the Twin Cam blocks?

I like the Eastwood Ceramic Engine paint very much but I don’t see a color that matches the light grey.

Thank you and happy Thanksgiving!

Ian
greg40green
Second Gear
Second Gear
 
Posts: 215
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: Preston , Lancashire

PostPost by: TJS » Mon Dec 02, 2024 9:33 am

The general consensus seems to indicate Ferguson Grey is the way to go.

But ... to take you further down the habit hole that is "originality" which of the six Ferguson greys to you choose?


https://paintman.co.uk/product-category ... rs/page/2/
TJS
New-tral
 
Posts: 13
Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Location: Norfolk

PostPost by: 512BB » Mon Dec 02, 2024 4:36 pm

I have cars with engines that have never been touched or rebuilt. The engine colour differs on all of them. And not only that, original paint was a lot thinner back in the day than the paint supplied by QED today. People will be asking about viscosity next :roll:

Don't worry about it, they were not all the same in period. Listen to Arnold, he was correct.

Leslie
512BB
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1214
Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Location: Cambridgeshire, UK

Total Online:

Users browsing this forum: rgh0 and 20 guests