1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Brake Calipers: to Paint or Powder Coat?

I have used Dupli-colors ceramic paint and it looks great and lasts as long as you add a couple of layers. It's a lot cheaper than powder coating and much easier to keep clean and touch up if you chip them.

Also powder coating will get too warm and soft and let brake dust bake into the powder coating making them look like crap after a while. Once this happens you will not be able to get the powder coating clean without media blasting them and re power coating them again.

 

Funny that this comes up again right after I asked it.

Dave I see the main box that has caliper cleaner and an 8oz can of paint. Is that going to be enough to take of 4 brake calipers for a couple coats? Or shall I get an extra can of paint?

 

I sprayed mine with some high temp spray paint, I think it was ceramic Duplicolor. Seems to be holding up fine I am a fan of powder coat, but seems kinda overkill for some calipers.

 

Ditto, don't bother powder coating them, either the already mentioned Dupli-Color ceramic or any specific caliper paint.
I used this:
http://www.detroittuned.com/g2-caliper-paint/
Has held up phenomenally and brushes on, levels very well. One kit did all 4.

 

Yeah you will have lots of paint left over after because you are brushing it on.

Here are a few helpful tips:

Do not use the brush that come with the kit because it is crap and the bristles fall out and get stuck in the paint. :mad2::mad5:
Just go to any home craft store like Michaels and buy a good small artist paint brush or two for a few bucks. The bristles are better and do not fall out and screw up your paint job. If the brush has a long handle just cut 3/4 off so it easier to work with.

Have a heat gun near buy and do several thin coats and flash dry them with the heat gun. It will save you on drips and runs and decrease your dry time.

Do not use tape or paper to mask stuff off it just makes a mess.

I just a small roll of Aluminum foil and wrap it around or stick it in between things I don't want painted. Remember you are brushing so you do not have to worry about overspray unless you are like Michael J Fox with a paint brush.

Last but not least don't worry about getting paint on your brake rotors. Because when you are done you can easily hand turn your rotors and wipe them clean with brake cleaner or my favorite "Lacquer thinner" before you put your wheels back on.

Good luck and post up some pictures when you are done.

 

The G2 paint is good for a primer layer because it is flat and holds really well.

The Dupli-color ceramic paint "when dry and cured" will look exactly like it was powder coated after a few layers.

It's what I have on mine and everyone thinks mine are powder coated. :lol:

 

Dave's covered it all. I used the Dupli-color on my WRX, my MINI, and my wife's ST. It looks great and pasts a long time. As Dave said don't use the brush that comes with it.

 

Or, if you value your time more than your money... just take them to the local powder coater, wait a few days, and DONE. And they'll be done forever.
Most good places will have like a $100 minimum, which will usually cover all your calipers. They'll blast the parts and everything. I good an extremely nasty set of caliper brackets to my coater and they magically became perfect. For $100.

If you're looking at a $100 price difference between professional painting vs. powder coating, you may want to find a different powder coater...

 

Nope ^^^

Powder coating will get too warm and soft and let brake dust bake into the powder coating making them look like crap after a while. Once this happens you will not be able to get the powder coating clean without media blasting them and re power coating them again.

Done it, seen it and will not do it again. :ihih::frown2:

 

Depends on the type of Powder coat, low temp vs high temp. Factory brake powder coat holds up well....

 

All powder coats are not made equal... Some are made different... Pick the right one for the right application...

Same applies to paint.... Don't use latex paint on your brake calipers... You will get a chuckle from your peers,,,

 

100% Correct.

Cheap Powder coat places use the cheep low temp stuff. The job done right by a quality powder coater with the good stuff will cost way more than Dupli-color ceramic paint and your own time. Done correctly every part will need to be disassembled, blasted, coated, and re assembled. Then you have to put them back on and bleed everything with new fluid.

Painting can be done on the car.

I do agree any manufacturer powder coated parts will be much better because they are done correctly long before the brakes are assembled and used.