Recently had a Boxster where I painted the calipers and was very happy with the results. MY son liked it so much he asked me to do his Civic Si too. Now that I got my 2007 XK home I just painted them too... all with the same $22 Dupli-color kit (had from Autozone or Amazon) bought a couple years ago. Took maybe 4 hours, degree of difficulty maybe a 1-2. Tools needs 19mm deep well socket, pliers and or flat screwdriver, floor jack, recommend a torque wrench for the lugs, paint kit, a better paint brush @1" wide and a smaller one maybe 1/4", 6-pack of Smithwicks, Simple green or other good cleaner for calipers

Process:

• Crack all the lugs while car is down. Locate the "jack point" marker underneath then jack the car so one wheel is off the ground slightly.
• Remove all lugs and remove the wheel (it is HEAVY!)
• Soak the calipers with cleaner de jour and scrub with brush - no need to leave a perfectly shiny caliper get them as clean as you can
• Dry with air compressor if you have one
• Remove the brake pad retaining spring
• I left the pads in but if you have the time better to remove them
• Begin painting your first coat, it'll look like crap but don't worry just get paint on there and try not to get runs.
• Take your time but realize it dries pretty quickly so don't let the can sit open or the brush lay around too long.
• Now go back and put on a heavy coat
• Finish with the detail paint brush, it need not be perfect
• Install the retaining clip
• Clean your wheel since it's off now reinstall it - my 2007 torque is 93 ft/lbs in a star configuration of course. Now drink a Smithwicks and stare at your work

Total time to do all 4 calipers was @ 4 hours


first coat on rear brake. lighting makes it look orange but it is bright red




second coat minutes after first

 

Looks good, but for an even bigger improvement, I'd suggest painting your hubs as well, see example below....

 

Good point Jim thanks! I'll get on that

 

It'll really compliment the work you've already done

I remember doing my sons X type and started doing the calipers, may as well do the hubs as well, clean the wheels thoroughly inside n out, job done.
Errrr, really needs new wheel centre caps now, those bolts are looking a little rusty / discoloured, get them changed, that's better...
Hmmm, after the car is washed and looking great I notice that the wheel wells look dirty, so they're washed down and given a coat of Wet n Black ( a version of tyre black ) and bam ....done

Orrrrr is it....lol
Never ending

Good luck
Best
Jim

 

Dang it! I did it backwards...I painted the rotor hats first

 

My 2010 XKR came with red rotor option, but I painted the rotors on my 2002XKR and purchased the lettering to make it look more factory. Also used the Duplicolor kit plus a couple of coats of clear laquer. Too bad they don't still look as good as when they were new.

 

Does look pretty spectacular!

 

Looking good there!
I always find when doing my calipers it's just as quick n easy to do the hubs / rotor hats at the same time for a more complete look

 

Here's another option that my son is about to do - vinyl wrapping the calipers! Sadly he is not remotely "handy" and I let him spend his money as he wishes. The cost of materials is @$35, time-wise probably the same as painting, he is about to pay $400 at his detailers to have it done. There were several Lambo's, Tesla's, and other high end cars having it done here in San Diego

Here's the link showing it done -
Here's a link to the product on eBay

Since I have not seen it myself I'll wait to until until I see my son's car done. though I guess I could just buy a 1'x1" piece to do one caliper for $13...

 

I'm thinking, once committed to refinishing the caliper, I would remove break them down and have them powder coated. This aside, I would go with the painting as my next option. I maybe wrong, but, I'm not convinced "wrapping" something that can get extremely hot, is a lasting project. Also, looks way too much "fiddling", when a good cleaning and a "rattle can" can make short work. Just my 4 cents...(adjusted for inflation) LOL!

 

Someone would actually pay to have this done? As opposed to paint or caliper covers?
Bizarre!

 

Tberg - the same can be said for most anything... I'm shocked people pay others to have their oil changed... case in point here's a funny/sad post to that regard - Valvoline . Some people would rather pay others than attempt themselves, good for them! I'm very "hands-on" and do ALL my own maintenance on all my cars and bikes always as the concept pf paying "flag hours" often turns out to be in the area of $400/hr by people who hardly care for my car at the level I do. I'll pay a doctor that rate but not a mechanic unless I'm in a pinch.

Regarding concern for wrapping brake calipers - that fear is just as warranted as the initial fears of completely wrapping cars... and all those fears were bogus. Rotors damn toasty calipers get pretty warm but not blazing hot and the vinyl has no issue with that. There's always doubters and unrealistic fears/phobias/rumors when new ideas/concepts are brought up - such was the case with hybrid cars being high voltage hazards with clutchless manual gearboxes, traction control, vinyl wrapping entire cars, etc. All that stuff is common place once the fears subsided and early adapters embraced new technologies.

As said, depending on how good my son's calipers look in a week I'll post pics and likely give that a shot myself as a $12-35 test if I like them. IF he wants to pony up $400 good for him who am I to judge he makes his money he can spend it as he wishes.

 

Some of us either don't have the time or don't want to risk messing things up. I'm having mine painted for $200 in a couple of weeks.

 

I understand having someone paint the calipers, i don't understand paying someone $400 to melt plastic sloppily onto calipers. If the mild heat from a glorified hair dryer is enough to make the vinyl wrap moldable, can you just imagine what high speed braking such as on a track would do over a short perioed of time to this vinyl wrap?

 

Tberg - is that based upon uneducated conjecture or do you know something we don't and could inform us? It seems the high-end cars in the shop (new Lambo's, Tesla's, Vipers, etc) here in San Diego don't have an issue with it nor did anyone mention "sloppily melting plastic onto calipers". Not defending my son's actions as I wouldn't pay anyone that money either but let's stick to facts not hearsay or rumor. The very same banter has been going on fr years, including on this site, regarding how vinyl wrapping a car wouldn't hold up to the elements, would shear off in the wind, would damage the paint, looked awful (true actually if done poorly just like poor window tinting), etc and none of those rumors were accurate.

 

I have seen many wrapped cars that are great and I have no problems with wrapped cars (or wrapping in general). I just don't believe that on calipers there can be much chance of long term wear based on usage and heat and my decades' experience with textiles including vinyls. Also the buildup of brake dust on both of my XKRs finds me scrubbing them on occasion with 0000 steel wool which I can't imagine the vinyl wrap material putting up with too often. I may be incorrect, but I'would feel more comfortable spending the money on either nice caliper covers or professionally painted calipers, both of which would seem to offer a greater degree of longevity.

Finally, I don't begrudge anyone paying for someone to do services for them that they can't or don't want to do, I certainly do that for the most part. I was simply questioning whether there was a better solution and outcome for the amount of money spent.

 

Well here's my 2c worth

Have to say in some aspects I agree with Tberg, in the sense that this is a very new concept, especially to me. I've seen some nice and some not so nice wrapped cars, depends on who does it and guess and the quality / effort that goes in.
Wrapping calipers though, raised my eyebrows probably for most of the same reasons I guess, but each to their own and your car, your money, your choice as they say, but wouldn't be for me.

Paying someone £300 or so to paint calipers?
I suppose I get that from someone who either has lots of money and is time poor and or doesn't have the know how or confidence to do it themselves

For me though, its simply a case of jacking the car up, taking the wheels off and spending some quality time with my car ( taking time is the key ) and ending up with a good finish that looks great
I find it gives me the chance to look at the braking system in more detail, suspension etc and also to thoroughly clean the wheels inside out

Probably all in around 4 hours or so and cost is perhaps £20 for paint and materials

 

Actually I fall into the camp of one who pays to get the calipers painted. Aside from time issues (work/family/menagerie) I am not very handy at all though I do make a fair fist of it with wrap and I am a demon with the clay bar. So for me I was happy to pay $300 to get the calipers done at the tyre place where they could jack up the car and take all wheels off at once etc. It is a pretty effective visual mod for the money.


If I had more space in the garage and tools and skill, I'd do it myself, but I haven't changed a wheel for nearly 30 years, and I seem to recall that being a bit of a disaster. I'm going to replace the running lights with white LEDs over the break, and I'm also thinking of doing Leeper's stitching!

 

A little more to add regarding taking the wheels off:

Jaguar uses a lug that is actually a two piece lug with a chrome-looking top piece that, with weather and wear, is fairly easily stripped so BE CAREFUL! Whoever the monkey was that last put the wheels on must have used a hydralic arm to tighten these things as 3 were crazy tight! I stripped the head on those so replaced them with "Gorilla lugs" which are damn solid and one piece also used anti-sieze to make sure there'd be no issues in the future. torque them to 93 ft/lbs and all is good in the world once again.

Bruce - you bring over the beer and the paint and we'll get yours done!

My son said he'll be doing his calipers either next week or the week after so pics will be posted afterwards.

 

Haha, I'd have the beer if I didn't have to travel 16 hours to get there, but my calipers are painted already. Maybe for my wife's XE - Christmas prezzy. I've already wrapped the side skirts, so I think she'll kill me if I do anything else...