Red08

I'm thinking of painting my brake calipers red. Would appreciate any feedback on those paint kits. How durable is the paint?

tennblkc6

not sure of the durability but check out bugman's website for a "how to"...very detailed.
oh..post pics when you done.

spdkilz911

I have done a few sets with Plasti-Cote spray and they came out great. This time I decided to use the dupli-Color paint on kit. I do not like the finish it produced. You can't really see the brush strokes unless you get close, so I won't strip them, but will not use the brush system again. Next time I will use the spray. With the spray I masked everything well and covered the entire car with plastic and got zero overspray on the paint. They spray on held up well, no problems. I used the brush on kit just a few months ago but I see it holding up just as well.

PacificaVette

I used the G2 paint kit about 4 years ago. The calipers still look perfect. It's an epoxy-based paint---very durable.

BWF07

Dupli-Color makes a brush on kit. It comes with cleaner, the paint ans a brush. I did my C7 with teh kit and after 6 years when I traded it for my C6 them still look great.

Here is how they looked on my C5



On my C6 they are powder coated to match the Monterey Red Metallic

Landru

I used a Dupli-Color kit, like 'BWF' did above. Loved the result and paint was very durable.

A couple tips should you go the Dupli-Color route.
1) Make sure the calipers are squeeky-clean using the supplied solvent. Can't emphesize it enough. ANY grease/oil/grime left will prevent enamel adhession.
2) Work quickly, the stuff sets fast so try to apply a generous amount of paint in even strokes and resist the urge to go back over an area already applied lest you leave brush strokes. So, do it right the first time.

IF you blocksand paint on raised letters, best to seal letter tops afterwards or it'll oxidize.

As much as I liked Duopli-Color, powdercoating's the pro way to go.

Mad*Max

prep is the key - used G2 paint system

LMB-Z

The easiest way is to go to your local auto body shop and get them put you some paint in a spray can, whatever color you want. They can use your paint code or whatever. Clean the parts very well with brake cleaner and a brush. Mask off what you don't want painted, then spray, using light coats. When you get through, take a rag with a little gasoline on it and wipe off your "CORVETTE" letters very lightly. It may take a few wipes to get the paint off. Let dry. Done. I have done it on several cars.

Red08

Thanks for all the info. I think I will give it a try, and will post pix when done

jrc27

This is clearly the winner. Powder coat is the way to go. The shine is great and they are very easy to keep clean. Also they are almost bullet proof...

Nassua blue C5

BillH2121

I used the Dupli-Color kit this summer and thought it turned out ok but the finish is not a smooth as I would have liked due to the brush strokes and how quickly the paint sets up. I thought I was doing very thin coats but still got a "rougher" finish than anticipated. Powder coat is obviously the way to go if you have the time to wait and the money. Dupli-Color kit is pretty cheap with reasonable results though.

spdkilz911

Powder coated is definitely the way to go. If I upgrade the brakes I will go that route.

j_digi454

My painted calipers using the Duplicolor caliper paint kit are going on 7 years and still look great. As mentioned, the finish is more of a satin than high gloss but I like it that way.

dinows33

Hi could you give me his web site Thanks

dinows33

One ore question, I have read a ton of stuff about painting the calipers, but nothing about painting the letters "Corvette" and at what point do you do this and how ??? Thanks

level6

In the above post #8 LMB-Z was nice enough to give his method. Others have used a dremmel tool after it dried to remove the paint. I don't think many actually paint the letters "corvette" separately.

j_digi454

I used a razor blade to scrape off the paint on the lettering once it was tacky and almost dry. I did use a paint pen with clear coat to go over the lettering to keep the aluminum from tarnishing. As I said, it's been nearly 7 years and everything still looks great.

Rocketmanwpb

I used a rattle can brake caliper paint I got at Pep Boys. I painted my calipers about two years ago and recently painted the brackets. worked really well and was simple to apply. Cleaned the parts with Simple Green degreaser and used chap-stick on the Corvette letters.

dinows33

So I guess with my case where the letters are not painted I just do it by hand after the caliper is painted ? Thanks

LMB-Z

I originally painted mine on my 2005 with the Duplicolor. The brushes fell apart so I went to a local art store and bought some better brushes. When I finished, I still was not satisfied with the finish. The paint in the Duplicolor kit is pretty thick and did not go on very smooth. I went to a body shop supply store and they were able to take the paint code from my car and make me a spray can of paint to match my car. I went back and masked off what I didn't want painted and sprayed several light coats on. This made the calipers shiny and smooth. When I got through painting, I took an old rag, put a little gasoline on it, and wiped off the "CORVETTE" letters. It takes several wipes, using the rag wrapped around a finger tightly. Apply gasoline, wipe, etc, being very careful not to wipe the caliper itself. The calipers still looked like they did the day I did them when I sold the car almost 3 years later.