Hi all,
I am slowly getting into the resto on the Mk2 Cooper S. It’s slowly revealing its history but raising a few more questions the more I dig.
I knew that car has been resprayed in the past and I need some help please about what would have been painted what colour originally.

I have seen some beautiful spray jobs laid down with the inside, outside, underneath are all beautifully prepared and fully painted high gloss body colour. It’s got me thinking about what was originally done in the factory because mine isn’t like that.
Mine has black sills below the chrome side strip and not body colour underneath or inside the cabin floor. I have a Clubman where inside the A pillar is flat black but the S is body colour. Underneath any trim and carpet is sort of a greyish colour and only where you can see is body colour.
Are there any images around that show how far the factory went with the body colour back in the day.
Thanks for your help
Neil

My Mk2 S (and mini K) have been repainted since new, but I have been very particular to paint as per factory.
The dash, fire wall, inner floor, A & B pillars, cant rail, rear seat and other exposed metal frames are body coloured. I believe UK Ss had black vinyl cover on A pillars, but ours were body coloured.
An area around the 2 demist ducts on the top of the dash were sprayed flat black so body colour didn't show when the vent covers were fitted - at least the white ones were.
On the underside, the floor was not body coloured. The rototdip primer coat was covered with textured black sound deadener (not very thick) across the floor and faded out along the fold line where the floor panel rises at an angle to meet the sill section. All the boot underfloor was sound deadened. The sound deadener went up the front firewall and faded out at the steering rack bracket.
Colour went down past the external seams of the sill and covered the vertical strip below the seam and continued down along the angled part of the sill and a little further to cover the angled part of the floor. A bit of overlap between the sound deadener and colour along this change of angle.
The bit that is often missed is the rear face of the battery box, which had a light coat of body colour overspray from when the rear beaver panel was sprayed.
All wheel arches were stoneguarded with a ripple texture and colour coated over that.

G’day Bill, thanks for your very comprehensive reply.
It’s a great help.
I’m settling into removing the multiple layers of undersealer from under the car by hand at the moment. It’s a big job for such a small car but it’s gonna mean a more sympathetic sandblasting when I get it done soon. The sandblasting force required to remove multiple layers of spray on bituminous tar paint doesn’t sit well with me. A bit of time for me scraping it off and it’s back to steel.
Thanks again for your help
Neil

I have found that a heat gun and medium sized scraper gets the worst off. Then paint stripper with a stainless steel scouring pad in a bucket of hot water with washing soda dissolved in the water - the soda helps the gunk come off the steel wool so it can keep scouring.

Thanks again Bill. I hadn’t tried the washing powder but I certainly will.
I blew up the wife’s hand hair dryer today trying it on the stuff and I will be getting another one tomorrow. She can have it back after I get it all off.....
Neil

Try a hot air gun - they get a lot hotter - and avoids the obvious 'tensions'.

I agree.

This is the cheapest at Bunnings - https://www.bunnings.com.au/xu1-2000w-heat-gun_p6290580

_________________
ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

And will really dry the wife’s hair fast so she will never run late again.

_________________
Find a job you love and you will never have to go to work !

And cheaper than a new hair dryer too. might be a win win because I won’t have to clean it up before I give it back to her

Just wondering what colour were the demist vent escutcheons ? Mine appear to be connaugh green (car colour). Is this correct? You wouldn't really be able to distinguish this colour with the black vinyl on the top dash. Other car colours you would. Were they painted satin black in these instances?

_________________
1970 Mk2 Cooper S under restoration

The 2 demister escutcheons and the dash lip that sits up were painted black.

Thank You.

_________________
1970 Mk2 Cooper S under restoration