stejus

I know there’s a lot of discussion about painting calipers out here. I understand the advantages of both but I’m more concerned with long term results. Which one will stand the test of time?

soopa

powder coating will ultimately outlast paint...

but once powder coat gets worn/stained its harder to touch up then paint.


just paint the bitches once a year or something. takes 5 minutes.

MCHM3

i agree

TheModMole

Powder coat will last longer, fade less, and look better long term.... Pick a color have it baked on and have them bake another a clear powder coat layer put over it and it will look great and be easier to clean.

mattg

i'm done w/ powdercoating.


i'm gonna paint my rims w/ urethane. base/clear.

MilPaint

Powder coating is much tougher, baked on at 400F. Also stands up to oil, grease and gas better. To redo it should be bead blaster then recoated, touch up is not an option. Also powder does have some color limitations.

Mil-Spec Paint and Powder Company
Carson City, Nevada

INFAMOUS-TYPE-S

I did my calipers on the civic 3 years ago and they still look new.I bought that universal high heat engine enamel and I bought high heat clear. about ten bucks for both. I painted the calipers around 7 times. with an hour in between each coat. Then I painted them with clear 5 times with an hour in between coats. They clean real easy and they look brand new. I put around 30 k on that car since then with no chipping or fading.

stejus

Thank you all for your feedback. Your comments were very helpful. I feel at this point I will go with the "do it yourself heat resistant paint" approach like others have. If done correctly, it seems to hold up to time. Because I don't drive the car in the winter, that's one less element (SALT ) I have to worry about! :P:

dfreder371

Ohhhh....now you have hit a raw nerve here! I am a patent holder four times over in powder coating for Illinois Tool Works.

I will right now tell you yes, the liquid aerosol stuff will work, but be prepared, as one said "touch em up every year". Yea. Fun.

Powder coating is the proper way to go. If you do, ask for a silicone based powder coating. They are formulated to withstand extreme heat. Got a Genesis barbacue grill? That is powder coated, my man.

Powder will go on thicker than a liquid and add depth. A decent powder shop should be able to get you the powder you want as a 3 pound, no cost sample.

Offer a powder coating job shop $100 to do it, and I bet they will take it. Too bad you are in MA, if you were in driving distance, I'd do it for you for free. I have the application equipment at work, and I will do mine when the weather gets better in satin silver to match my car. This note was posted by the guy who taught Porsche how to powder coat calipers about 13 years ago.

stejus

If I find a powercoat shop to do it, will they need to take the calipers off? If they do, I'm sure the cost will exceed $100.00.

dfreder371

stejus: my assumption was that you would dissassemble them yourself. Just make sure the powder coating job shop masks the travel area of the pistons with high temperature mylar masking tape. You will be happy with the results.