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My newly purchased NA has some home spun paint on the lower half of the car which I need to remove to repaint it. I have noticed though that MX%s seem to have a 'hammertone' finish in the paint there. Is that standard on an NA? Is it hard to paint in that way or can I just paint the whole car with a gloss finish? Thanks!

bonester wrote:'hammertone' finish in the paint there. Is that standard on an NA?

Yep

Commonly called orange peel because that's what it looks like. It's usually done in error but I think in the case of the MX-5 it was deliberate, possibly as a rudimentary way of preventing rock chips due to the paint being thicker?

I've never tried to achieve that effect so can't say how easy it is to do but it's up to you if you have it done that way or just a nice smooth gloss. I know on many cars that had it (it used to be fairly common on cars of that era) people would wet sand it to smooth it out than re polish. Personally if I was having a car done today I'd just go with a smooth gloss finish.

It is a tan rubber coating, which is difficult to remove. (Primer?) and paint go over the top of it.

Cannot recall the trade name but its done at OEM stage. The finish protects the vehicles for stone chips and marring. Its a spray on coating and paint shops still can do this and it will not be unique to MX-5. You will be able to paint over the existing substrate / paint after usual prep i.e. a surface suitable for a repaint. The hammertone look just says there - I would not be attempting to remove it.

I wonder if anyone has tried to use Line-X?

Got an aftermarket guard on the way. Wonder whether to replicate or strip the rest. I like shiny better but...
Just discovered this:

apsilon wrote:Commonly called orange peel because that's what it looks like. It's usually done in error but I think in the case of the MX-5 it was deliberate, possibly as a rudimentary way of preventing rock chips due to the paint being thicker?

I've never tried to achieve that effect so can't say how easy it is to do but it's up to you if you have it done that way or just a nice smooth gloss. I know on many cars that had it (it used to be fairly common on cars of that era) people would wet sand it to smooth it out than re polish. Personally if I was having a car done today I'd just go with a smooth gloss finish.

It isn’t orange peel.
The NA6’s had stone guard under the paint on the bottom quarter of the car. A lot of us have stripped this off & repainted to get rid of the hammer tone effect. It can’t be sanded smooth & painted over, it needs to be completely removed & then repainted.

DarrenM wrote:

apsilon wrote:Commonly called orange peel because that's what it looks like. It's usually done in error but I think in the case of the MX-5 it was deliberate, possibly as a rudimentary way of preventing rock chips due to the paint being thicker?

I've never tried to achieve that effect so can't say how easy it is to do but it's up to you if you have it done that way or just a nice smooth gloss. I know on many cars that had it (it used to be fairly common on cars of that era) people would wet sand it to smooth it out than re polish. Personally if I was having a car done today I'd just go with a smooth gloss finish.

It isn’t orange peel.
The NA6’s had stone guard under the paint on the bottom quarter of the car. A lot of us have stripped this off & repainted to get rid of the hammer tone effect. It can’t be sanded smooth & painted over, it needs to be completely removed & then repainted.

Any recommendations for removal methods? Dry ice inside the doors? Chemicals?

Paint stripper got mine off.

Paint stripper seemed like the easiest way almost 20 years ago when I took mine off.

I've sanded the protective coating smooth(ish) and used a good 3D primer (acrylic). Sand smooth. One thin and 2 thick primer coats all up.
Then painted with acrylic topcoat.
5 years later no problems and negligible stone chips or marks.
Note: the protective coat was not removed but sanded smooth, maybe 50% removed, the line of contact with the normal paint finish was feathered smooth with the primer.

slomo wrote:I've sanded the protective coating smooth(ish) and used a good 3D primer (acrylic). Sand smooth. One thin and 2 thick primer coats all up.
Then painted with acrylic topcoat.
5 years later no problems and negligible stone chips or marks.
Note: the protective coat was not removed but sanded smooth, maybe 50% removed, the line of contact with the normal paint finish was feathered smooth with the primer.

Cool, so if it sands back that is a bonus. Better than some of the stonechip stuff that refuses to be sanded and just heats up into a tar bog instead.

interesting timing, I was just checking out mine last night. would look better all one colour (mines black on a red car) so good to know it can come off!