6 replies to this topic

[paulg027]

I intend to repaint the cylinder head on my 1997 John Cooper Garages Ferring Cooper S.  Traces of the paint is still visible on the cylinder head which is a very dark blue - NOT the light blue used on the current Cooper Car Company conversion kits sold by Mini Sport.  I am trying to get the best match with heat resistant/engine paint on the inter-web, but as always the colours on the web differ massively to the colour in the tin!

 

Do any of you Mini guru's out there know the best match for the dark blue Cooper cylinder head paint used on the original Ferring Coopers?

Edited by paulg027, 27 December 2017 - 11:15 AM.

[minidizzy]

That's a difficult question that has been asked in various different places and I have yet to see a definitive answer.

John Cooper Garages outsourced the work on the heads and the companies producing them may have used different shades of blue. I have heard references to Ford Tractor Blue and to Cadbury Blue but I am not sure what the latter is.

My early 1991 S head has traces of dark blue and is probably a Janspeed head. Others firms that produced heads for JCG included MiniSpeed and MiniSport with the latter being, I believe, the main producer in the later 90s. One company local to JCG actually provided them painted dark green.

The John Cooper Garages Club Facebook group is probably a good place to ask. I am not touching mine until I know for sure.

Edited by minidizzy, 27 December 2017 - 01:41 AM.

[paulg027]

Thanks for your detailed response minidizzy. I didn't realise how difficult it would be to get a reasonably good match, but as you know it's not straightforward at all.  I am trying to match the Ferring Cooper blue head as I don't want my Cooper S to look like a an aftermarket kit conversion.  I will check out Ford Tractor Blue and Cadbury Blue and post something here if I get a good match on the paint, but unfortunately I don't do Social Media, therefore won't be tapping in to Facebook.  

[phil hill]

Hammerite smooth blue is a close match to the pale (Ford) blue used by Janspeed on the Cooper heads.

Can't comment on the others.

Phil.

Edited to add photo - This Janspeed Cooper S-pack head has been painted Hammerite smooth blue.

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Edited by phil hill, 28 December 2017 - 08:12 PM.

[Homersimpson]

If you take it to car paint supplier they might be able to match the colour, I have used 2K solid car paint on my last few engines and its been fine and lasted well.

 

I spray in on but you could probably brush it on.

[MaxAndPaddy]

As above, the general consensus seems to be that the earlier Janspeeds were a slightly different shade than the later MPI models but the Ford Tractor blue is a reasonable match, as well as Halfords blue caliper paint. 

[minidizzy]

This is a Janspeed head of almost exactly the same date as mine (January 1991) but on a very low mileage RSP. I think the blue on mine was originally probably lighter than it looks now but has darkened with grime. I must give it a good clean some time.

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