faded paint + silver roof..

[thor]

Have a newly aquired lovely +2S130 in white with what must be the original silver roof, as it's metal flake. The white paint is probably from the 80's and a bit faded, and the silver roof likewise, with some nicks and scratches.
A ?5000 respray is out of the question, as I haven't got the cash, and the car is in fantastic mechanical condition and has a lovely patina.

I'm under the impression that the silver flake roof was moulded with the body, and maybe has a clear laquer on top?
How will this and the rest benefit from T-Cut, is it too strong?

Cheers,
Thor

[JJDraper]

I have '68 with a gold metalflake roof, and have had various experts saying conflicting things about it.... Some are adamant that there was some experimentation at Lotus with self colouring & metalflake finishes in the mould. If it came out OK they left it, if not they sprayed over. Others have said that mine could not be original (too early). Who knows! Is it real metalflake? i. bits of silvery metal in a clear laquer type finish, and not a metalic silver paint. On a sunny day, the finish can be blinding, but likewise a dull day can make it appear, well.., dull! If it is metalflake, guard the finish! it is horribly expensive to repair. You are right about the ?5k for a 'proper' body refinish (not just a respray!), and the company that quoted for work on mine quoted an additional ?500 for the metalflake roof. He said it was very difficult to do properly, with an even distribution of the flakes. Whatever, do not confuse metalflake with metallic, they are not the same!!

T cut is probably a good idea for the ordinary paintwork, but white is notorious for going powdery (as red is for fading!). However a gentle cut with some good quality polish will make the world of difference - and give you a good workout. Not sure about using it on the roof. As the shine comes from the metal flakes rather than the finish on the paint surface, a good wax may be better. On reflection (no pun intended!) it can't do too much harm...

I love the metalflake, but my kids hate it...They say it looks like glitter from a Christmas card and spoils the car - what do they know..

Jeremy (saving for that ?5.5k)

[thor]

trial run last night made the roof look a LOT shinier after one turn of T-Cut followed by liquid Turtle wax. Did the same with the bonnet, which also looked a hell of a lot better for it.
Looking forward to the end result for the rest of the car, but not the work, as I must have lost about 5lbs doing the work......)

If the result for the rest of the body is the same, then I don't need a respray, as to me a good original patina is a beautiful sight, and obviously white has its advatages as the residue from the waz in any cracks is the same colour..

[M100]

In the 70's Lotus did some bodies with paint applied direct into the mould prior to the application of the gel coat - but it was for solid colours only with bodies produced using the VARI process (ie Esprit/Elite/Eclat) I don't think i've seen any reference to it being done earlier on the +2

See the note on "S" code paint here:

http://www.grouplotus.com/media/car/doc ... ebsite.pdf

[Si_130/5]

Hi Thor,
The metalflake on the S130 models was sprinkled on under the first layer of gel in the mold before laying the matting. The gel can turn yellow over time in the elements as it wasn't intended as an exterior finish. If yours is the original metalflake then using T-Cut will be the kiss of death as you will eventually strip the gel, expose the flakes and watch your roof go bald. The last owner of one of my cars did this. The finish can be successfully reproduced but it is very time consuming.

Best of luck, Simon

[thor]

oooops. OK then, no more T-cut, only normal wax from now on. So you saying there's no way of properly restoring this finish then?
The rest of the car has such a lovely patina, and I KNOW there's no way I can get the glittery roof finish done here in Norway, high cost or not.

The strangest thing is quite a few little nicks, small cracks about 2mm long dotted over quite a large area of the roof. Looks like a cat has been dancing on the roof, but obviously this has something to do with the gel....


??? What do I do?

[Si_130/5]

Hi,
It seems your T-Cut session improved matters but I wouldn't make a habit of it. Polishes also contain cutting elements so take care.
I've seen the effect you mention and you won't get the finish back to it's original condition but I'd just enjoy the car and if you find you can't live with the roof you can always order a bag of silver metalflakes (10 micron) and find a good paintshop to apply it. It's not difficult (although ideally the front and rear screens should come out) and the key is to take time over the preparation and flatting between lacquer coats - the method is listed in the workshop manual.
The metalflake roofs were made in the same way as the glittery coloured fibreglass panels found at fun fairs - do you see them in Norway?

Could you post a couple of pictures of your car? I'm sure we'd love to see it.
Congratulations on your purchase and best wishes,
Simon

[thor]

Aha! thanks for good advice. The pictures of the car are actually already in the what seems to me little used gallery section here.
It's lovely, and I've only had for two weeks now so still getting used to it, finally a proper GT after rattly GT6 followed by a TR4A (still rattly)..

Things to do, mostly electrics, not really a big surprise.., but some of it might just be bulbs.

fog lights
interior/boot light
horn
electric nearside window with VERY tired motor that'll only pull down the glass with pushing help.(or just glass sticking somewhere)

T-cutting + polishing up the rest of the paint job, and now it's not going to stand outside anymore.

[Si_130/5]

Hi again,
I've just discovered the Gallery and your car looks wonderful - really original and unmolested - where did you find it?

Regards,
Si

[thor]

Someone on this forum had paid a deposit on it, but ehn found the Zetec he really wanted, so we made a deal. He kept it for 4-5weeks, then sold it to me for what he paid for it.
The PO had it since 1979, and is an engineer, so it's in amazing condition with a VERY smooth engine, and a full history and MOT folder.

The one everyone's looking for.., I just got lucky.