TPA paint

[Terry Gilbert]

Decisions. I've just bought an Xreg gold fhc, minus bumpers and front wings. I didnt want to spend a fortune as I have other cars on the go. I thought I mightbe lucky enough to find a pair of wings to match. Looking for the paint code I found a sticker with TPA Paint on the strut top. Looking at google I find that I'm looking at a pile of expense or scrap. How have any of you got around this TPA on a car that needs a bit of paint?

[saabfast]

My Pendelican white car ('81) has TPA stickers but it has been resprayed at some time (surprise!) before me so I do not know how it was done. I have only used rattle cans and they have not given a problem. The paint looks OK (allowing for the rust) so difficult to now if it was redone in TPA or cellulose but there is no obvious primer and the under bonnet area looks to be original.

[jaybee]

My once gold fhc was resprayed in Pimento Red. I'm about to have it sprayed again but have no idea what paint it needs. I'll let you know what the body guy says.

[FI Spyder]

TPA paint stands for thermo plastic acrylic, also used by Jaguar and Rolls Royce. It was sprayed on leaving a dull coat, then heated which melted it into a shiny surface. You can use rattle can paint, it won't look the same under many lighting conditions but it won't any ways as old colour will be faded a bit (if not mottled and/or crazed). If you are that worried about the match you should do the whole car. If you do the car yourself you can do it in acrylic, if you get it done professionally go the epoxy route. Concourse people use the original type of paint (acrylic etc.) but there is no reason to do ours that way until the concourse values go over the hundred thousand mark (not in my lifetime).