Caliper Covers - rice or nice?
05-23-2007, 07:53 PM
#1
Racer
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Caliper Covers - rice or nice?
Okay - I'm not willing to invest big bucks (as yet) on a BBK - but I am putting on aftermarket wheels that show quite a bit of the "don't look at me, I'm hideous!" stock brakes. I was preparing to paint my calipers when I found this product made by Tuner 01:
These are not the $15 "Look at my fake Brembo" covers from E-bay. These seem to be pretty simple and more visually appealing than the stock calipers.
I know painted calipers can look good - if done right - but apparently they are tough to do correctly because 100% of the painted calipers I've seen in-person have not looked too hot.
I'm probably going to get them anyway - poll or not - but I just wondered how many weeks until my car shows up on rice-cop?
These are not the $15 "Look at my fake Brembo" covers from E-bay. These seem to be pretty simple and more visually appealing than the stock calipers.
I know painted calipers can look good - if done right - but apparently they are tough to do correctly because 100% of the painted calipers I've seen in-person have not looked too hot.
I'm probably going to get them anyway - poll or not - but I just wondered how many weeks until my car shows up on rice-cop?
05-23-2007, 08:09 PM
#4
Suzuka Master
Not rice since they don't pretend to be anything, but putting plastic on your brake components just doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. Brakes get very hard after repeated use.
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05-23-2007, 11:08 PM
#9
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I don't want to tick-off the mods
so I'll not post up the links directly. However if you do a google search for "Tuner 01" you'll find the company and their brochure.
Tuner 01's site has links to sites that sell these. The best price I have found is $119 + s/h for a set of 4 from Bavarian Autosport (bimmer site, obviously). Link from Tuner 01's page or google: bavarian autosport.
To find them on that site, click on brakes, then front brakes (or rear brakes)- then enter any year/model of bmw in the drop down windows (kit is universal) and you'll find them.
Not plastic - aluminum. 4 Colors: brushed, and powder-coated yellow, red and black. There is also a Carbon Fiber set (costs more), but I don't know if it's made of carbon fiber or painted to look that way.
My only concern is that these attach with 3M double-sided adhesive strips (pretty sure) - so there is potential that the tape could fail if not installed properly. What would happen? Well, I doubt you'd wreck your car, but odds are the wheel would mulch the cover pretty good and/or scratch the wheel. I'm sure that the caliper needs to be clean and degreased before these things mount up. That 3M stuff is pretty strong, from what I hear, so applied properly I doubt they would fail.
Heat concerns? Dunno. It looks like the cover attaches only on the curved outer edge of the caliper. From the picture it doesn't look like the front (flat and visible) part of the cover is attached anywhere. So, I doubt that the cover would get hot enough to deform. The only question is whether it would get hot enough to denature the 3M strip.
Tuner 01's site has links to sites that sell these. The best price I have found is $119 + s/h for a set of 4 from Bavarian Autosport (bimmer site, obviously). Link from Tuner 01's page or google: bavarian autosport.
To find them on that site, click on brakes, then front brakes (or rear brakes)- then enter any year/model of bmw in the drop down windows (kit is universal) and you'll find them.
I'd be afraid of the cover melting from the heat coming off of the disc brakes.
My only concern is that these attach with 3M double-sided adhesive strips (pretty sure) - so there is potential that the tape could fail if not installed properly. What would happen? Well, I doubt you'd wreck your car, but odds are the wheel would mulch the cover pretty good and/or scratch the wheel. I'm sure that the caliper needs to be clean and degreased before these things mount up. That 3M stuff is pretty strong, from what I hear, so applied properly I doubt they would fail.
Heat concerns? Dunno. It looks like the cover attaches only on the curved outer edge of the caliper. From the picture it doesn't look like the front (flat and visible) part of the cover is attached anywhere. So, I doubt that the cover would get hot enough to deform. The only question is whether it would get hot enough to denature the 3M strip.
05-23-2007, 11:25 PM
#10
Well...it's kinda fast...
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Please don't do that to your CL. Not ricey, but fake and cheap looking. I've seen plenty of these on slammed, skate-boarded Cavaliers and V6 mustangs, if that gives you any idea whose buying them 
05-24-2007, 12:18 AM
#11
Originally Posted by 2CLean
Please don't do that to your CL. Not ricey, but fake and cheap looking. I've seen plenty of these on slammed, skate-boarded Cavaliers and V6 mustangs, if that gives you any idea whose buying them
05-24-2007, 01:21 PM
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Or...
Originally Posted by brianlin87
caliper covers are they gayest thing ever.
To those who have posted up the pix of fake brembo covers: WTFO? I didn't need an opinion on whether those were "rice."
05-24-2007, 01:26 PM
#21
In the Mid-South meow
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Originally Posted by brianlin87
caliper covers are they gayest thing ever.
Totally rice. The funniest thing about this thread is that this is coming from the guy who didn't want to consider buying 1 piece cast wheels that have rivits to make them look like 2-piece wheels because they he thinks they are trying to be something they're not and serve no real function. How are these caliper covers not the same exact thing??? --> No actual function, just the look to mimick a BBK. How are these any different than the fake Bembo covers? Same idea, same lameness.
Just buy some quality caliper paint and do it right, don't put this junk on a nice-ass CL. I love my calipers now that I have a nice coat of paint on them.
05-24-2007, 02:22 PM
#22
Keeping the Stealth alive
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If you have to ask, then yes, it is rice. That's usually how I gauge it.
I don't think I'd even paint them personally, unless they were badly discolored/rusted, in which case they would most likely be replaced.
I don't think I'd even paint them personally, unless they were badly discolored/rusted, in which case they would most likely be replaced.
05-24-2007, 03:37 PM
#25
Don't Mess With Texas
Originally Posted by htown
05-24-2007, 07:59 PM
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Oh no! My self-esteem!
SuperTrooper169: The funniest thing about this thread is that this is coming from the guy who didn't want to consider buying 1 piece cast wheels that have rivits to make them look like 2-piece wheels because they he thinks they are trying to be something they're not and serve no real function. How are these caliper covers not the same exact thing??? --> No actual function, just the look to mimick a BBK. How are these any different than the fake Bembo covers? Same idea, same lameness.
I'm not interested in pretending to have a BBK on the car - or having a real BBK for that matter. I just think these look better than both the stock calipers and poorly painted calipers (which are the only examples I have seen so far.)
Caliper paint also serves no function, but it might look better than what I have now. Please post-up pix of your calipers and prove to me that it can be done right, and I'll consider painting them.
htown: First 1 piece wheels, now caliper covers? What's next rainbow paint job?
Maybe someday you guys can say the same.
05-24-2007, 08:08 PM
#28
Moderator Alumnus
Originally Posted by vipertrunk
Please post-up pix of your calipers and prove to me that it can be done right, and I'll consider painting them.
05-24-2007, 08:59 PM
#31
In the Mid-South meow
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Originally Posted by vipertrunk
Don't misrepresent what I said. I said I don't like the look of 2-piece wheels, and that I like fake 2-piece wheels even less because they just aren't appealing to me and they are fake. This would be the equivalent of saying: "I don't like the look of brembo brakes, and I especially hate fake brembo brakes."
I'm not interested in pretending to have a BBK on the car - or having a real BBK for that matter. I just think these look better than both the stock calipers and poorly painted calipers (which are the only examples I have seen so far.)
Caliper paint also serves no function, but it might look better than what I have now. Please post-up pix of your calipers and prove to me that it can be done right, and I'll consider painting them.
Honestly, I don't know what the personal attacks are all about. I'll tell you this though: when I make a list of the 10 coolest things I've ever done in my life - the mods to my CL aren't going to make the list. Not even the top 100.
Maybe someday you guys can say the same.
I'm not interested in pretending to have a BBK on the car - or having a real BBK for that matter. I just think these look better than both the stock calipers and poorly painted calipers (which are the only examples I have seen so far.)
Caliper paint also serves no function, but it might look better than what I have now. Please post-up pix of your calipers and prove to me that it can be done right, and I'll consider painting them.
Honestly, I don't know what the personal attacks are all about. I'll tell you this though: when I make a list of the 10 coolest things I've ever done in my life - the mods to my CL aren't going to make the list. Not even the top 100.
Maybe someday you guys can say the same.
05-24-2007, 10:54 PM
#33
Moderator Alumnus
Originally Posted by mrsteve
This thread may be the straw that breaks the camel's back and makes me sell my car.
stop posting them. makes me want to sell 
05-25-2007, 08:45 AM
#37
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Thanks for the opinons
I can't open the painted caliper pix at work, but I'll check them when I get home. Most of the calipers I've seen painted in the past looked like... well, this is my analogy: go to the beach, build a sandcastle - then spray-paint it.
That is what every painted caliper that I've seen in-person looks like. From 20 steps away they look fine. When you look at the car parked next to you while you're unlocking your own - they look like S*&t.
That is what every painted caliper that I've seen in-person looks like. From 20 steps away they look fine. When you look at the car parked next to you while you're unlocking your own - they look like S*&t.
05-25-2007, 09:31 AM
#38
Don't Mess With Texas
Originally Posted by vipertrunk
I can't open the painted caliper pix at work, but I'll check them when I get home. Most of the calipers I've seen painted in the past looked like... well, this is my analogy: go to the beach, build a sandcastle - then spray-paint it.
That is what every painted caliper that I've seen in-person looks like. From 20 steps away they look fine. When you look at the car parked next to you while you're unlocking your own - they look like S*&t.
That is what every painted caliper that I've seen in-person looks like. From 20 steps away they look fine. When you look at the car parked next to you while you're unlocking your own - they look like S*&t.
05-25-2007, 10:43 AM
#39
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If you think paint will look like shit then get them powder coated.
I did this on my '02 CL-S and they turned out pretty good.
Oh and our calipers are ugly as hell to begin with. So just paint them black.
I did this on my '02 CL-S and they turned out pretty good.
Oh and our calipers are ugly as hell to begin with. So just paint them black.
05-25-2007, 10:56 AM
#40
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I jus washed my car and saw how horrible my calipers look, before I hit the search button, is there a DIY for painting calipers and what kind of paint should I buy?