Painting Brake Callipers

[Guest]

Having had a look through the " favourite 944 enhancements" section, I fancy having a go at painting my brake callipers red.
Pardon my ignorance on the matter, but is it advisable to remove the callipers to do this or can they be painted in situ? [8|]

 

[944Turbo]

I would recommend removing them, it is relatively easy to do and makes the painting much easier. The easy bleed kit from Halfords is very good for bleeding the brakes when you put them back together as well.
Tony

 

[Guest]

OK. Thanks for that.
Will give it a go!

 

[John Sims]

OK chaps, I' ve got my Halfords brake painting kit - an authentic red.

What is the prescribed method of picking out the lettering? Do I need another colur of brake paint or have others had success with lesser products?

 

[Guest]

Guessing what you are doing from above (!)

I would think that if the lettering is raised or embossed, paint this first (i.e white or red).

Then go round the raised or sunken edges of the text with a fine brush and the red paint so you get more accuracy.

Finally I' d go over the rest of the caliper with a larger brush to finish it off.

I' d like to see how you get on! ...Good luck!

Also, if the lettering is a transfer, paint the base caliper red. It may be possible to get some transfers made up, stick them on and lacquer over the whole lot to seal them in (??? any painters here ???). You' d need to check and make sure that the material of the transfer is suitable to paint over, and not react and melt.

 

[Guest]

...but I have no experinece in doing this so check anyway!!!

 

[944Turbo]

The red paint is very ' gloopy' and thick, so I put that on first, then when it was dry, I used an ordinary white touch up paint to highlight the letters. I found any errors could be scraped away when dry, then once the white was dry I gave it a couple of thin coats of clear laquer. The white on mine is not brilliant close up - I rushed it I was off to the Nurburgring and needed brakes back on the car - but standing beside the car it looks fine.
Tony

 

[John Sims]

Tony,

I was wondering if a touch up paint would do the job but was concerned that it would burn during moments of extreme excitement[]

After looking at the callipers more closely, the original lettering is raised with the top milled off back to the metal, giving a silver finish. I had thought of painting the calliper first and then, when dry, filing the paint off the surface of the letters. How hard does the lacquer get, would it allow filing after, say, 24 hrs.

 

[Diver944]

John,

The closeup picture on the forum is one of Martyns and he picked out the raised ' Porsche' logo with white enamel. There is a closeup picture of Tonys somewhere on the titanic gallery at www.titanic.co.uk/944

I' d post you a link, but I' m at home on a modem dialup today so it would take me ages to find it [8D]

Personally I think filing the red off back to the metal would not look as good as the white. How about trying the white first and if it' s rubbish then file off to the metal []

 

[944Turbo]

Hi John,

I was wondering if a touch up paint would do the job but was concerned that it would burn during moments of extreme excitement

After looking at the callipers more closely, the original lettering is raised with the top milled off back to the metal, giving a silver finish. I had thought of painting the calliper first and then, when dry, filing the paint off the surface of the letters. How hard does the lacquer get, would it allow filing after, say, 24 hrs.

At the ring I blued my brake discs and caused my brake fluid to expand back out of the master cylinder so things were getting a tad warm, the white paint was unharmed - I guess the outside of the calipers stays relatively cool.
I think milling or filling would be possible but it would risk chipping the red. I would of thought you would still need a clear laquer to stop the brake dust / wheel cleaner attacking the metal and getting under the edges of the red and I assume the laquer has a similar resistance (or lack of it) to heat as the touch up paint or enamel .

Tony

 

[John Sims]

Thanks for your comments chaps.

The, paint red then overpaint lettering in white enamel or white touch-up paint camp have it. I am convinced[]

I' ll let you know how I get on in due course.

 

[John Sims]

At the ring I blued my brake discs and caused my brake fluid to expand back out of the master cylinder so things were getting a tad warm,

I do like a good brake cooking story[]

Mine is on the lines of:-

Demo day at Snetterton for the British Heart Foundation, yours truly chasing Aston Martin Vantage and all manner of exotica in nothing more than my humble Lux. Ruturn to pits after embarassing said AM to be greeted with smoke comming out of Lux front wheels. This is continued to do for about ten minutes.[][][]