Suggestions on restoring the front OEM brake calipers. Paint has faded and the Corvette letters barely visible.

 

Original non z06 are raw metal, with painted letters. Z06 are red and I don't know how the letter are.
sanding the letter face with mild sandpaper will make them stand out.
you have plenty of threads related to calipers, run a search.
TCFS

 

There are several different options for restoring the look of your calipers.
A lot of members here have used the G2 brush on paint; a wide variety of caliper colors. This painting can be done with the calipers on or off the car.
There are also many different high temp spray on paints; I have even known people to use BBQ grill paint. I know some have done the spray painting while the calipers are still on the car, but I would prefer to have my calipers off the car and tape off areas where you do not want the paint to go.
Another option is to powder coat your calipers. You may just have to do a google search to find businesses in your area that do powder coating. You definitely have to have the calipers off the car for the powder coating. Some powder coating companies will disassemble your calipers; others will require the calipers be disassembled when you drop them off.
Once the calipers are painted, you can simply take a razor blade and carefully scrape the paint off the tops of the letters. Removing the paint this way, or by carefully using a grinding wheel will normally bring out the aluminum color of the "Corvette" on your front calipers.
Best wishes with your project!

EDIT: TCFS beat me to answering, and mentioned using sandpaper as a way to remove the paint and let the "Corvette" show up. Great that he gave you another option for removing the paint.

Also, if you google "youtube painting corvette calipers" you will come up with 10-12 different videos addressing painting brake calipers.

 

Painting them is the cheapest route, but I would recommend having them powder coated. Powder coating is more durable, so you're less likely to have this problem again in the future. TPS Motorsports is a fantastic vendor for this. You can choose your color, and they have various options for the lettering as well. I was very happy with their work.

 

I did mine by hand, epoxy paint, on the car. It was a pain, they were red, had to brush them, take away the paint, took a loooonnng time rolling on the floor. Then had to mask and paint....and wait for the 2 components paint to cure for 24h....
even though it was still the most convenient for me, not having a garage in which I can leave the car without wheels on, or do any mechanical work....I had to find a friend's garage and a friend's driveway I could borrow for a few hours at a time or even overnight.
not complicated, just time consuming....and not very fun.
to buy a set of repainted renovated ones is a good way to go IMHO.
TCFS

 

Another option is to use the MGP Corvette caliper covers, if you want to take the easy route. They're not as cheesy looking, in my opinion, as most here in the forum think they are.

 

I recommend going with powdercoating - will look great, can choose from a lot of different colors and lasts much longer than paint. But, using a good quality caliper paint kit is a cheaper method to get a nice look to the calipers. You just need to ensure that you prep the calipers properly - a really good cleaning will help with paint adhesion.

 

I had my 2000 calipers and brackets powder coated. Did it locally and I rebuilt the calipers at this time also. Lots of color choices too! Good luck!

 

Due to the age of a C5's brake calipers, do any of you recommend replacing the pistons as well when rebuilding them? How much pitting on the piston is considered normal before it's replaced? Are the pistons easy to source along with the seals and boots?

 

PLEASE don't put these AWFUL caliper covers on your car! PLEASE PLEASE just DON"T DO IT!!! You would be better off just leaving the calipers as they are rather than using these crimes against Corvettes. It's your car, and you can do whatever you want to it. Just remember that the VAST majority of Corvette owners look at these covers with derision. Even if they don't say anything to you, they'll laugh at you behind you back. They're very clearly fake, and make it look like you're trying to make people think that you have a BBK (when you clearly don't). In reality, anyone who might be fooled into thinking you have a BBK is someone who doesn't care enough to even notice that you have them. Everyone else will think you're a poser. Please...don't be THAT guy. Plus, these covers limit the air flow around your calipers. This can lead to faster heat soak, and actually make your brakes less effective. Is it really worth it?

 

That looks awesome! Thank you for the pics!

 

I just cleaned mine and repainted them and then sanded the letters. Not a big fan of red calipers so mine are now black.

 

That looks great in black, too. I'm rethinking the color of my calipers as well. Red seems to be overdone already. What other caliper colors would work with Torch Red? I was leaning towards perhaps burnt orange or slightly darker yellow to be different.

 

Today I'm in the process of painting them. One side done, working on the other. I'll post pics of the completed project, but here's a taste. Sanded with wire wheel, cleaned with brake fluid, 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of red and 2 coats of clear. Scraped the paint off the letters with a razor blade.

 

I wasn't going to do that. I believe those don't do the car justice, just my opinion. Posted a pic today.

 

That looks pretty good, too. Which brand paint kit are you using? Dupli-color?

 

I used VHT engine paint I bought from Autozone. The primer, color and clear. It will be interesting to see how long it holds up.

 

10000miles paint and going strong..
TCFS