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Although there are references to obsolete paints and firms taken over or gone out of business I have not yet found any information regarding scott purple paint suitable for a tank panel .
Is there a RAL or similar number for the colour? or an existing car paint that is the same?
I have a T&K Tekaloid finishing enamel – Scott Purple – No. M15384 or Jolex 1/2 hr Finish – Violet Tinter made by Joseph Mason & Co, Derby or Fast Purple cellulose by Glasso, as being suitable. I haven’t tried any of them myself.
Dave
J Mason and Glasso have both been absorbed into larger companies (the paint industry must be like the motorcycle one in the 50-60.s) the Tekaloid one may be a winner (though I think T&K have gone) I have asked a supplier will post reply here
the search continues: I have asked lots of companies so far with no replys I took a photo of a scott and using paint shop pro and the web got a comparison of RAL 4003 – 4010 the best match to my eyes is RAL 4006
with RAL 4008 comming up behind. trouble is that photos and VDU’s are not the best way to get a colour match.I cannot belive that such an important scott detail has not been recorded somewhere…. 😯
That is perhaps the reason that when you would see ten purple Scotts at the same time it would be ten different shades of purple…
Might wel be possible the Scott used whatever was available at the time…
If the correct piece of purple paint was on your bike, you can take your bike into most paint mixing places (even Halfords I think) and they can measure the colour in controlled light and give you a custom mixed match that will be spot on if applied correctly (correct primer etc).
If you get stuck give M A Nicholls Coachworks in Didcot a call (Andy Peck is the guy to speak to) as he can mix any colour udner the sun and does fantastic custom paint jobs. He did a Ducati for me a few years ago and races bikes himself. 01235 817904 altough his website has gone, I hope he is still trading.
Cheers,
Rich
I bought some scott purple from a nice chap at last years gathering,he had quite a few cans of it.I dont know if he has any connection to the club at all.
@Richard Blackburn wrote:
If the correct piece of purple paint was on your bike,
Rich
Ah! just a smigeon would be good but alas
Ah! thinks I. Lets goto a shop and get a RAL card pop to founders day do a match -job done
I cannot belive the cost of a ral chart from a paint supplier. On the web you can see a chart eg
https://www.ralcolor.com/ but every one is different and different printers and VDUs give diferent results
My present research now gives me a leaning towards RAL 4006 -4008
perhaps I will end up printing a chart comparing and then matching
Or go to your local DIY store and get a bundle of those color cards they use for on the spot paint mixing. Those are not RAL but you could use those to compare at the rally and then compare the outcome with a RAL card somewhere later.
well it would seem there are as many shades of scott purple as green trees I have however found these guys
https://www.rsbikepaint.com/en/colours.php
who amongst the yamaondabasukis actually have an entry for ‘scott’ I shall buy a pot of the product as a tester….
I was very lucky in 1967 to buy a 1928 Replica that had been in store since 1941. I had every reason to believe that the barrel had not been refinished.
From odd places where the finish had been chipped off, it was seen that the barrel had been polished and the finish was a tinted transparent varnish which, as the underlying polish of the iron barrel glows through, gives a unique appearence. True, you can get somewhere near the overall impression by using a non opaque paint, but it is definitely not the same.
I discussed this with Tom Ward in 1968 and he confirmed that this was indeed the process the factory used and he sold me a couple of little tins of tinted clear varnish that he had made up to replicate the original.
To do a quality rebuild takes much time and usually costs more than rebuilding other makes, so the least one can do is to try and present the job properly.
I send blocks to be polished at
Attleborough Metal Polishing Ltd
Unit 1, Oaston Road,
Nuneaton
Warks CV11 6JX
ampolishing@talktalkbusiness.net
02476 370 501
I can recommend them for all polishing and plating without reservation and they do all my work
After polishing,I carefully apply a degreaser then apply about 5 light coats of an aerosol transparent glass lacquer.
After this, about three coats of a clear lacquer to build up the surface.
As with all aerosols, it is quick, easy and relatively foolproof, unless you try to apply it too heavily, in which case it can run.
The supplier of this paint is
HMG Paints
Riverside Works
Collyhurst Road
Manchester M40 7RU
Tel: 0161 205 7631
Sales: 0161 202 2277
Fax: 0161 205 4829
web: http://www.hmgpaint.com
email (sales): sales@hmgpaint.com
email (website): mhutton@hmgpaint.com HMG Paints
The paint specification is
16oz AERO CEL / FS32 / PVC /RAD
UN No. 1950 Flash Point Below 0’C
MB162 Magenta Cellulose Glass Lacquer
I buy this in cases of 10 aerosols
I do not know if they will sell / send individual cans
I thought I would be able to sell these on, but the Post Office will not accept aerosols for carriage
I can send by carrier, but then the carriage price is higher than the cost of the paint.
I need to order another batch as I have another 10 barrels to paint in the next few months. If anyone wants me to take any to Abbotsholme, just advise on roger@mossengineering.co.uk
I was discusing this subject of block painting at the Northern Rally and another method put forward was to paint the block metallic silver, then the desired red/purple but very thinly so the silver still shows, then with a polyurethane based varnish with some of the red/purple mixed in (to give the translucent effect) then finally a couple of coats of clear polyurenthane. I’ve not tried this myself, but it looked very good on a bike that had been done this way. My only concern long term would be yellowing of the PU if it was not UV staibilised.
Cheers,
Rich
I used a high tempetrature silver base coat then used the hmg magenta glass lacquer with a final finishing of the synthetic lacquer.I have done about 700 miles since i finished the restoration and it still looks excellent apart from a little burning of the finish near the exhaust outlet.

I can see that barrels are better ‘covered’ than my original qustion of ‘what purple’ which was asking about modern paint shades on tanks