By: Brian Lin

Whether it's a tuner car like the Nissan Z35 Fairlady or a supercar like Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini, they all have one thing in common, that is high-end calipers which seductively  peek through the phat alloys. Often emblazoned with a logo such as Brembo or AP, they draw attention to car enthusiasts worldwide.

How do you emulate this look on your car without having to spend thousands of dollars on new 4-/6-pot calipers? The answer is to paint spray them. Generally the longer you spend doing the job the better it will be.

Ideally you will have had the calipers removed from the car to enable you to do a proper job but it is possible to do a reasonable job with them on the car if the wheel is removed to allow proper access. If you decide to paint the calipers while they are still fitted be very careful to mask off the brake disk, pads and pistons etc... to prevent paint from getting where you don't want it.

Caution: brake dust contains asbestos and such should be considered lethal to inhale.

Before painting your calipers, the first job is cleaning off the calipers, if you new calipers to go on then you have saved yourself a very messy and time consuming job. Be warned to wear a mask with gloves to protect your skin from the chemicals you will be using. First jet wash or hose down the caliper to remove the loose grit and dirt. A good alloy wheel cleaner will help to loosen and help remove the baked on brake dust and dirt. If you fail to strip off the dust and dirt you can expect your new paint to start peeling in a very short time.

Using a small wire brush, and then a toothbrush or similar, really work in the alloy wheel cleaner to all of the edges. Next step is to clean off the wheel with water according to the instructions on the cleaner. Next spend a little more time scrubbing the caliper and use a little washing up liquid to remove any grease or grime and more importantly and residual brake cleaner or copper grease that may still be bonded to the surface. Next spray over the caliper a good quality solvent cleaner taking care that this does not go onto the rubber piston boots or brake hoses as this can quickly dissolve them and break them down.

What Paint to Use?
The calipers can get very hot in use and you certainly want to use a paint which is resistant to heat. Very high temperature paint in spray form works best if you have removed the calipers. If the calipers are still on the car then a good metal paint like hammerite or even something specifically for brake calipers such as foliatec paint or even duplicolor brush on ceramic paint will provide a good finish. When painting on make sure you use a good quality brush and build up a few very thin layers rather than just slapping on a thick coating. Let the paint dry between coats as per the instructions on the tin.

The paint may well start to fade after 6 months but having a layer of paint will actually make cleaning them a lot easier next time and it is actually very easy to touch up any chips and flakes with the calipers on the car every six months. If you want a semi gloss finish then polish them up using a cutting paste and soft rag but most people prefer to leave them matt, or you might consider a final clear coat of high temperature paint.
Allow the caliper paint to dry for 24 hours and then take the car out and use the brakes more than usual to warm them up and bake on the paint (building up the heat slowly works best). When reassembling the brakes always check that they work at low speeds rather than just assuming that everything will be fine. A small amount of copper grease will now need to be applied to lubricate the moving parts of the brake assembly and prevent them from seizing up. After completion, stand back and enjoy! Your car is now ready for show!