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MG MGA - Floor Boards

Any recommendations on what to put on new floor boards before installing them? Wood preservative; paint; both?

M.D.
'57 Coupe
M. D.

I did my floor boards using marine ply. I finished them in plain ol' ordinary flat black latex house paint. After 10 years of driving, they still look good. Here is a recent pic:

Chuck Schaefer

I mixed 1 Qt of black oil base paint into 1 Gal of Thompsons water seal. I soaked them in it for a while, let them dry, then painted on additional coats until it looked original.
R J Brown

I used the left over POR 15 I had. Nice gloss black that still looks like the day I put it on.

Cheers,
Christopher
Christopher Wilson

Consumer Reports gave low marks to Thompson's Water Seal and similar products, at least for their ability to resist weathering on exposed outdoor wood. Just saying. I began with a primer coat of thinner mixed with exterior oil base paint, then added two more of uncut paint. We'll see. I'm considering the floorboards for any unused POR 15 remaining after my present rehab of the frame.

Ken
Ken Korey

Non standard I know, but I varnished my home made marine ply boards. Not a water-type blemish after 13 years. Mind you, the underside did get thoroughly oil soaked when the oil seal blew on the modified oil filter assembly! I prefer the varnished look to the original black.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I think that a good choice is the emulsion used to protect the electrical poles and or the poles used to build piers or marine decks, a mixture of tar (asphalt) and mineral spirits. Henry´s has several products that may fit, used to protect roofs, for sale in Home Depot!!
R Garcia

However you decide to seal your floorboard pay particular attention to the edges. Sooner or later water will get into the interior. It is the edges of the boards that will suck up the water and hold it against the steel of the frame. I used silicone to seal those seems after putting a couple of extra coats of finish on the boards. It my seem like overkill but I had to replace all the steel on the parts of the frame that were next to the floor boards when I did the restoration.
Keith Lowman

There is a good primer available at Lowes and HD called "Gripper Grey". Topcoat with black semi-gloss enamel.

When you install them, bed the flanges and fill the gaps around the edges with siliconized black caulk.

Should last forever.

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

Be sure to seal all your cut edges with epoxy resin.
David Werblow

Hard to go wrong by sealing them entirely with marine epoxy, and then painting. Epoxy resin has literally saved wood from total oblivion as a boat building material.
Del Rawlins

Cool thread. My homemade marine ply floorboards are holding up great after 20 years. Thompson water seal, multiple coats with more attention on the cut edges then painted two coats of oil based rustoleum black. Haven't fallen through yet.
David Holmes

I can only talk from experience with my boards, made 13 years ago out of marine ply, sealed and varnished, no jointing compound of any sort used when fitting. Car used for almost 12 years in all weathers as a daily commuter including salted roads. I don't use a hood so just as likely to get water in the cockpit as well as underneath and the floorboards are still as good as the day I varnished them.

Steve
Steve Gyles

This thread was discussed between 31/08/2010 and 03/09/2010

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