Recolouring Calipers

[DazNich]

Hi,

Just about had the C63 for a week now and my only regret is not buying one sooner, what a car!!

There are 2 changes I want to make, 1 is the wheels are currently black and they're going back to silver, the 2nd is I want the calipers red for which I have 2 options.

First option is have them removed from the car, send them off to "brake-caliper-painting.com" where they will repaint them and apply AMG decals for £249. I am unsure how they actually recolour them, not sure if it's a strip then powder coat or just a re-paint (need to find out really).

Second option is a company called AWR in Bury who are doing the wheels for me, they can wire brush and repaint the calipers while they're doing the wheels for £25 each, they will also apply the AMG decals.

AWR is the easiest option and cheapest, drop the car off one morning, collect it end of next day all done for £100 a corner. They've done wheels for me in the past and do a fantastic job.

Has anybody used "brake-caliper-painting.com" before and can you advise on how they repaint them?

Thanks!!

 

[Felstmiester]

Can't help you with the company as I've never used them but I have considered having my callipers painted also by the company that done my wheels. At the end of the day the answer is in your question. For £245 I would be very surprised if they don't strip the callipers completely as to make it a pro job. Whereas for £100 your gonna get your callipers wire brushed masked and sprayed. Also for that money are they even going to remove them from the car or just unbolt and hang em by the brake pipes. The fact that you will have to remove the callipers yourself before you have to pay £245 makes it a dear job but at least it's going to be a proper job.

 

[Andrew W]

He is some I did for a Range Rover sport and
an E30 M3 , they didnt want to spend much so
It was a masking off wet sand down job but
The finish was pretty good

 

[H20 MRV]

these guys do a good job I am told.

Brake Caliper Rebuild, Painting, Repair and Refurbishment

 

[Alex]

You're better off with a spray can than with the company above. Their 'refurbishing' of Brembo calipers is bordering dangerous but you will never know as you won't take your own calipers apart to make sure the seals in the pistons (not the dust caps mind) are still there ("not a necessary item" according to them), your paint will react and lift as soon as AP Racing fluid touches it ("we formulated our own, very resistant paint" again I was told upfront), the holes for your pad guards will never be tapped after spraying so when they put the bolts back they will just shear or seize there so you would have to drill them out (yep, done that too) and finally, the guy who does stenciling has go to spec savers as he's messed my set not once but twice and still didn't get it right.

Hope that helps.

 

[DazNich]

You're better off with a spray can than with the company above. Their 'refurbishing' of Brembo calipers is bordering dangerous but you will never know as you won't take your own calipers apart to make sure the seals in the pistons (not the dust caps mind) are still there ("not a necessary item" according to them), your paint will react and lift as soon as AP Racing fluid touches it ("we formulated our own, very resistant paint" again I was told upfront), the holes for your pad guards will never be tapped after spraying so when they put the bolts back they will just shear or seize there so you would have to drill them out (yep, done that too) and finally, the guy who does stenciling has go to spec savers as he's messed my set not once but twice and still didn't get it right.

Hope that helps.

Wow, thanks very much for sharing that with me and that has just made my mind up completely.

My options were to go through the hassle of removing the calipers, sending them off, getting them refitted and being without the car for a week, priced at just over £500 with the graphics stenciled on.

OR

Having a great company (AWR) recolour the wheels and at the same time they would colour (by wirebrush and respray) the calipers so they're not removed from the car and nothing will be missing. This option is £25 per caliper and I'm without the car for 2 days (1 night).

Price isn't the issue, I don't mind spending on the right thing, but the difference of over £400 for an inferior job has just swayed me.

Thanks again

 

[ScottBacon]

I have used the brake caliper specialist in Nottingham too. Very very good job indeed. They do have the option of decals, but I went for the full etching service. We did have some issues over new v old AMG logo but the paint job is first class. Don't be put off, I am absolutely **** about my car and wouldn't accept anything that wasn't 100% perfect.

They remove the calipers, blast them down, smooth all the OEM cast lines away, prime them and then repaint, then etch the logo and seal.

I left the car whilst travelling to Berlin so they had it for 4 days. Call to see if that can be less.

 

[Alex]

I have used the brake caliper specialist in Nottingham too. Very very good job indeed. They do have the option of decals, but I went for the full etching service. We did have some issues over new v old AMG logo but the paint job is first class. Don't be put off, I am absolutely **** about my car and wouldn't accept anything that wasn't 100% perfect.

They remove the calipers, blast them down, smooth all the OEM cast lines away, prime them and then repaint, then etch the logo and seal.

I left the car whilst travelling to Berlin so they had it for 4 days. Call to see if that can be less.

I'm sure they look good, it's just that the company has the engineering skills of a 5 year old.

£480. More than a month of waiting, few trips to check on the work and had to rebuild myself in the end. Not to mention lacquer runs, el cheapo bronze hardware and aftermarket rubber seals they use to replace your original ones. (These are available from the main dealer - around £250 in parts for all 4 calipers but worth it).

I believe I said in other thread a while ago, if you must use them, take your calipers apart yourself, leaving them with a paint job only.

For the record, my logos are painted, not ebay vinyl stickers and they are still wonky.

You might be absolutely *** about your car but sadly they are not.

 

[ScottBacon]

mmm interesting.

 

[Abb]

I had mine done by a local spray shop who my indy uses! My indy removed my calipers and stripped them down for the spray shop, who sprayed, lacquered and applied new AMG hi temp decals and lacquered them again. Returned them to my Indy who rebuilt and refitted them. All in all, it was about £300, incl decals, paint & labour. The paint I bought from the company mentioned in Nottingham, 'the brake Caliper specialist'.

 

[buster2011]

Hi abb where was the garage you used? I'm only in Ingleby!

 

[Abb]

Hi Buster, the Indy I used was Autoclasse on Tresside industrial estate, nx to Ingleby. The guy that did the painting was called Craig, he used to have the car spa on the same estate.

 

[DazNich]

I must say the guys from "brake-caliper-painting.com" and very quick to answer Emails and any questions I have asked.

I'm going to leave them until next year and get them done properly

 

[DerekEddlestone]

Who do you recommend?

I'm sure they look good, it's just that the company has the engineering skills of a 5 year old.

£480. More than a month of waiting, few trips to check on the work and had to rebuild myself in the end. Not to mention lacquer runs, el cheapo bronze hardware and aftermarket rubber seals they use to replace your original ones. (These are available from the main dealer - around £250 in parts for all 4 calipers but worth it).

I believe I said in other thread a while ago, if you must use them, take your calipers apart yourself, leaving them with a paint job only.

For the record, my logos are painted, not ebay vinyl stickers and they are still wonky.

You might be absolutely *** about your car but sadly they are not.

After having issues with this company, who will you go to next time? I only ask because I was going to use them to re-colour my calipers and you've effectively put the job on hold.
Derek.

 

[Alex]

Derek,

I was highly recommended Bigg Red before. However, they don't do Brembo calipers and don't apply logos either which is why people end up using Not Just Wheels (aka brake-caliper-painting.com).

Personally, I wouldn't just recolour as to me it's not worth the effort. To do it right (and we want right that's why a rattle can and newspaper won't do) and in order for paint and lacquer to seal, they have to be applied to bare parts. That means taking the calipers apart to the last bolt, which is involving with too many things to go wrong (sheared bolts, stripped threads, etc). Especially on old calipers where pad guide bolts can seize from brake dust and corrosion.

Recolouring wasn't the main reason in my refurb, it was a "byproduct" for changing the seals and hardware on 10 years old calipers. I talked myself into it and to do the job right I even supplied the original and correctly proportioned AMG logos because what NJW had available wasn't right.

If I had to do it again, I would be taking the calipers apart myself (or with the help of a local engineering firm), supplying the bare parts to my painters (again, a local crash repair shop should be able to do this properly and first time) and reassembling with the new OEM parts after.

One stop shop like NJW has proven too risky.