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So thinking of painting the ole gals calipers since I have run out of mods. What have you guys found to be the best way, easiest way and what brands. I think the spray application should come out better but more work masking everything off, the G2 paint on with brush sounds the easiest but how does it look when finished ?? And what brands have the better results ??
Its too much $$$ to have them powder coated
Any help appreciated
The easiest is to brush them with a ceramic caliper paint. They will turn out fine. there are many threads here on the Forum on how to and results. Spraying them with a ceramic caliper paint works very well but the prep time for taping everything can be time consuming. The secret to a good outcome is to get the caliper squeaky clean before you apply the pained let them dry for 24+ hours before driving.(The brake dust will make your newly painted calipers look dull and dirty). After the paint is dry take some #2000 and paper on a block and carefully stand the CORVETTE letters on the front calipers, which also polishes them at the same time. Powder coat is the best but can be a little pricey. Check out the threads on this by using the search function. at the top of the page
I did mine years ago with a $5 rattle can. They eventually get brake dust and dirt embedded no matter what method you use, short of cleaning them after every drive. So every 10-20K miles I re-spray to freshen them like new again. If you spend more time cleaning than driving, the method doesn't make a difference.
Prep is always key. I've used the brush method with fantastic results, but went with the spray method on my Vette. Brass brush with copious amounts of brake cleaner coupled with taping off everything you don't want painted, to include paper for the larger areas, took about fifteen minutes per wheel. I used a little chapstik on the letters and found it not completely necessary, though it did make paint removal that much easier. For the lettering, I used q-tips, thinner and a little patience and ended up with perfect results. For maintenance, I keep a toothbrush in my wash bucket that I use to get between my spokes and scrub them clean once a week or so. Rain is really the only thing that makes the dust stick. Definitely worth it, just take your time!
I wish I was patient enough to paint this well. Have you priced getting the calipers powder coated? When I have done my Mustangs in the past I don’t recall it being overly expensive. I’m struggling right now with what color to do, my car is Atomic Orange and my go to red just doesn’t seem like it will look right....
I painted mine on my GS almost 2 years ago with the G2 kit. Like everyone else has said the prep in the key. I washed mine with soap and water first then the brake dust that wouldn't come off I used brake cleaner to finish cleaning. I scuffed the calipers, cleaned them again with brake cleaner and then applied 2 coats of G2. The brush that came in the kit was rather small so before starting I went to Walmart and bought a 1" brush for .99. I did end up using the Walmart brush which saved time. I let them dry overnight and put my corvette decals on them, they look great! If you have a GS, you need to get the decals, if not you can use sandpaper on the letters.
Go to a paint store and have them mix you a 2k setup in a can from PPG. This is true automotive paint, just like you'd mix and spray from a HVLP gun, except it's all contained in the one can. Remove popper from the top, press to the bottom to mix and it's good for about 12 hours. Since you're using true paint, cleaning and prep is key. If you go with a single stage the paint will hold up to about 600* and the cost should be around $30-40
I used the brush on G2 paint. Very satisfied with the results.I'd suggest not painting over the Torx bolt heads in case you want to take the calipers apart sometime...
G2 paint
Last edited by Garry in AZ; 10-17-2018 at 07:37 PM.
I used the brush on G2 paint. Very satisfied with the results.I'd suggest not painting over the Torx bolt heads in case you want to take the calipers apart sometime...
G2 paint
That looks good Garry I'm sort of torn between yellow of Bright blue Youget the decals off EBay ??
NSF
10-16-2018, 09:56 PM
Caliper painting opinions
I'm sort of torn between yellow of Bright blue 
Youget the decals off EBay ??
