Best paint for natural steel look?

[torredcuda]

I have spray equipment so either mixed or spray can is fine, obviously mixed with two part clear is more durable than most spray can - best natural looking steel paint that will hold up on suspension parts? I have a can of STEEL-IT stainless steel type paint but haven`t tried it yet.

[Cuda Cody]

I've found if you want to try to make paint look like steel or metal the best way is not the exact colors used, but the faux painting techniques that you come up with.  There's all kinds of metal veneer paint colors so try getting a few different colors and then experiment with some different techniques.  Get one of those sponges with Swiss cheese holes or maybe some red scotch brite and then practice a lot.  Try 2 or 3 different colors layered and different dabbing techniques.  Also try misting your colors so is makes more of a light wash of colors instead of solid colors.  Try timing the layers over wet bases and also some that are already dry.  You can come up with some really durable parts that look like raw metal.  Here's a painted rear end and pinion snubber. I used 2 colors of grey / silver with a light misting of a mat black.

[Bullitt-]

 I used Eastwood diamond satin clear on items that cleaned up well after blasting and running a rotary brass brush over.
I bought a pint can which they no longer offer but do offer in aerosol
 https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-diamond-satin-gloss-aerosol-11oz.html

[torredcuda]

I`m afraid some parts have minor pitting that would show up if I just cleared them so I may need to prime, sand and paint.

[ec_co]

So I went a little nutty a few years ago with some of the different paints to get a baseline when trying to match things. for what you're looking at I think the flat soft iron looks closer than the gunmetal gray.

[Lunchbox]

Subbed to this, am gearing up to do the same thing and start getting some of my suspension parts painted up and put back together.

[1970 cuda Joe]

I do the satin clear if the metal is good enough.....Joe

[HP2]

...and you can spray two part flat clear of rattle can to make it durable.

[screamindriver]

Adding to Cody's comments...
    The idea of painting what would have been bare suspension parts has a few key techniques that would carry over to all parts..You want a light colored base that completely covers the part for rust protection...Followed with a medium colored mist coat to darken the part..Then a final,lighter mist coat with the darkest color needed...After it dries use a scotchbrite pad to highlight the texture and casting/parting lines...The key is to only go down to the lightest color with no bare metal showing...
     
Mix up those three layers with different paints so all the components wouldn't look the same..You could even get a different look by more or less of the scotchbrite pad..So multiple paints in the arsenal is the key..

    Here's a spindle/disc brake combo that was painted using the technique..Its been a while but I think the light color was Seymours stainless steel..Medium mist coat was a cast iron color and the dark mist coat was Eastwood's black phosphate.Remember mopars had a much darker parts in general compared to the phord and chebbys...