- My model of MX-5 is: __NC
- I’m based near: __Bath
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __Painting zinc passivated finish
Morning all. I’ve just received a reconditioned front caliper from MX5 Parts after one of mine was binding. The other calipers and carriers were painted last year - Hammerite silver - and they still look very smart. The new caliper has a very bright zinc passivated finish but I’m not sure how long that would last as it’s not proper galvanising. I was thinking about popping a couple of coats of Hammerite on it so that it would stay looking good for longer and it would also match the other calipers. Any thoughts?
1 Like
Do it, no harm but may need a couple of coats.
Incidentally I used to use Hammerite with good results but beware of the paint bubbling if you do a great deal of heavy braking. Probably tracking the car will destroy the paint, it certainly will on the discs. My discs were painted, the unswept areas to smarten them up but the fronts started bubbling, I now use a heat resistant paint on both disc and calipers
1 Like
Thanks both, I’ll give it a good clean / panel wipe, mask them up and pop on a few coats - so much easier when it’s already free from corrosion and off the car. Incidentally I fitted new Brembo discs and pads all round last year. (EuroCarParts). The discs came pre-finished on the edges and non swept areas with a protective paint so that they don’t rust. I can highly recommend them, they still look really good.
2 Likes
Foliatec caliper paint is the proper stuff, being heat-resistant and quite easy to apply. Just keep it away from the bleed screw threads.
the heat resistant paint stays looking nicer for longer - the hammertoe is fine but can bubble/look a bit rough as it’s not designed for the heat build up. Since caliber paint isn’t much more than hammertoe, I’d use that. Ideally, do all of them, but a very close silver for this one and then the others as they need doing would also work…
