Just for future reference. I redid the paint on my 2006 999 cases and clutch/alternator covers. Getting an accurate paint code was tricky and everyone seemed to have different suggestions. Firstly I tried Simoniz Aluminium Engine Enamel on the block, it is not an accurate colour, being too bright and not having the fine metal flake. Then tried VHT Engine Enamel NuCast Aluminium Colour: SP995 - Nu-Cast Aluminum: (from CROP www.nonpaints.com) you seal it in the oven for about an hour at 95deg C. A very good match, with a fine metallic finish. Hope it helps! Cheers.
Great info @The Royal Maharaja! I’m looking to tidy up my seriously flakey 749 engine. How did you manage to get such a good finish and what setup did you have for the seal? Any further pics, info or threads you have on the process would be greatly appreciated. I bought the VHT based on your suggestion, it’s a shade lighter than factory but not a bad match. I’m also looking at RS paint for potential better match and I need to address some corrosion/flake on the headlight surround.
I use Krylon high heat aluminium. Difficult to get in the UK and not cheap but it's a great match and hides a multitude of sins. Once it had a heat cycle just from using the engine or radiator it becomes really tough and durable.
I I used RS paint for my dark bronze side cases. It's not a heat proof paint as such. Just standard paint but it works anyway. The colour match is very good. The only issue is quantity. I used their aerosol and a 400ml can does not go very far, particularly the etch primer. Once I ran out I used a cheaper brand etch primer and Matt clear coat which worked well. It's only been a year but so far all is well. I also used RS for the gold/bronze frame colour. 2 cans needed for a frame and subframe. That was just about enough.
To achieve a similar finish: The old paint was fully removed with various wire brushes on a drill machine, any hard to reach areas with an exacto knife..it needs to be really clean. Also thoroughly de-greased with petrol or acetone or the like. It was quite a bit of work admittedly. The VHT paint has a matching primer that was first used. Then as Ivor suggested the casings were cured in the oven afterwards. (There are some references that suggested just running the engine up to temp will also cure the paint, but I have also heard that this is not enough, and after all the work wanted to make sure it was resistant). I have since found that the Simoniz Aluminium Engine Enamel is NOT petrol resistant, so I would stay away from this product.
Speaking from personal experience having used the Simoniz product. The first time I fitted a crankcase cover leaving it to cure through engine heat, all appeared fine until one day petrol got splashed on it and yes, it left marks when wiped off. The second time I used it I followed the curing instructions and put the crankcase cover in the oven at the requisite temperatures for the requisite time. This one has held up well. Mind you, the other half noticed and complained about the smell of hot oily engine in the oven that evening - oops. I suspect, depending which part is being sprayed, just running the engine doesn’t get it hot enough to fully cure the paint. Simoniz recommend curing for 1.5hrs in the oven whilst gradually increasing the temperature to 220c.
Mine is last also fairly well. I could not cure it as if I had placed it in our over, my death would have been very slow !
Curing problem and use of wife's precious oven is easily overcome by booking a cheap Airbnb to do the curing, we could do a 'group cure'.
I used VHT on my engine, cured in an oven. It appears to be fairly solvent resistant, I have used petrol and acetone on it with no ill effects so far. The paint goes quite hard but torqueing bolt heads down onto it will cause it to chip/tear around the contact point. Only other thing I have noted is it doesn't seem to be suitable for cylinder heads, my horizontal one is fine but the vertical has gone a slighly gold hue due to the heat in the area.
