I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __Painting Brake caliper
It looks like the previous owner has touched up the old alloy wheels with a spray and not done a very good job as some of the silver over spray has gone in the brake calipers, so I intend to take off the wheels mask and touch up the calipers with a small brush.
My question is , I have some Hammerrite black metal paint at work, but it says on the tin, keep away from heat etc, has anyone used this , and would it be ok on brake calipers ?.
Any info or tips appreciated
Thanks
Boz
I bought and used the not-expensive and widely available E-Tech brake caliper painting kit which I found excellent and would recommend. Good choice of colours too.
I’ve used Hammerite paint on my calipers, all ok still and I repainted them again two years ago.
Some say don’t use that on calipers as the heat generated with burn or cause the paint to bubble. Well maybe yes if you’re doing track days and generating that much heat. I cooked my front brakes on a trip around the Scottish Highlands once, the Hammerite paint was unaffected.
Now I do like to paint the part of the brake disc that rusts easy, the unswept part, kind of looks better than the rust. I wouldn’t advise Hammerite on those, it did bubble up, only minor though. Get some heat resistant paint for those, mine had been done in that, looks good and stays on.
I had an NC, which I painted both front calipers with black Hammerite smooth when the car was about six years old. Didn’t bother painting the rears as they were an alloy finish and were easy to keep clean. After another five years when I sold the car, the Hammerite on the left hand caliper was as good as the day I painted it. Subsequent to painting, after about three years, the right hand caliper piston began sticking (not an uncommon fault) and overheating the disc/brakepads on that side, but the Hammerite finish remained good despite substantially higher running temperature until I changed the caliper for a new one.
Not being a consistently heavy braker, I’d painted the centre hub part of the discs with the same paint and that also remained good over the same period.
As MickAP says, unless you’re generating trackday temperatures, Hammerite should be adequate on the calipers.
Mine has had callipers painted hammerite red from new. Lasted well until I did a track day and I cooked it.
Now red with brown patches but shows it has been driven
I used Halfords high temp paint. Last time out I had a sticky front calliper and the disk and calliper were red hot, took my skin off when I stupidly touched it. Paint on calliper remained perfect. Now for new calliper, pre painted of course
I also have some Navy blue Hammerite as well as Black , my car is Silver, but not sure if Navy will look OK, or if there are colours that are a no no , I know some people use Red, but I don’t really want to draw attention to the rather beaten up original alloy’s, which I’ll get round to sanding and re spraying at some point when its a bit warmer
A couple of years ago, for colour I tried to match the Icy Blue body of the Niseko and ended up with VHT enamel Pontiac Blue. Near enough when dirty, but not exactly a detailer’s delight.
With the VHT paint a few thin spray coats have to be applied in quick succession, next one as soon as the previous one is touch dry, then it has to be cured, either in an oven or by ageing. I applied a fan heater for a few hours and then left them for a a few days before exposing them to the weather.
which I’ll get round to sanding and re spraying at some point when its a bit warmer 
