Brake Calipers

Your picutre shows a new caliper with a plated finish, which can only be retained by the don't-use-it brigade!

I have always used Finnigans Red Oxide primer, followed by silver Smootherite:



This lasts for years, particularly if you file opff any sharp edges, and is easy to clean.

You cannot believe a lot of restoration articles - they just buy an exchange caliper!

The picture was taken a few years ago, but after an annual clean with a sponge and car shampoos the Red Zed still looks the same.

Paint is far better than any amount of re-plating or blasting, neither of which last very long, particularly in the UK, where salt is a constant problem - it dries out in the 'summer' and blows around, then dissolves again when it rains, and the process starts again.

Another favourite is to spend money having all black parts shot blasted and powder coated, which does make them lok like new - for a year of so!

For large items such as brake shields, prime them, rub them down with 600 paper, and spray several coats of Smootherite from an aerosol.  I did this tothe rear frame of my BMW motorcycle about 20 years ago, and it still brings comments about how good BMW's stove enamelling is!


Edited by Mike Fishwick - 02 Feb 2012 at 11:16am

I've seen shot-blasted calipers come up like new before but don't think it's guaranteed to do that. If you have the shot blasted then painted in  that bronze colour paint shouldn't be too far off!

This is how its done, extract from Detailing World:

E30MW wrote: Do you send 'er indoors out shopping,or wait until she is off to work before using the kitchen?

No, you send 'er outdoors, Full Stop!