Does anyone know a preferably "safe" method of removing the clearcoat from our brake calipers prior to painting?!? I got one of those kits from tirerack, but after taking everything apart, I noticed that the factory paint is all chipped up. I assume this is the clearcoat chipping off?!? I would like to get all this mung off there before trying to repaint them to ward off the possibility of future chipping (or uneven paint)

Also.....how many people used clear coat over top of their caliper paint kits??? if you used clear...how long did you wait after the caliper paint dried to apply it? and would u use it again?

Thanks in advance!!!!

 

thry this link

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...ght=duplicolor

my user name is jcalhoun. I have a lot of pics of how I did mine. I had the exact same problem. The break cleaner is very good. Just be careful of any overspray because it WILL remove paint and clearcoat. Be expected to spend 30 minutes per caliper because prep work is key. I used some fine grit sandpaper and a wire brush and I got them back to the base.

hope this helps,

Jarrod

 

this is the exact page 1/2 way down
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...ght=duplicolor

 

before you start this project, there could be a chance you will invest a ton of time and they will look like ****e.

i would not do it (ie been there done that). get a hold of sandoval on the forum and have him ship you a set of the color of your choice. it's like $500 or something like that and they look perfect.

i haven't seen a home done paint job that didn't look bad up close.

 

You can do a home job with good results if you take your time.

 

a, the paint on stuff never looks right.
b, to do it right means they have to be properly cleaned and prepped, which is almost impossible while on the car
c, you just can't get to all the parts on the caliper while it's still on the car so then it's more just the parts you can see or get to with your brush or paint can.

if you must go this route, at least find a shop that will pull them off and let you paint them yourself there. it looks so hokey when you get up close and only the front of the caliper is painted.

not to mention the brush on stuff lumps really bad on our smooth calipers. i tried it not once, but twice on my car. looks like ***. i did it on my bmw (which doesn't have smooth caliper surface) and it came out okay.

these are nice cars. just spend the $500 and sandoval will send you a set that looks brand spankin' new with decals and everything. works out nicely if it was time to change your brake fluid anyway.

 

I second that 10 times. With Sandoval you get totally R&Red calipers - he takes them apart, powder coats them and rebuilds them with new seals and boots. It's the best $500 you'll spend.

 

did you get new seals and boots?

 

I'll see when they get here, but that is what Eric told me.

 

i need to ask him if he did mine. that is one thing i never thought to ask him when the calipers done. since it's a core exchange you never know how old the calipers and seals are. new seals would negate any issues as they would be brand new calipers, more or less.

 

I painted both my cars...my old Boxster and my current 996....Yes you can tell if you are less than 3 inches from the caliper....but with the wheels on...its IMPOSSIBLE to tell....I was all set to order a set of calipers but said I'd try this for $30...if you do it right and take your time, you will not tell....

 

everything is relative i suppose. beauty beholder and all that. i can usally spot the home made jobs pretty quick, no matter how much time you take.

granted, rolling down the street no one is going to know. however, get up close and you can tell. it's almost impossible to get it all covered with the brush on stuff and the calipers mounted. unless you go the spray route and mask your car and the inner fender area. even then you usually get some overspray on the rotors. it's by no means a 20 min job.

not to mention if you do the brush on, you have to have all four wheels off at the same time. the whole thing is just a pain....

for the time and effort, $500 was well spent for an oem looking job with little to no effort on my part

 

Yes true, and its funny, that I thought my calipers were PERFECT before, but they were peeling and flaking like crazy....guess the brake dust covered all that....you would be amazed what 2 or 3 year old factory calipers look like....for me $30 and a day was worth it....if I screwed up, then $500 would have been sent.....

 

That was pretty much what sold me. He breaks them all the way down, powder coats the pieces, then reassembles with new new seals and boots. I thought the same thing about the core exchange, but with new seals and boots, and his attention to detail, it was a no brainer.

 

Sandoval did mine - new seals, boots, stickers. They look great and were well worth the money.