Finishes and Colors

MGTD Color Schemes
Paint Formulas
Sheet Metal Finishes
Engine and Transmission
Chassis
Woodwork
Interior/Softgoods
Brightwork and Chrome
Miscellaneous

This section covers the finishes of the MGTD in type, material, and colors.

Note: It is generally not considered a deviation from the original if you improve the finish of an item so long as you do not change the texture or characteristic of that item.

MGTD Color Schemes

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The table below shows all the body and interior colors available during the production of the MGTD. The radiator grill slats generally matched the interior color.

Note: You may click on the image to see a sample of this color scheme from an original brochure.

Body	Color	Interior	Color	Dates¹	Comments
Black		Red		1949-1953
		Green		1949-1953
		Beige		1949-1951, 1953²
MG Red		Red		1949-1953
		Beige		1949-1951, 1953²	On red and green cars the grill color for tan interiors could be either tan or the body color.
Autumn Red		Red		1951
		Beige		1951
Woodland Green-BRG		Green		1949-1953
		Beige		1949-1951, 1953²	On red and green cars the grill color for tan interiors could be either tan or the body color.
Almond Green		Green		1951
		Beige		1949-1951
Ivory		Red		1949-1953
		Green		1949-1953
Clipper Blue		Red		?
		Beige		1949-1951	Replaced by Silver Streak Grey
Sunburst Bronze		Red		1951	Metallic
		Green		1951	Metallic
Silver Streak Grey		Red		1952-1953	Metallic. Replaced Clipper Blue

¹ Date information used with permission from Original MG T Series by Anders Clausager. Published by MBI Publishing Company 1-800-826-6600.

² Only on non exported cars.

Note: The colors in this table are approximate. Due to the nature of each computer display and the limits of the color pallet of your system, there may be a large difference between these colors and the actual production colors.

Note: Apparently MG did not have strict formulas or consistent suppliers for their finishes, so even during the production of the T-Series there would be large discrepancies between cars of the same color. The cars were also not documented with their color on an ID plate. This practice did not start until the MGTF model in late 1953.

Note: CKD cars were delivered with primer only. This was also available as an orderable option so any paint color is original on one of these cars.

Note:The exterior piping (cord filled fabric material between sheet metal parts) color matched the body paint color.

Paint Formulas

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Body Colors

This table provides a list of formulas or color equivalents to the original colors used for the MGTD. As always you should have a quart (or gallon) of paint mixed first and spray it on a large piece of sheet metal before you decide what color you like. Even better is to get a few quarts of paint and give your car a quick paint job before restoration to make sure you like the color. When you are satisfied with the color choice then you can strip all the paint off and start over. Sounds crazy, but at least you will like the results.

If you have a car that has never been stripped of its' paint you may be able to tell what color it was originally by taking off a fender and looking at the area that rested against the body bucket. I was not only able to do that but after the use of a little rubbing compound the paint was in good enough shape in those areas that a color match was done after 25 years of service. The color was compared to other cars painted the same color to insure that I had a reasonable match.

Manufacture	Black	MG Red	Autumn Red	Woodland Green	Almond Green	Ivory	Clipper Blue	Sunburst Bronze	Silver Streak Grey
Color
BMC Code	BK1	RD14	RD6	GN29	GN37	YL5	BU14	N/A	GR25
Dupont	99		93-83450H	93-98249 6606	93-96233H	83449	93-25888
Ditzler (PPG)	9000	71993	50930	2246 43342	44159	81271	12297	23662	72030 33676
R&M	A946	BM121R	BM108R	BM078	BM076	BM127	BM042		BM027
Martin-Senour		25011	20216	20561(?)	20214	25235 23235?	25286		25280

Note: Many of the color numbers listed on this page are no longer formulized. Some of the codes may in fact not actually come back with a good match if the code is still current. I would suggest using these codes only as a starting point and check various formulas against each other before you commit to a given color for your car.

Note: Match red or green grills with body color. When body is not red or green then use MG Red or Almond Green as appropriate.

Miscellaneous Colors

This table provides colors for the non body components of the MGTD.

Note: Many of the colors in this table are approximate and not absolute. But then again, even in the production of the MGTD non of the colors were absolute either, so these are all reasonable choices.

Manufacture	Chassis	Engine / Transmission²	Hood Sidecurtain Frame	Instrument Panel (metallic)^2,3	Oil Filter Early	Tecalemit Oil Filter (metallic)³	Purolator Oil Filter (metallic)	Valve Cover⁴	Optional Valve Cover (metallic)⁴	Wheels (metallic)
Color
Dupont	99¹	57597H	44371		43107LH		43094L	42702		5023U⁵
Ditzler	9000	50930								DAR 2593
R&M	A946	AC402 E3123M	BM145	M63-64		FM130			RM1989	RM1819

¹ The original finish on the chassis parts was a semi gloss enamel.

² Close engine (220-540 )and instrument panel (220-530) paint colors can be obtained from such suppliers as Moss Motors.

³I believe that the TD instrument panel was the same darker color as the late oil filter canister. The popular color is widely accepted to be the same as the TF instrument panel. The paint supplied by Moss Motors is lighter than original for the MGTD.

⁴ The color of the valve cover is controversial. Generally it is most widely accepted to be the same as the wheels, a metallic gray. Other evidence suggests that it is a pale green/gray non metallic as shown. This is the same color that early TC engines and firewalls were painted. I like to use a metallic soft green/gray paint which is a good compromise and believed by some to be correct also. This is also an acceptable color for the Purolator filter canister although it was a bit darker in shade. There was a tendency to coat the valve color with clear paint, after repainting it silver, that often turned greenish. For this reason many feel that it was never greenish to begin with, but just silver. Al Moss (who serviced TD's when new) reports that the valve cover and wheels were originally painted with plain silver paint, non glossy. Similar to the finish you would get out of a spray can today.

If you would like to see an unrestored TF valve cover then press here. Care of Don Harmer.

⁵This is an Imron color and the metallic effect is much stronger than original.

Other Suppliers of miscellaneous TD colors are:

Bill Hirsch
396 Littleton Ave.
Newark, NJ 07103
800 828-2061
(Quart $18, some also available in 14 oz Aerosol $8)

POR-15 inc.
PO Box 1235
Morristown, NJ 07962-1235
800 45-POR15
(VOC compliant, California standards- Pints $15, Qt. $25)

Sheet Metal Finishes

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The following table describes the finishes on the sheet metal of the MGTD.

Item	Color	Comment
Fenders, hood, front and rear splash aprons, running boards, firewall, fuel tank, fuel tank straps, door hinges	Body Color	Both sides of these items were painted with the body color of the car. The exception would be the inside of the toolbox which was black covered by an off-white felt.
Fuel tank sides	Body Color	Note that the fuel tank side panels had the edges chrome plated. Only the interior of the outside finish was painted the body color.
Body bucket, doors, tool box lid (outside)	Body Color	Body color on exterior finishes, black on inside finishes. Note that the black paint was not glossy but a semigloss or satin finish. Used as a protective coating more than a shiny finish like the color coat. Note that on some cars the inside of the panels were painted the body color.
Scuttle, side curtain box, steering wheel column and steering wheel extruder plate, propeller shaft tunnel, gearbox cover and plate, hinge for seat back, sleeve for seat hinge, rear cross brace assembly (behind seat), crank clips on seat back, inside of toolbox.	Black
Headlamp bodies, headlamp ring retaining screw, King of the Road medallion	Body Color	Note that on early TD's (50 and 51) the headlamp bodies were chrome plated.

Engine and Transmission

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See the note on Gold Seal engines.

Item	Color	Comment
Engine block, head, tappet inspection cover, water outlet manifold, oil pan, timing chain cover, cradle, bearer plate, transmission housing and cover, oil pump housing, main pulley, water pump, water branch pipe, throttle return spring clip, front motor mount bracket	Engine Red	This color was similar to MG red but a little darker.
Breather pipe and clamp	Engine Red	Some cars may have had this painted black.
Inlet manifold	Engine Red	Some cars may have had this painted black.
Exhaust manifold, manifold clamps	Aluminized	This is a spray of liquid aluminum that gives the appearance of a white, softly textured surface. Very hard to keep clean.
Engine stabilizer and bracket	Black	Some like to cad plate the nuts and expander but they were all black.
Valve cover	Light Gray-Green	See comments above
Oil canister - old style	Orange	These were through away elements. There is a decal that went on these parts. Cast element housings were an add on.
Oil canister - newer style 1952 (Tecalemit) Part number I62451	Bronze	A slightly darker color than the instrument cluster/steering wheel center color.
Oil canister - newer style 1952 (Purolator) Part number I62429	Light Silver-Green	Used on some later cars. Noted by the large attaching bolt and capped plate at rear of the filter. They had no identifying plate as on the Tecalemit filters, but were decorated with a decal naming the company and listing the maintenance procedures.
Air cleaner, starter, generator body, fan blades	Black
Thermostat body, upper hose elbow	Black or Engine Red	This is a controversial item. Many believe that this was painted the same color as the engine but replacement parts were black. Others believe that it was assembled as a unit with the radiator and therefore black. All the pictures that I have are not clear on this as they are in shadow.
Generator fan/pulley, distance piece	Engine Red	Most believe these to be red but some claim they were black.
Engine block drain, oil drain, engine ID plate	Natural Brass	Some paint this the engine color. The ID plate should be left natural but on original cars the drains were most likely painted red.
oil line - block to head	Engine Red	Many like to leave the brass ends natural. Most likey all red from factory.
Carburetor parts: choke coupler, jet links, springs, couplings, anchor clips	Black	Note that some of these parts were blued and not painted black. Bluing is a metal treatment that has a black, transparent type of look to it. It is very common on firearms.
Most carburetor parts (see exceptions elsewhere), air cleaner wing nut, transmission dipstick cover wing nut, carburetor overflow lines, generator lubricator, tachometer reduction gearbox, crank handle, distributor body, oil pressure gauge line and brass coupling on firewall	Natural	Many like to polish these unfinished parts for an enriched look.
Carburetors, fuel pump base sections	Natural Aluminium	Polishing these items makes for a very nice effect but was not originally done. If you do polish these parts it is recommend that you spray the carburetor body with a clear sealer because it will be impossible to keep the polish up after the carburetor is assembled.
Fuel pump and carburetor fittings	Natural	Brass parts left natural. Again polishing and coating with a clear paint will preserve the shine of these parts.
Exhaust pipe bracket, clamp and spacer on transmission	Black
Gearbox remote linkage	Natural

Chassis

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Item	Color	Comment
Radiator grill slats	Interior Color	It appears that the green and red were the same as the red and green body colors. If you do not have a red or green car, and your interior is not tan, then choose the MG Red or Almond Green as the grill color appropriately. The color that matched tan interior was a light tan color. It is reported that on some red or green cars with tan interiors, the grill slats could be painted the body color. Note See the comment on the Mark II's.
Frame, suspension parts, rear end, brake drums, brake lines, springs, shocks, bumper hardware (less chrome parts listed below) and all other chassis parts.	Satin (soft mat) Black	Note most people prefer to use a high gloss paint for all the chassis parts in current restorations because of its look and durability.
Radiator	Satin (soft mat) Black	It is not recommended to finish the radiator fins with a heavy based enamel. Optionally you may first paint the fins with a heat based (exhaust type) flat black finish and then paint the rest of the radiator with a high gloss finish. The original was painted with a very thin coat of satin gloss black paint.
Shock absorbers	Satin (soft mat) Black	Some late TD's with Armstrong shocks were left unpainted for the body with the shock arms painted black.
Wheels	Silver	Al Moss reports that the valve cover and wheels were originally painted with plain silver paint, non glossy. Similar to the finish you would get out of a spray can today.
Exhaust pipes, exhaust pipe brackets	Black	Most today paint the exhaust system with modern heat paint. Originally painted with chassis paint which undoubtedly burnt off in days.

Woodwork

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Item	Color	Comment
Floorboards, shelf behind seat	Black	Made of mahogany plywood.
Dash	Covered in interior cloth (Rexine)	Same material as seat backs and door panels
Battery box underliner	Black	Made of mahogany plywood.
Wooden panel behind fuel tank	Black

Note: All woodwork with the exception of the firewall mounting frame was painted black. This was often oversprayed when the body was painted.

Interior/Softgoods

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Item	Color/Material	Comment
Seat tops and outside bottoms, seat back face, top of map pocket, top of door piping	Leather	Died to match vinal cloth interior. Used where wear and tear would be a factor.
All door panels, kick panels, seat backs and rears, boot area	vinyl cloth (Rexine)	Slightly textured precursor to vinyl. Note that the wheel wells were padded with a thin felt. Also on some cars the wooden area that the spare tire bolts go through received some light padding. There was a small length of black vinal that was tacked to the wood floor behind the seats that covered the ends of the wheel wells. This material was folded over at both edges to form a ¾ inch wide strip. It started in the back corner and went forward over the edge. It then turned the corner to the outside of the car and terminated at the panel. It was affixed to a small tack strip. The tack strip is held to the wheel well by three small rivets. Also to note that the piping from the rear at the hood tack strip, down under the doors and along the dash top, was all one piece. This material was similar to the piping used on the fenders. At the location of the door strikers the piping was opened up and the spline was removed to allow clearance for the door striker. The striker underplates had holes in them to allow for tacking the piping in place. You will see a tacking hole in the inner metal plate for the door latch to tack the bead down. On many cars the hidem that was used to hide the tacks on the panels was in one piece. This means that the panels were put in place at one time as the hidem continued from one panel to the next. This is especially evident from the front kick panel to the door sill panel. The door panels, the panel under the door, and the panel around the rear wheel arch are a three ply plywood about 2-3 mm thick. The panel in front of the doors is a about a 2 mm thick piece of black cardboard so it will bend over the "scuttle" hoop. Besides being tacked on around the door, there are two small chromed wood screws with finish washers at the front to hold the front panel on. The hidem is one continuous piece from the door latch to where the rear panel and the panel below the door meet. There is a short piece of hidem from the door latch to the top of the front pannel. The rear pannel's hidem is sewn on also, but it is not contiuous with the hidem of the two other panels. The trim panels are long enough to go clear to bottom and meet the main wood beam across the bottom of the car. The floor boards are cut slightly narrow on the outside to allow room for the trim panels.
Dash underpanel	Black vinyl (Rexine)	There was a whole under the clock large enough for a hand to fit through to allow the clock to be reset. Panel was made of hard fiberboard (similar to cardboard and the same material as the glovebox).
Glovebox Interior	Brown flock like coating	Must have been sprayed on.
Tonneau cover, top, side curtains	Tan canvas	Similar to light tent material. Side curtain windows were made of celluloid and yellowed immediately. Side curtain nuts were painted tan.
Toolbox	White woolen felt
Side curtain box	Black woolen felt
Gear lever gaiter	Leather	Could either be black or interior color.
Steering column excluder	Tan leather
Carpets	Black short hair wool	Carpets were untrimmed. The carpet under the seats was separate from the carpet in front of the seats. There was no carpeting behind the seats, over the rear end. Under the arch of the seat back, covering the emergency brake cables, was a piece of cardboard covered by carpet with the front edge bound in black leather (black Rexene is also acceptable). Under the drivers feet was stiched a rubber mat. The drivers side on LHD cars starting in the 1951 model year had a rubber footwell with the MG crest. This was sewn into the carpet through a recess about halfway from the edge. On some cars a leather patch was sewn onto the transmission tunnel to prevent wear from the accelerator foot.

Brightwork and Chrome

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Item	Color	Comment
Headlamp bodies, headlamp adjusting nuts, headlamp rings, headlamp ring retaining screw, King of the Road medallion	Chrome	Note that on later TD's (late 51, 52 and 53) the headlamp bodies were painted the body color.
Headlamp bracket to radiator	Chrome	Some cars have this body color or black
Radiator hose clamps, air cleaner clamps, steering excluder clamp, headlamp bracket to radiator bracket bolts and nuts	Cadmium	Zinc plating is often used as a substitute for Cadmium today. Some headlamp bracket bolts may have been chromed but most were hand painted body color.
Oil cap, body plate, MG Car Co. plate, patent plate	Nickel Silver	Note that etched writing or background on nickeled items were painted black. Plates were made of brass. Plates held in place with brass round headed slotted screws with square nuts.
Air cleaner manifold	Polished Aluminium	Some like to paint the background of the MG Logo red or black.
Transmission dipstick, engine dipstick	Chrome	Some like to paint the background of the MG Logo red or black.
Hub caps	Chrome	See note on hub cap medallions
Hub cap medallions	Polished	Background painted red.
Radiator shell, nose	Chrome
Radiator slats	Chrome	Only on late model Mark II's
Radiator medallion	Chrome	Brown MG on cream background. Late Mark II's had black MG on white background.
Fuel tank filler cap, bonnet hinge strip	Polished	Polished stainless steel
Fuel tank filler cap lever, tail light and marker light screws, windscreen screws and nuts	Chrome
Splash pan x-screws and washers front and rear	Chrome
Bumpers, overriders, door knobs, door latches, side curtain clamps, side curtain nuts in door tops, seat back adjusters and brackets, fuel tank strap nuts, side lamps, windscreen parts and brackets, rear view mirror, tail lamp rings and bodies, rear license plate lamp cover, fuel tank side nuts and washers, dashboard edging, glove box hinges, bonnet handles, snaps and studs, side curtain strips, emergency brake handle and release button, gear shift lever	Chrome
Steering wheel medallion ring, horn base, lamp bezels, gauge bezels, horn push ring (early cars), starter and choke knob bases, steering column expandable cover	Chrome
Fuel tank sides	Chrome	The inside of the fuel tank sides were painted the body color with exposed edges in chrome
Tach cable, speedo cable, choke cable, starter cable, emergency brake cables, clutch cable housings, water temperature retainers on stabilizer rods, bonnet latches (inside), seat runners, fuel lines (braided), wire harness retainer straps on rear frame tube, lug nuts, front wheel grease cap, starter switch	Cadmium
Door threshold plates, running board strips	Polished	Many like to use the "MG Car Company" threshold plates which were not original to TD's but to MGTA's. TD's had plain threshold plates. The threshold plates were held in place by slotted flat headed woodscrews. Some may have been brass.

Miscellaneous

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Item	Color	Comment
Firewall bolts, wood frame and caulking	Body Color	While most of the car was painted in pieces prior to assembly, there were a few exceptions. In some cases items were assembled and then overpainted with a color coat while others had bolts and fasteners hand painted after assembly. The firewall and body bucket were painted as an assembly which meant that the firewall bolts were painted the body color.
Crank, tonneau bar, crank clips, front license plate brackets, front license plate and clips, starter cable bracket on firewall, horns and brackets, passenger foot ramp, accelerator peddle assembly, fuel pump body	Black	Crank handle was brass
Rear license plate brackets, rear license plate lamp base	Black	Optionally can be color of body.
Side curtain frames, top frame, side curtain nuts on frames	Tan
Spare tire carrier, head lamp brackets, hood latch screw heads	Body Color
Fuel line	Black	This was part of the chassis assembly and got painted black. Many today polish this with copper polish for a nice effect.
Steering wheel center, steering wheel cap, and instrument panel	Bronze
Fuel tank strap bolt heads and washers, side curtain storage lid hinges	Interior Color	Hand painted to match interior color. Have also seen the side curtain storage lid hinges cad plated
Rear splash pan bolts and washers, instrument panel carriage bolts	Black
Door checks, bonnet latch receivers on fenders, bonnet bumpers	Black or Body Color	Many have these chrome or cad plated as they scratch so easily. Later cars seemed to have more body color
Water temperature tubing	Black	May have been treated to look black rather than painted.
Windscreen wiper motor cover	Black wrinkle paint
Windscreen "D" washer and locknut (under Acorn nut)	Polished Brass
Grease gun body	Blueing	Same type of finish found on firearms
Tools	Black
Wiring Harness	Black	Black with two thread yellow tracer.

Page last updated on January 6, 2007