How was the Mk1 booster finished when they came from the factory?
Black body with plated bits, or grey hammertone, or what?
I did my last one with a black body and silver grey hammertone bits.
Looks OK but is it period correct?

I love that engine bay. I love the other one too...

Upgraded Engine bay
But any comments on the Lockeed booster finish?

Sorry, I have no idea. (I much prefer the VH44 anyway! )

Mine looks like the top photo.

Yes that is correct looking for the Lockheed booster , but if you wanted it to be totally original , the sheet metal parts were originally zinc plated , and the cast body was not painted at all(but tends to rust if left unpainted) Most places tend to finish them in silver and black

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MINI-COOPER- ... 419848bfe3

_________________
1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

_________________

This question has intrigued the mind of restorers for a long time.
AJ seems pretty close to the mark. If you don't paint it, it rusts, if you do paint it, it still looks tacky when eaten by brake fluid. Plating is more effective if not technically correct, according to this:
Here is a link to the UK mk1 Forum. Membership application is fairly quick and some things are interesting for restoration.
http://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11289
Bill

I don't have a picture, but I hit the cast iron section of my Lockheed booster with some clear coat when it went back together. Not much, just a coat, not even so much as to make it shine so no more than a dusting of the stuff. Six years later it still looks very good.

I reckon there's something neat in the way the gloss patina goes off shiny plated parts of the engine, just as it did from new, but I didn't like the idea of the body getting all brown..

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Is that 2K clear?
Bill

Nothing as special as that is required. Just a standard clear coat from a spray can. Something like this one below in a satin.

I've used a lot of polyurethane clear coat paints in the past to keep brass and bronze in a salty marine environment looking good, so it followed that it will work well everywhere else.

Just a dusting, no point to make it look all shiny.

https://2ecffd01e1ab3e9383f0-07db7b9624 ... e18f62.jpg

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

The cylinder body was never painted. It was left as cast.
The vacuum body pressed metal parts can come in 2 types of finish.
Early cars had a zinc plated finish in a siiver grey colour.
Later cars had a zinc plated finish that was passivated and this gave it a pale gold colour.
Passivation is an additional anti corrosion process to provide better rust protection than zinc plating alone.
I had the booster parts replated several years ago as it started to corrode at the bottom of the clamp that holds the 2 halves of the vacuum cylinder together.
This was caused by water collection at the base of the clamping ring which had the clamp screw positioned on the side and not the bottom so water couldn't drain away properly.
It was like this from new.
So make sure you position the clamp at the bottom and not the side.

RonR

_________________
68 build Mk1 Cooper S
72 Clubman GT project. Total restoration required

I think you will find that they weren't actually Zinc coated rather they were originally done with cadmium which is a highly toxic process and is no longer done. Zinc coating is the only real alternative that looks close and comes in Blue (silver) and Gold passivated. The Gold is too gold and the blue is too silver, so we don't really have a spot on solution. If you blue zinc it you get the closest finish, but it does start out looking too shiny and takes a bit of age to look correct.
G.

_________________
1970 Cooper S ex-Bathurst & ATCC
1964 Austin Cooper S ex-Group C race car
1967 Morris Cooper S ex-Group B
1962 Mini Speed sports sedan
1968-71 ex-Peter Manton Shell car

Is there more info on that car? Two donks. Thats cool!

_________________

http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

I thought I was losing my mind when I recall that my one was gold on the inside. You;re the first person to authenticate this crazy thought in my mind.

Yes the modern gold plate is waaaay gold. We have quite a bit of legacy cadmium plating around my work amongst electronic racks, and it is a different finish being still gold like you say.

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.