Touch-up paint

[rbgosling]

Anyone got any experience / recommendations on where to buy touch-up paint? There seem to be plenty of places on the internet, who knows which ones are cowboys?

Also, any views / experience on aerosol vs. liquid paint with a brush? This is mainly to paint the replacement fuel cap I'm getting (having left the last one behind on the pump at Sainsburys!), but since I'm getting some I might also tidy up the odd stone chip too. Not trying to make it look like new, just want the white dents to be blue dents so they aren't so damned obvious.

Colour is Midnight Blue - which leads to another question. On this site (http://eliseinfo.com/wp/lotus-paint-codes/) there are no less than 4 Midnight Blues listed. One is metallic, and I don't have that. Are all the others the same? If not, how do I tell which I have (if it's as simple as being on the ID plate then I haven't got around to checking yet, and I'm just asking a stupid question here!)? And 2 out of 3 of the non-metallics only list Lotus part numbers, the other also has a DuPont number - if I only have the Lotus part number I suspect most paint shops won't be able to do anything with that?

Thanks!

Richard & Lilith

[AndyC]

If it was just chips I'd say Lotus dealer for touch-up but I don't think they do aerosols.
Halfords do aerosol (I currently have an issue with Affords. ERR) most trade motor paint suppliers will do it and do it hour in hour out so be good at it.

[johnthebass]

I needed to re-paint the rear offside spat after some idiot tried to knock it off in Tesco's carpark. I got the paint number from the WSM and went to our local trade paint supplier who supplied the correct colour paint in a large aerosol no problem.
400mL for as I remember about £6.50. Perfect!
John.

[MrCoolA]

Halfords do a very acceptable touch up and spray............FOR A PACIFIC BLUE..........................

[MikeC]

Colour is Midnight Blue - which leads to another question. On this site (http://eliseinfo.com/wp/lotus-paint-codes/) there are no less than 4 Midnight Blues listed. One is metallic, and I don't have that. Are all the others the same? If not, how do I tell which I have (if it's as simple as being on the ID plate then I haven't got around to checking yet, and I'm just asking a stupid question here!)? And 2 out of 3 of the non-metallics only list Lotus part numbers, the other also has a DuPont number - if I only have the Lotus part number I suspect most paint shops won't be able to do anything with that?

You need to look at the data plate under the bonnet and get the paint code from there. Here's what the "A", "B", etc codes mean

‘L’ prefix codes indicate nitro-cellulose paint for which two suppliers reference numbers are sometimes quoted
- International Paint (formerly Pinchin & Johnson) and ICI.
‘A’ prefix paint codes are used for cars finished in ICI 2K two pack acrylic polyurethane paint introduced
around 1977.
‘B’ codes indicate DuPont basecoat/clear acrylic enamel paint introduced during 1991, with water based
paints being phased in during 1997.
‘S’ codes were used for a short period only (1976/77) and indicate that the body was moulded with integral
colour using ICI 2K two pack polyurethane paint of the P407 line.

That list on the Eliseinfo site was compiled in 2006, and includes all codes I could find from 1962 (Elan Type 26) to Elise. It doesn't cover the Elite (Type 14), for which even the Elite specialists don't have specific information. Of course Excels originally only used a subset of those colours, but finding out which is not going to be easy because the sales colour charts only give the name not the proper code.


Mike

[johnthebass]

Hi Richard the WSM lists Midnight Blue as ICI P0304647 Lotus paint code L40.
Information on your colour or any other is to be found in the WSM within Section BA pages 2-6. There is a lot of useful info about paint procedures as well.
If you haven't got a WSM, PM me your email address and I'll send you copies of the relevant pages.
Regards John.

[rbgosling]

I've got the manual - and should learn to check it before asking dumb questions on here!!!

[johnthebass]

Don't beat yourself up about it Richard! I'm sure there are forum members who don't have the WSM! Maybe Spav could do an on-line version as he has with the parts manual. It would be a fairly monstrous task mind you!
John.

[rbgosling]

It would be helpful. I wouldn't mind feeding mine through the office scanner one evening, but it doesn't have text recognition so there wouldn't be any ability to do text searches etc. There might also be an issue with copyright, dunno how Lotus feel about that. We might have to start being a bit nicer about the visionary Mr. Bahar if we would like their co-operation...

[fitz]

I believe lotus hold copyright on the wsm so u need an original one, the parts manual is online with the express permission of lotus.

[rbgosling]

Given that Lotus are (AFAIK) no longer printing, distributing or selling the Excel WSM, there's no money to be made out of it by them, so it would be very dog-in-the-manger of them to prevent us distributing it amongst ourselves. Having said that, there's no way to know how they would react until one of us asks them. The fact that they allowed us to put the parts manual on-line may be encouraging...

The copy I have has a distribution letter in the front of the folder signed by Dave Massey, who I (very vaguely) remember from when I was working there. Guess he'd be the guy to ask in the first instance, but the chances that he's still there 20 years later are probably slim!

As for the practicalities, I've found a free service that will convert a scanned document into text (http://www.onlineocr.net/). I'm quite tempted to scan my own copy in, entirely for my own personal use of course, which I believe is perfectly legal...

[johnthebass]

Whilst Lotus may no longer be printing/distributing the WSM there may be a restriction by virtue of copyright which I would imagine they would still own. Copyright does I beleive have a defined lifetime but is probably a bit of a minefield! I guess Spav would know about this having been involved in the on-line parts manual. I'll PM him to see if he knows.
John.

[rbgosling]

Oh, I've no doubt Lotus still own the copyright. I was just suggesting they have nothing to gain from preventing us making the WSM available, so it would be a bit mean of them to do so...

[johnthebass]

I notice you've changed the subject title Richard! Yes we have gone rather off-topic! Anyway let's press on. I agree with you Lotus wouldn't particularly have anything to loose by letting us have on-line access to the WSM but companies can be a little precious about their "interlectual property" part of my business is the repair of guitar amplifiers and some UK manufacturers are reluctant to supply circuit diagrams without me giving assurances that I won't disclose any details to third parties. This is unlike our US cousins where they have the Freedom of Information Act and companies must disclose information to individuals. I find that I can sometimes get round this by going to various specialist US sites where the details of UK products can be downloaded! I have now PM'ed Spav so I will wait for his response. Incidentally I've just been speaking to Chris at Foulds Motors, (local Lotus independant service garage), and he tells me that the WSM is still in print and available so anyone wanting one give him a call on 01484 666552.

[amarshall]

Whilst Lotus may no longer be printing/distributing the WSM there may be a restriction by virtue of copyright which I would imagine they would still own. Copyright does I beleive have a defined lifetime but is probably a bit of a minefield! I guess Spav would know about this having been involved in the on-line parts manual. I'll PM him to see if he knows.
John.

Copyright lasts for about 70 years after the death of the author.

The factory gave us an official electronic copy of the parts manual to support this forum/club, but didn't donate a workshop manual.

I rather think that the "brand management" expert currently resident in Hethel might get very excitable if he saw a possible income stream being used without express permission.