Questions about painting calipers

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I've been doing some research and it seems that a relatively easy and inexpensive way to spruce up my car is to paint the calipers. I've heard of people buying kits for as low as $8 and spending less than two hours of work to get sharp looking calipers.

What comes in these "kits". Do they all require painting via a brush? Would spray work better? Do they calipers have to be removed? I see alot of people just taping it up and spraying. Is the paint glossy or do you have to add something to make it glossy. I know for sure I don't want any kind of flat paint, I want something shiny with some gloss.

How difficult are they to maintain and keep clean?? Would a spray with engine cleaner and a rinse be enough to clean them periodically?

Now the important question. What color? I see ALOT of red, regardless of the color of the rest of the car. I've seen some yellow too. It seems that alot of people like calipers that contrast sharply with rest of the car (ie. red calipers on a silver car)

I have a black infinity G35 sedan. I don't plan on doing any serious modifications to it and I'm not crazy about red or yellow calipers. Would black look ok? I'm looking for something subtle. The way they look now is really pretty ugly.

Speaking of how ugly they look, why don't more car manufacturers do this to begin with. I mean if it's so cheap and easy, why don't they just do it. I think it looks SOOO much better.

[BigJimZ28]

yes it is cheap & easy (but the paint will not be dry in 2 hrs)

I think a kit with brush is better if you don't want to remove the parts from the car
but a spray will give you better coverage

the kits have a cleaner, a mixing stick , a brush and paint
or just buy a can of caliper paint

a little harder to maintain & keep clean than your wheels

no follow the directions from the kit for prep

the color is up to you(I have red on a black 97 z28 convertable and blue on a burgandy 81 z28)


and the last question the bottom line....we already pay enough for cars with out adding this!

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How much could it actually add to the cost of the vehicle? It sounds like I can do this for under $50. Possibly WAY under. So how hard is it for the caliper factory to slap a coat of paint on the parts as they come off of the assembly line?

I wish I had my camera today so I could post a pic of how ugly the stock calipers really look. Even if they really screwed the consumer and charged $100 extra, I think it would be worth it. I mean I'm driving a $35K car, why should I put up with this ugly, bare metal, junky looking thing behind my sexy 18" rims?

By the way, I saw alot of references to "powder coating" as I researched this. Can someone explain exactly what that is and maybe post a picture of it

[BigJimZ28]

power coating is a process where a power "paint" is sprayed on then baked
it looks very similar to a good paint job but it is more durable

as far as the factory stuff I know what it looks like
I just would not want to pay for it
if you want to pay $100 send your stuff to me and I will paint it for you!

good luck!

[Coupe]

I painted mine with the G2 paint kit.

[twitch]

It is fairly easy to paint your calipers actually but be sure to allow yourself a good bit of time for the task.

You can use high temp engine paint and it will work fine. I did this on my old Prelude and it looked good and didn't peel or chip (except where I hit it with the wheel when rotating my tires once). You can find the paint at Autozone or any automotive parts place.

Be sure you prep the calipers to remove anything that the paint will not stick to such as grease or oils. Mask off everything as best as you can with tape and newspaper remembering to also cover most of your car because of the overspray that will occur. You will basically make a paint booth in your wheel well so to speak. Use high temp primer than the high temp paint according to the instructions.

Be careful with one thing though if you do paint them. Do not spray the caliper, after it is painted, with brake cleaner. It will make the paint crinkle up and may remove some of it. Yes, I’ve experienced this first hand

Powder coating offers a wide range of colors and is very durable. However, it may not be practical to do on a daily driver and will involve much more labor. You would have to remove the calipers, disassemble them completely, have them powder coated, reinstall, bleed them and so on…

OR

You can trade in your sedan for an 03-04 6 speed manual and have nice gold painted Brembo calipers

Originally Posted by Coupe

I painted mine with the G2 paint kit.

Your calipers look good.

[DFTowel]

I've used good ol' Rust-Oleum paint for years with great success. I just make sure the calipers are clean and dry and I brush the paint on with a disposable foam brush. At the most I touch up once or twice a year. I've never had a problem with heat or chipping and they clean very easily.

[JohnZ3MC]

I sprayed mine red (red car) with a common spray kit (VHT I think) and the kit worked well. I masked everything in sight, removed the wheels (of course) cleaned the calipers with a steel brush and various fluid cleaners then had my way with the spray can. 4 or 5 layers per wheel (dried fast) then multiple coats of clear resulted in a great look.
If I remember, Porsche used red calipers to signify normal brake pads and yellow calipers to indicate ceramic pads, but you might be looking for a more cosmetic result like I was.
I've been pleased with the spray kit and I'd do it again.
A final tip: A round mechanic's cleaning brush, alternately a sash brush, works well getting through the wheel spokes to agitate the cleaner on the calipers.
-John C.