Cabin Fever Project

Feeling cooped up as we wait for better days? How about a little paint project? This is a something I've done twice now, once on my Stingray and once on the Camaro as it has the same brakes. This is a nice way to detail the car a bit so that you don't see rusty rotor hats when you look at your wheels. Even when they aren't rusty (this is Arizona, after all) they have an uneven coloration that this takes are of. I can also say that the paint aged very well on both cars, it was initially fairly glossy but it mellowed to a true cast iron look.

Here is a link to the full album.

Some basic supplies: Scotch Brite pads, foam paint brushes (8 to 10) and brake cleaner. I used paint made for exhaust manifolds, but there are certainly other paints that should work. Make sure it's a high-temperature paint.

Cut the pads into smaller pieces, you'll go through them quickly.

 A few "before" pictures" Note the jack stand - be safe out there!

 Get int here and scrub with the pads. Use your brake cleaner to spray off the dust and check your progress. You're looking for clean gray cast iron. Please wear gloves, there are plenty of sharp and hard edges there that will cut you.

I cleaned up a bit of casting flash with a file.

 Looking clean.

 Mask the wheel contact surface. Don't mask the rotor, or it won't turn and you'll need to turn it often. Any little paint that gets on it can easily be removed as you go with a paper towel and brake cleaner.

 Paint the cast surface. Use an extremely thin coat - you'll be coming back for a second coat in a few hours.

You can help the drying process a bit, but time is really the key. Don't add the second coat until the pain feels dry to the touch. Throw out the foam brush after one wheel, one coat. 

Looking sharp!

There's no paint on the wheel mating surface to avoid any possibility of affecting wheel seating.