What's best to freshen up faded brake calipers?

[Si_GTi]

Guys (and gals!)

My brake calipers are a fetching faded red/pink colour these days and with the Borbets going on they will be much more visible (they've been tucked away behind G60 steels for over two years!). I had an idea of perhaps sourcing a complete set of replacement calipers from another GTi being broken, then getting these professionally powder coated in a gloss red. The alternative is to try and clean them up whilst they are still on the car!

For those who have cleaned their brake calipers up, what did you use/how did you do it?

Incidentally - tyres are being ordered Monday morning, wheels should then be on at end of next week and the G60s are going to a temporary home on a mate's atlas grey BBM mk2 Golf! Whilst the wheels are off it would be a good time for me to give some TLC to my brakes

Cheers

[Bradley]

I'd be careful getting them powdercoated,things get pretty damn hot down there so could possibly crack.Theres a guy on here trottagti think he's a sprayer so could give you some advice.

I'd just key up the old calipers with some sandpaper and use halfords red high temperature paint to freshen them up.It will get them looking like new again mate.

Hope ive helped.

[tegwin]

Dont try painting them on the car... it would end up a right mess...

You could either remove them from the car, strip off the carriers etc and wirebrush/sand them back as best you can to bare metal and then use some enamel paint.... If you take your time that could look good... but I dont think the finish would last very long...

Or...

Send the calipers to BigRed (google them).... get them to do a full strip and have them polymer coated in postbox red... the finish is amazing, bullet proof and will last... They did my TVR callipers in black polymer coating and they still look really nice! Expensive... but worth it!

[Polo96CL]

I've got some foliatech caliper paint, wasn't cheap at £23 a set but the finish is great and looks very OEM.

[Si_GTi]

tegwin, what you've suggested with BigRed looks like my best bet, it is expensive but I'm sure its worth it. Been on the website - http://www.biggred.co.uk/ - and it looks like it will cost about £250 plus the cost of the calipers. Now I know some of my fellow members will think thats a crazy price to pay but the end result looks top!

In the meantime, I'll give the calipers as much of a clean as I can without removing them.

[joe2612]

I Used high temp halfrauds paint aswell, did mine yesterday actually, will upload some pics tommorow but after 2-3 coats they look quality! not worth paying the extra to have them professionally done in my opinion..

[Si_GTi]

Some pictures would be good, thanks Joe!

[mwarner87]

I wanted to do this too. they dont look good pinky/red!

I tried to get rid of as much much off yesterday with the powerwash. I knew it was flaky and this happened



Only on the rear offside though, makes me want to get them back to a fresh glossy red even more now. Im a real amateur at car stuff, so i wouldnt want to take them off. this do-able?

[nigelelliott394]

I've never done it before, but I would imagine it's completely do-able while they're still on the car. Providing you have it up on axel stands and maybe out of the wind/rain I would give it a go alright. In the words of Clarkson, How hard can it be?

[joe2612]

As promised Si, here's what mine look like after some degreasing, sanding down with very fine grade of sand paper, and three coats of paint: ( i also did mine on the car, with a steady hand and patience it really isen't that hard!)

[Tim_GTi]

Getting them sent off for £250 sounds like a waste of money mate!

I like to do things right just like you, and I painted mine on whilst they were on the car with no problem. Took me a day, with one axle stand and a jack. That was over 2 years ago and they still look brand new after a quick clean with a toothbrush.

I used halfords caliper paint using a brush. I gave them a good clean and sand before hand too.

This was them day after they were done:



I haven't got any recent pics of them, but trust they look just as good.

[duke750]

Hey all,

I'm going to give this ago on Sunday, any advice people. So far I have on my shopping list:

1. Wire brush
2. Sand paper (what grade shoudl I use and what type?)
3. Halfrauds yellow high tempurature paint.
4. Paint brush - What size should I get?

Have seen that some people have talked about buying grease, what's this used for and how?

I also read somewhere that some kind of grease can be used to stop the brakes squeaking, how is this done? Is it easy? I'm a complete novice so will not be takign the brake calipers off the car.

Harry