painting calipers

[David]

Not sure what medication you are on Trenchfoot, perhaps we could swop   

For all you car detailers how about this one:
'GUNMETAL 14ml METALCOTE Enamel Tinlet.
A solvent-based enamel paint with a special metallic finish which can be polished.

http://www.airfix.com/humbrol-paints-and-accessories/paints/enamel-paints/ac5039-27004-gunmetal-14ml-metalcote-enamel-tinlet/

[Geoff1951]

The word "airfix" has the same effect on me as the word "donuts" does on Homer Simpson.

[Petemate]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I am intending to at least paint the parts of my discs which are not swept by the pads, as they look terrible. However, I am also tempted to paint the calipers, but not either red or yellow. My Saab is a sportwagon in Fusion blue, a nice colour for the car in my opinion. But what does the team think for a suitable colour for the calipers? I am favouring some sort of silver; answers on a postcard please.

[Max Headroom]

I put clear engine lacquer on the discs - obviously only on the areas not contacted by the pads

[Petemate]

Good that - once I have decided on the colour, I will do likewise. The rear discs I got from Saab last year, (which lasted all of 20k miles before becoming very grooved) had an aluminium-coloured finish around the hub areas and on the edges. The new ones (from a local factor at a fraction of dealer prices) I recently fitted, at the time of a complete replacement of F & R discs & pads, have no paint on anywhere and so have developed surface rust which I will clean off and paint.
Thnx again

[Max Headroom]

I'm still in a tizz about what colour to do mine. I can see the argument both for and against using anything other than Silver or Black, though silver may not look good as it will never be a silver that matches that of the wheels. Might look at Gold and make some Gold colour mock-ups to sit behind the wheels  to give me an idea 

[Petemate]

If it helps, Ford Stardust Silver is almost a match for the Saab wheels. But I don't think that Halfords etc paints would take the temperature. I am tempted to use a med to dark silver. I may get my lad to photoshop a close-up of one of my wheels with various shades superimposed on the caliper & disc with the bodywork included to get an idea of the look.

ETA I suppose an engine paint would take the temp, with clear laquer atop for the "finished" look.

[Guyver1]

I was originally going with black Hammerite,

BUT

I've just had some parts of my bike powdercoated black, but need a shiny silver/aluminium edge to them

So I bought some of that Humbrol enamel paint which can be polished, that will finish the bike bits a treat and also do the car calipers

I opted for aluminium colour as that's what the bits on the bike were originally, polished alloy

[Max Headroom]

I may get my lad to photoshop a close-up of one of my wheels with various shades superimposed on the caliper & disc with the bodywork included to get an idea of the look.

Great idea - the only snag is I have a 'Parchment Silver' car - in real life it looks 50/50 Gold/Silver, but in photos it just looks Silver 

[Petemate]

MMMmmm. given that your wheel colour may not quite match the car body colour, that is a tough call, as yet a third shade of silver would clash. Lovely colour for the 'vert BTW - not sure though what  would do the calipers....

[Geoff1951]

Where do you all find the time to paint your calipers?

[Petemate]

Where do you all find the time to paint your calipers?

Easy for me - at 75, & still in full time work, I manage that sort of thing in my spare time. As the OH never reads my forums, I can admit that she does all the gardening....(well, she retired a couple of weeks ago so has to keep busy    )

[Petemate]

Tomorrow after finishing off the service (car is still up on trestles) I will be doing the calipers & discs in Hammerite smooth silver. I was very tempted to get some Hammerite smooth blue, as the shade is almost spot-on Fusion Blue, but as it is not metallic I think it would not be a proper match. So I will just do the calipers and the centres & edges of the calipers. If the silver looks naff, then on my next four days off I will consider getting the blue. I did (VERY briefly) toy with the idea of red or yellow, but consider that the car's colour does not lend itself....lol

ETA:
Was short of time today, had to go out so decided to just do the discs. Not sure about the colour - I think mid-grey would be nicer. Also decided to wait to do the calipers until the pads are due again, and strip the lot out and do everything including the brackets and stone guards. After more thought, I will do the calipers and brackets Hammerite smooth blue, having checked the web images and seen that blue cars with blue calipers look nice, even if the colour is a shade off (pun intended...)

Before


After


(the marks at the top are muck not scoring lol)