I wanted to add the OEM Strut Brace (part number 51 710 305 114) to increase rigidity in the roadster, and so that the firewall braces would be less likely to become loose (if you hear loud thunking when going over bumps, it's usually this or the sway bars).
Instead of leaving it silver or painting it black, I decided to try painting it body color (in my case sepang bronze).
To paint the braces I did the following:
1. Sanded down the brace with 500 grit sandpaper.
2. Cleaned it with a de-greaser.
3. Washed it with soap and water.
4. Primed it.
5. Dry/wet sanded and re-primed until it was perfectly smooth. The best advice I found online said that primer is like dress rehearsal, this is your opportunity to make it perfect. Paint is expensive but primer is cheap.
6. Painted it. I ordered my paint from expresspaint.com.
7. Clear Coat. I did 4 or 5 light layers.
Torque: 41Nm for the original black firewall braces. 35Nm for the 6 nuts that go on the strut towers, 24Nm for the 4 bolts that hold the center brace.
Original Brace.
Masking the bolts.
After Installing.
Before putting the caps on, I put a small blob of silicone on top of each bolt.
