AC Ace paint job

[bertalanffy]

For the restoration of my AC Ace I need to know how the engine bay, the wheel arches and the bonnet was originally painted. Was it painted in the color of the car, painted black, or just blank alloy. Thanks in advance for answers.

[BE774]

Engine bay aluminium panelling is natural unpainted aluminium. If a 2.6, fibreglass foot boxes were black. Boot interior sprayed silver. Door hinges body colour. Chassis metalwork black. Can't remember about bonnet underside or wheel arches, others should be able to help.
   
   A copy of "Original AC Ace and Cobra" by Rinsey Mills is well worth the investment, not easy to find though.
   
   For a fraction of the book price you could join the club and talk to real AC people and look at their cars.

[Exowner]

If you want, and have trouble finding the Rinsey Mills Book, I'll sell you mine for a fair price.

[dkp_cobra]

Or you find here the book:
   
   https://www.abebooks.de/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=9781870979146&n=100121503&cm_sp=mbc-_-9781870979146-_-used

[AC Ace Bristol]

quote:Originally posted by BE774
   
Engine bay aluminium panelling is natural unpainted aluminium. If a 2.6, fibreglass foot boxes were black. Boot interior sprayed silver. Door hinges body colour. Chassis metalwork black. Can't remember about bonnet underside or wheel arches, others should be able to help.
   
   A copy of "Original AC Ace and Cobra" by Rinsey Mills is well worth the investment, not easy to find though.
   
   For a fraction of the book price you could join the club and talk to real AC people and look at their cars.
   
   
   Body Colour paint
   
   the whole body outside plus Under bonnet and under boot lid/Trunk painted body colour as are hinges and inside of doors.
   
   Keith
   
   
   

[Norman]

Bonnet underside on my 2.6 has always been body colour, with black for the fibreglass footwells. Underside of body shell originally completely painted in chassis black but adding an underseal to vulnerable surfaces is a good idea to protect against starbursts in the paint from stone impacts. The areas of inner wing that are visible from inside the bonnet are left as bare alloy. Front inner wings are also left as bare alloy, on both sides of the metal, though anodising is a good idea to protect against corrosion. Same goes for the bulkhead and the panels either side of the radiator.

[Norman]

Basically, inside the front wings, if a surface is curved you paint it black, if it's flat, you anodise the alloy and leave it unpainted.