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Painted Brake Calipers

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yknot

Hobbies: Hot Rods & Shooting
Not sure how many of you Boss owners or GT Owners with Brembo Brakes, like the flat balck caliper color Ford decided to go with....But I personally hate it. They look dirty all the time, no matter if you keep your car clean or not. Every other top performing car that uses Brembo brakes, like Ferarri, porche, Audi, and so on, use nicely painted, Red, Blue, Yellow or Grey calipers. So why did Ford think Mustang owners would like the dull, boring and dirty flat black??
It must have been a Bean Counter issue?. ?. As no real Performance guy or gal would have those dirty looking things on there ride. I have run into this issue before, but never on a car with a name brand caliper like Brembo. Maybe it's just me? I'm not sure, do you like the black calipers on the Boss 302 series of vehicles ?? I think they are very nice parts, and I would like to show them off like they should be seen, so I decided to remove my calipers, and the supporting brackets, and have them professionally painted. They were removed, plugged, masked, glass bead blasted down to the base aluminum metal, then painted. I know there are many easier and cheaper way to accomplish this look, but personally I don't think there is any better way, then to do it like every other performance vehicle company does, ...except for Ford ofcoarse. The cheap brush on paints are not what I invissioned or wanted, they have many drawbacks and are not the right finish, nor is cheap rattle can paint. The job is time consuming, in that is would take a shop with the equipment needed about 6 hours to do, but once done right, the look will out last the brake system.
What do you think.?? Is this an improvment over the factory OEM Look? Color is a personal choice, and or may be related to your favorite brand. I think as long as your happy and the parts still function like OEM, then go for it. Though I would referr to have the color remain within the Brembo color line, offered around the world.
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Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
do you have a pic? i dont care for the flat color either. I would like gloss black and white letters. thinking about swapping to the gt500 calipers as they look nicer.
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
I'm really considering matching mine to the car's body (yellow blaze). Since I have dark wheels, it would make a really nice accent, and mine just seem to get more and more stained with time.

I don't think painting it will cause it to retain much meaningful heat or otherwise degrade performance in any meaningful manner.
 
I painted mine red and like how they look through the rims. When I get my new wheels I think they'll stand out more. I thought I had some pics but cant find them.
 

yknot

Hobbies: Hot Rods & Shooting
I'm sorry...I can not seem to get a picture to post??? Yes, I did paint them...I choose to use Brembo yellow, it is a very close match to School Bus Yellow. Personally, I think Ford dropped the ball on this issue. While them seem to take great pains in part selection for everything else, the calipers were overlooked. Really, I can think of no other car that uses Brembo brakes, that does not use one of the 5 main colors, all in a gloss finish. I know they are only 4 piston and not the 6-piston top of the line brakes, but the total product would have looked much better with a finish colored painted caliper.
This is not my first set of calipers to paint, and I have used many methods....but to be honest, the easiest methods are simply not the best methods. As they will peel, and fad very fast. The best way I have found is to paint the calipers with quality urethane or have them powder coated. Cheap brush or rattle can paints will not last and can cause problems, especially if you allow the paint to get on the rubber seals.

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I guess I'm the only one who thinks calipers are a necessary evil and to paint them just highlights a part that shouldn't be a focus of attention. Kinda like putting those fancy aluminum or chrome gas doors to me.
 
yknot said:
Not sure how many of you Boss owners or GT Owners with Brembo Brakes, like the flat balck caliper color Ford decided to go with....

Much better than the red color...

They will turn brown regardless of paint once they get some heat in them..

Sew on and sew forth.

VTBoss302
 

yknot

Hobbies: Hot Rods & Shooting
You know I have the feeling that most owners have the ideal that anything they do to their brakes is only temporary and will fad, burn or wear off. This does not have to be the case, you can do a professional job on your brake calipers and have them last years and years....It all depends on your attitude toward the project and your product selection. Personally if you're going to half/aszz it, then why do anything at all?? Dulpli-color, Tech-3 and many other paints are a waste of money and time. They are the quick way, to mediocre results that make everyone not want to get involved. it does not have to be that way. Most every other manufacturer, from Porches, Audi, Lambo to Ferrari and McLaren, use Brembo brake calipers and rotors....and everyone of these Calipers are painted a very nice color with quality products that last the life of the part. Yes, you should clean the surface when you wash the car, but that's minimal work and common sense ( maybe Not??) . The color of the caliper has nothing to do with its performance, but it does have everything to do with appearance. And every performance car should look it's best.
The Calipers are very easy to remove, simply disconnect the brake line, and remove 2 (two) mounting bolts....how simple can that get? The back calipers are just as easy, except you have a brake cable to disconnect as well, very easy stuff. Now, plug the opening for the brake line, once you have drained the old fluid out, and remove the brake pads. I like to use masking tape to cover the pistons and seals when blasting and again when painting, again a very simple straight foreword deal. The calipers can be blasted, I use glass beads, but sand or walnut shells can be used. The results are a completely clean and unpainted surface, ready for paint, once cleaned. The factory flat black paint is very easy to remove, and you end up with beautiful aluminum calipers in the raw. I cover the pistons & seals, but also the bleaders with small vacuum tube covers. Once blasted clean, go over the surface with a wax & grease remover, several times, we need these clean. I even spray the entire caliper with brake cleaner at first to remove the dust, dirt and grime left over from blasting.
Paint choice should be a quality Urethane Enamel, I like the 2-part type paints as they are very durable, Imron, House Of Kolor are a few very good paints to go with. You can custom match the car color or stay with the traditional Brembo colors, which are Gloss Black, Blue, Red, Yellow & Silver.

I have painted many calipers before, and if done right with quality paint and care, they last as long as the part. Brembo decals are available on line and really accent the caliper with a professional touch. Correct decals will last while cheap repro's will not.....
The easy and cheap methods of painting these parts simply don't work very well. The end result is not glass smooth, reliable or long lasting. If you're going to do this, take the time to do it right. I know most prefer the leave the caliper on the car, and brush on or spray can on a coating, but your simply wasting your time, money and doing the car a dis-service. There are many body shops that will take on a project like this, or you can remove the calipers and send them out for excellent results. In the end, there is no reason to half-azz the job and take your Boss 302 down with the lack of quality workmanship....If you do not have the skill set or motivation to do it right, I would leave them alone and go with what you have. On the other hand, if you're willing to spend a few hours working on the calipers, you can turn the ugly brake calipers into a very nice looking set of real Brembo calipers, as seen on today's world class cars.
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
yknot said:
You know I have the feeling that most owners have the ideal that anything they do to their brakes is only temporary and will fad, burn or wear off. This does not have to be the case, you can do a professional job on your brake calipers and have them last years and years....It all depends on your attitude toward the project and your product selection. Personally if you're going to half/aszz it, then why do anything at all?? Dulpli-color, Tech-3 and many other paints are a waste of money and time. They are the quick way, to mediocre results that make everyone not want to get involved. it does not have to be that way. Most every other manufacturer, from Porches, Audi, Lambo to Ferrari and McLaren, use Brembo brake calipers and rotors....and everyone of these Calipers are painted a very nice color with quality products that last the life of the part. Yes, you should clean the surface when you wash the car, but that's minimal work and common sense ( maybe Not??) . The color of the caliper has nothing to do with its performance, but it does have everything to do with appearance. And every performance car should look it's best.
The Calipers are very easy to remove, simply disconnect the brake line, and remove 2 (two) mounting bolts....how simple can that get? The back calipers are just as easy, except you have a brake cable to disconnect as well, very easy stuff. Now, plug the opening for the brake line, once you have drained the old fluid out, and remove the brake pads. I like to use masking tape to cover the pistons and seals when blasting and again when painting, again a very simple straight foreword deal. The calipers can be blasted, I use glass beads, but sand or walnut shells can be used. The results are a completely clean and unpainted surface, ready for paint, once cleaned. The factory flat black paint is very easy to remove, and you end up with beautiful aluminum calipers in the raw. I cover the pistons & seals, but also the bleaders with small vacuum tube covers. Once blasted clean, go over the surface with a wax & grease remover, several times, we need these clean. I even spray the entire caliper with brake cleaner at first to remove the dust, dirt and grime left over from blasting.
Paint choice should be a quality Urethane Enamel, I like the 2-part type paints as they are very durable, Imron, House Of Kolor are a few very good paints to go with. You can custom match the car color or stay with the traditional Brembo colors, which are Gloss Black, Blue, Red, Yellow & Silver.

I have painted many calipers before, and if done right with quality paint and care, they last as long as the part. Brembo decals are available on line and really accent the caliper with a professional touch. Correct decals will last while cheap repro's will not.....
The easy and cheap methods of painting these parts simply don't work very well. The end result is not glass smooth, reliable or long lasting. If you're going to do this, take the time to do it right. I know most prefer the leave the caliper on the car, and brush on or spray can on a coating, but your simply wasting your time, money and doing the car a dis-service. There are many body shops that will take on a project like this, or you can remove the calipers and send them out for excellent results. In the end, there is no reason to half-azz the job and take your Boss 302 down with the lack of quality workmanship....If you do not have the skill set or motivation to do it right, I would leave them alone and go with what you have. On the other hand, if you're willing to spend a few hours working on the calipers, you can turn the ugly brake calipers into a very nice looking set of real Brembo calipers, as seen on today's world class cars.
so all one has to do then is buy a blast booth of some sort. a spray gun and all the air equipment to go with that. then a few hundred on some good paint. and just like that I have a great paint job on my calipers?

cheaper just to buy them painted they way you want. upgrading to the gt500 set up is cheaper then buying all that equipment.

but I get your point. but not all of us have set ups like this nor the money to send them out and have them done or can afford the down time that would require.

I have seen really nice jobs done with the spray on caliper paint if the prep work is done right. painting over dirt and grime and not scuffing the existing paint correctly will result in it flaking off in a short time.
 
Jason said:
I will be painting mine with the Duplicolor caliper paint. Going red of course, and will post pics when done. I think I will mask off the Brembo on it just to show what brand they are to non BOSS owners.
So I painted my calipers red with Duplicolor caliper paint, and I really like it. I swear that it is Race red. I cannot tell the difference between my car and the calipers. I will post pics soon.
 

yknot

Hobbies: Hot Rods & Shooting
Look no one is twisting your arm to paint your calipers. if you do not have the equipment to do the job, you have to purchase said equipment or go to someone that has already has it, seams pretty simple to me. Know one is going to do it for you, nor are they going to do it for free, as I suspect you would not do anything for free either. The point is, if the color, condition of the front and or rear brake calipers bother you enough, then you will do something about it. Mine bothered me enough that YES, I got off my azz and keyboard long enough to fix the problem. I had the equipment, the talent and will power to do the job myself. If I hadn't I would have read a book and purchased said equipment, or taken the parts to someone who was qualified.
If you have the tools, the supplies are not that expensive, yes they are not FREE, which some would like, but they are within the average persons means. Quality paint is expensive....but it will also last and not fade or turn Brown with heat. I have done this process many times to many of my vehicles, so it seems a no brainier to me, and not a big deal. Yes if you want, you can go out and purchase any other brake kit you wish, that is already painted the correct color and install it. The whole point of the post was that Ford should have done just that, used original Brembo finishing methods and we would not be having this conversation, if you can call it that (about as close as it comes now days).
Your point about shitz caning the calipers and buying new ones just for convenience sake is stupid. You have a good set of brakes already, I never complained about that, I just wanted them finished like every other Brembo brake caliper out there. My total cost for paint might have been $150.00 to 200.00. I purchased a quart of yellow & clear paint, plus the activator and reducer. Personally I'm fine with the cost, I'll use the product on other items, but even it not that's OK. Someone else might choose to go to a body or paint shop and have them re-finish the calipers or you could send them to a powder-coating company and they will apply the coating. What ever it takes to make you happy and the car look better.

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I painted my Calipers the very night I brought my Boss home. I used the duplicolor caliper paint and had already purchased Brembo decals from ebay to install after the paint dried. Apparently, I cant attach a photo....
 
captdistraction said:
I'm really considering matching mine to the car's body (yellow blaze). Since I have dark wheels, it would make a really nice accent, and mine just seem to get more and more stained with time.

I don't think painting it will cause it to retain much meaningful heat or otherwise degrade performance in any meaningful manner.

If you looking to buy paint to match, I bought a can of each (base paint, pearl coat) which was used to match the Yellow Blaze when painting my Traxxas car. However, I am not sure if it will hold up or be appropriate to use on the calipers. Let me know your thoughts and if you want to try it I can give you the information to order some spray cans.
 
bossmanstan said:
I painted my Calipers the very night I brought my Boss home. I used the duplicolor caliper paint and had already purchased Brembo decals from ebay to install after the paint dried. Apparently, I cant attach a photo....
Welcome to BMO. We don't have server space for hosting photos so you need to use an external photo hosting site. Read the link below for info on how to do so.

https://trackmustangsonline.com/index.php?topic=212.0
 

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