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Help Painting my calipers

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Old 02-16-06, 11:08 PM
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Question Help Painting my calipers

Hey guys does any body have any good tips on painting brake calipers I’m going
to be using the paintbrush kit. What im trying to do is to make the Mazda word on the caliper stay silver but it really isn’t silver right know how do you guys get it to be silver looking? If any body have a step by step with pics that be great.
Thanks
Old 02-16-06, 11:18 PM
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The front calipers are aluminum. After you paint them, let them dry overnight.

Next day use a sanding block with some wet/dry sand paper & lightly sand the paint off the raised letters.

Switch to a fine grade paper to get a brite finish.

Tada
Old 02-16-06, 11:20 PM
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Just like this.
Attached Thumbnails Help Painting my calipers-p2030016.jpg  
Old 02-17-06, 01:37 AM
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After the sanding give them a good buffing process with metal polish and you will see what a bright silver you will get. I have painted mine a year ago and they are still sun bright.
Old 02-17-06, 03:47 AM
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i would use primere first!thats if your painting red!! use gray primere the paint settles easy!! then paint it red!1 make sure you hang the calipers while you paint!!and make sure you hang them really well so they dont fall off!!
Old 02-17-06, 04:05 AM
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I never had any luck with the paint sticking very well unless I sandblasted the calipers clean first. Used 2 coats of caliper primer. First primer coat is just a peppering with 50% coverage. Second coat 100% coverage. Repeat the two coats with the caliper red. Allow to dry for 24+ hours. Drive the car to allow the paint to heat cycle a few times. After that you can sand the lettering clean and put a light coat of clear over it to seal it.
Old 02-17-06, 06:38 AM
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I wire brushed my calipers and then washed them with thinner before spraying. I had no need to use primer. Just applied the 6 light coats one 15minutes after the other.
Old 02-17-06, 08:34 AM
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http://www.clubrx.org/default.asp?id...ntent=37&mnu=5

There's my writeup. Cheap and easy to do, mine were done almost a year ago and they still look great. That will also show you how to get the Mazda logo shiny.

Dale
Old 02-17-06, 05:52 PM
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Talking

Thanks guys very good hints. I most likely do my calipers to knight
Old 02-17-06, 08:05 PM
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Polished calipers an alternative to paint

Originally Posted by vellj001
After the sanding give them a good buffing process with metal polish and you will see what a bright silver you will get. I have painted mine a year ago and they are still sun bright.
You could do this too.


Old 02-17-06, 08:50 PM
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^^^ Now there's a man with an extreme amount of free time on his hands!! But they do look nice!
Old 02-17-06, 08:59 PM
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I

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Damn! Those polished ones look sweet!
Old 02-17-06, 09:15 PM
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My calipers were done with Testors model paint justlike Dale's. Mone are red though. It is easy to do. No worrying about overspray and the paint has lasted a few years without touch up too.
Old 02-17-06, 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by snkydvl
Damn! Those polished ones look sweet!

Thank you very much ! ! !! They could have been better as they were a little rushed (-:
Old 02-18-06, 12:18 AM
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Dale, that is a nice website you have
I have never seen it before
Sorry to hijack the thread, I just had to compliment the hard work
Old 02-18-06, 12:37 AM
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Yeah! that Testor's paint did work well. Mine gets a bit dirty with all the brake dust... but the dirt brushes right off
Old 02-18-06, 10:23 AM
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I used testors black. I did it a year ago and they still look new.
Old 02-20-06, 10:38 PM
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I'm almost finished with mine. I used a Dremel to sand off the small Sumitomo letters and then used VHT red caliper spray paint in 4 coats. I finished it off with Testors white paint to the Mazda letters. I'll probably spray on a coat of high temp clearcoat as well.

I'm really glad I didn't settle for the Duplicolor paint on brush set, seeing as it doesn't look like you could avoid brush strokes in the paint.
Attached Thumbnails Help Painting my calipers-img_1900s.jpg   Help Painting my calipers-img_1901s.jpg   Help Painting my calipers-img_1902s.jpg  
Old 02-20-06, 11:25 PM
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to strip the calipers before prime and paint you can go to an auto parts and get aircraft coating remover. it will strip anything and everything.
Old 02-20-06, 11:27 PM
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does anyone know of a good clear coat that wont turn white after you spray it?
Old 02-21-06, 04:34 AM
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[QUOTE=CantGoStraight]You could do this too.


I did that but only for the mazda wording. I wanted my calipers to be red to contrast with my polished aluminum rims. All chrome calipers would have blanded too much an not stan out.
Old 02-21-06, 06:27 PM
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Talking Hey those are my Calipers

Originally Posted by CantGoStraight
You could do this too.



I got them on last weekend. They look great!!! Jack I sent you a PM, more parts to polish... I will post pics with the calipers on later.

Garrick
Old 02-21-06, 06:44 PM
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Once i get some free time i am going to paint with testors red.
Old 02-21-06, 10:25 PM
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Man those polished ones look ******* nice.
Old 02-21-06, 10:49 PM
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The painting part looks covered. As for the Mazda lettering, you can also use a wire brush wheel on the end of a dremel to get them silver. These calipers were done with Hi-Temp red engine paint from Advance Auto Parts.

BTW: This picture is also a good example of why one needs larger rotors when going with larger wheels
Attached Thumbnails Help Painting my calipers-cwest-004.jpg  

Last edited by quicksilver_rx7; 02-21-06 at 10:53 PM.


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