Savage seems to work well (use a wire brush on an electric drill first) and lasts.

Also comes in some more subtle colours than Corsaboy red.

 

Ron, I was thinking to myself "I like Ron's subtle work" and then I saw the colour of the pads - defeated!

 

Gunmetal is about as adventurous as I think I should go. It is a Passat after all and some of them are very Barry. The car is blue but any primary colour is going to clash badly and blue would make it look a bit Audi wannabee.

First off I'll do the the whole arch, brake and suspension area on one corner with a degrease, chemical clean, wire brushing if necessary and jetwash and see how that comes out. Might well be enough.

 

For calipers you want G2 or Savage (2 part) caliper paint. I think Savage is easier to get hold of in the UK.

Before painting you should use a wire brush on a drill to remove all the crap from the calipers.

I did my S2000 calipers with savage paint .... and the paint lasted longer than the calipers.

 

I've had some industrial detergent for a while so while the car was up in the air I sprayed all that on and then used my jetwash on the wheelarches and brake/suspension components. This has revealed all sorts of things - from Eibach springs to red shocks and the fact the the front calipers have a black finish while the rears are untreated alloy of some description. It increasingly looks as if paint will be wrong and more cleaning will be right.

 

The rear are most likely a Zn or Cd passivation of somesort.

I tend to favour cleaning over painting these days and I'm ignoring the rust.

In fact, exchange ones are so cheap (for Jap crap) that it's easier to get a freshly-passivated pair on there and no more sticking!

 

I've always used VHT satin black. Failing that I've even lashed on a little of halfords normal satin black. A quick wire brush before hand and that's it!

 

Brembo wannabe red should suit you just fine Pete ha.

Honestly, for the price and low key factor my father used a dark grey/black hammerite paint on his merc calipers. The callipers really just look oem like and have weathered really well, not expensive and available in all good DIY stores.

 

I used smoothrite tin paint on the 335i too, after drench cleaning in carb-cleaner and allowing to dry.

Trouble is it stinks if you get it hot. Like on a circuit. Otherwise it;s not noticeable and works short term.

Brake dust quickly degrades the finish and colour however, if it's a keeper I would look at another route.

 

I think I have ADHD crossed with a sociopathic disroder so I don't finish anything, keep anything or care much about anything

Certainly not cars (I do like parrots and tortoises) and I have had a dozen of those (cars, not parrots or tortoises) go through my hands in the last twelve months

No, I am just fettling the W8 estate for sale - it should be back with a rebuilt 'box this week - then it will be for sale with the other one which is a saloon

Quite fancy a V12 Merc after they've gone