2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Painting Calipers; Cool or Taboo?

Randy do you take the calipers off when you do it?

 

Looks good and a very nice choice in body color. Funny about apologising for a dirty car. We're the same way, don't like to be seen in public not looking our best.

 

Archive MINI pictures

Rears:





Fronts:

 

Here's the rear on mine. Did all 4 corners. I like the look with the BRG, and they are super easy to keep clean.

I used the Dupli-Color stuff that Wally World used to carry. Just clean 'em real good, blow 'em dry with either a compressor or a leaf blower, and then just take your time and brush the paint on as the instructions say.

I did my '02 and the paint looked great for years.

Like Chuck said, "It's your MINI, do as you please."

....Les

 

I had a black 2003 M5 before digging into MINI's. Great car...you will enjoy the power and the ride. Congrats!

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Look's great!

 

MONICA, you get a exemption. You paint em' Hot Pink! :cornut:

 

I did mine up, red of course

Tip I got, and it looks like Lynn got the same one, paint the heads/tops of the brake rotors. Prevents rust and adds a extra splash of color to boot!

 

I gotta agree, if YOU like it, do it! I'll be doing mine soon. The Clubbie is Laser Blue and I'm thinking either silver or red. I like it, if someone else doesn't, it's their problem.

 

What color are your calipers now? Mine are already silver...or is that more grey?

 

I've got a mellow yellow/black MINI, with black rims(to match the rest of my blacked out mods). Really considering doing this (if it's not complex, i would love to do it myself without screwing up!) Thinking yellow... Anyone give me the right brand name paint, and a step by step to do it?

 

Me neither. I always thought painting calipers was a bit rice/ghetto. Then I did it on the rears of our JCW to match the fronts and yellow on all four corners on our vert. I came to realize that it wasn't the activity but the execution that made it look rice. With proper prep and attention to detail, there is nothing wrong with it.

 

I used a brand by Sherwin Williams called Dupli-Color. Directions are easy to follow. Like all painting it's in the prep work.

I liked the results. I'm planning on a touch up this spring, the kit comes with plenty of paint

I think I got is on Amazon

 

How much would/should powder coating cost?

Is there any benefit to doing that instead of the paint?

Anyone have detailed how to for prepping the parts?

 

I'm sure you can powder coat but you would have to tear down the calipers quite a bit, more so that painting

Kits come with very detailed instructions

Take your time with the pre paint and overall process and I think you'll like the results. I'd make sure you get as much of the caked on brake dust as you can, if you have a build up.

My kit came with a can of break clean, might consider a second can if you have really caked on calipers

 

Ive been happy with red. every now and then I have to retouch some little spots, but its only the Duplicolor kit



and back before the wheels went black

 

High heat Powder Coating is very durable and in most cases (imo) looks better than painting? However you must do a complete uninstalling of all the internal parts and seals. For the OEM fronts there are seal kits. For the rear 1st generation R50/R53 it is not possible to get a re-build kit they are NS (none serviceable) calipers. When I did my rear I machined up special tools to be able to rebuild mine enabling them to be powder coated. I do not recommend this for anyone!


My disc's / rotors were treated with a coating to protect the finish and not harm them.


Archived Pictures:
the surface for braking.

 

VW calipers are the same way. That is awesome that you did that. I ruined a set of VW rear calipers trying to do the same. I ended up powdercoating the carriers and painting the calipers, but I really wish I could have powdercoated everything.