Caliper paint Pt. III, my G2 experience doityourself
Did wheel removal and all cleaning and prep on Friday and Saturday, about three hours each session. I got at the painting Saturday PM; it took about 3.5 hours to go around the car four times. Each coat dries for re-app in about 15 minutes or roughly the time needed for each unit's application.
First coat - A very detailed and tedious application getting into all the casting complexity of each caliper; it helps to be able to use either hand while painting. Paint was thinly applied.
Second coat - It was pretty much like the first coat but went a bit faster. I applied the paint fairly heavy on this pass but avoided re-coating some of the real tight areas which received careful attention during the first coat.
Third coat - I had my florescent lamp in one hand and my brush in the other and very carefully and closely inspected each unit for small "misses". After this pass, each was perfectly coated.
Fourth coat - There was so much paint left I did a pass simply applying paint to the larger "presentation" surfaces. After completion, I'd estimate using about half of the coating supplied. The paint remained flowing throughout the entire application period. What was left in the can this morning was as hard as a hockey puck.
Overall, G2 is a real nice product. The standard blue color was an exact match to the sample swatch so I know they match the new (2013) BMW M blue calipers (see my post Pt II). I discovered, that before it hardens, the coating can be cut with denatured alcohol. This afforded correction of a few mis-strokes on adjacent surfaces; removal was perfect. It would have been nice to have two or three of the small brushes as the single furnished brush got a bit ragged towards the end. Cutting the bristles at a slight angle (like a sash brush) would have been helpful - doh!
I unsuccessfully tried an art brush but the coating is too heavy and is obviously why G2 furnished a small but rather coarse bristled brush.
Pleasingly, the end product looks great while quite subtle compared to a red or a yellow. Yet, the blue appears appropriate to the understated look of my silver grey ZHP. Removing the anti-rattle clips prior to painting (I painted them silver), I was able to re-mount them with minimal damage (learned something here). The coating looks real thick as if dipped into liquid plastic yet is very hard and very glossy. Without doubt, it's all about the preparation and then taking your time. But make no mistake, it was a demanding project requiring full concentration and consuming more than 10 hours start to finish.
