Question: C4 Caliper Color Change Options

[91-Vetteman]

My wife and I drove out to Effingham IL from Richmond VA to attend the Mid-America Car Show. It was great, I went and purchased a set of Baer slotted rotors and a set of 91 ZR1 5 star wheels. I have always really disliked the early C4 swirl style wheels.

This year's winter project will be a complete brake and wheel overhaul. I want to go with a red caliper with the new rotors and there are several options to get there. I am looking at suggestions from the forum.

Option 1 - Buy brand new set of front & rear red corvette calipers for a 91. Cost $2000+

Option 2 - Remove calipers, disassemble, remove rubber boots, take to my local powder coating shop. Cost $500

Option 3 - Buy a set of caliper covers, red in color, with corvette engraved. $230

Option 4 - Purchase a caliper paint kit, POR-15, and clean and paint each caliper. $40

Option #1 is too costly. Option # 2 is allot of work. I am leaning towards a combination of Options 3 & 4. Has anyone used or seen these caliper covers before? Has anyone used the POR-15 product?

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions on any of these products or project at hand.

 

[Hib Halverson]

I would not install any "covers" on brake calipers for fear that the cover would interfere with brake cooling.

I've had success with some brake caliper painting kits. The best results have come with a kit sold by the Eastwood Company. They come in three colors. For more info, see Eastwood's Ceramic Caliper Paints

You can paint the calipers on the car, but best results come when you pull the calipers off, disassemble them and paint the castings then, reassemble them. If the calipers have more than 50,000 miles on them, you're better off rebuilding them per the FSM while you have them off for painting.

To clean the calipers prior to painting, I use Simple Green Motorsports Degreaser (see Extreme Simple Green Motorsports Cleaner & Degreaser) along with some Norton Bear-Tex abrasive hand pads and some elbow grease. After washing, I dry with shop air.

 

[vetteoz]

Plenty have achieved good results just using Hi Temp caliper paint in a spray pak
Getting the caliper perfectly clean is the key to a good outcome

 

[91-Vetteman]

Thanx Hib, some good information.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Thanx Hib, some good information.

You're welcome.
Glad to be of service.

 

[LLC5]

My wife and I drove out to Effingham IL from Richmond VA to attend the Mid-America Car Show. It was great, I went and purchased a set of Baer slotted rotors and a set of 91 ZR1 5 star wheels. I have always really disliked the early C4 swirl style wheels.

This year's winter project will be a complete brake and wheel overhaul. I want to go with a red caliper with the new rotors and there are several options to get there. I am looking at suggestions from the forum.

Option 1 - Buy brand new set of front & rear red corvette calipers for a 91. Cost $2000+

Option 2 - Remove calipers, disassemble, remove rubber boots, take to my local powder coating shop. Cost $500

Option 3 - Buy a set of caliper covers, red in color, with corvette engraved. $230

Option 4 - Purchase a caliper paint kit, POR-15, and clean and paint each caliper. $40

Option #1 is too costly. Option # 2 is allot of work. I am leaning towards a combination of Options 3 & 4. Has anyone used or seen these caliper covers before? Has anyone used the POR-15 product?

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions on any of these products or project at hand.

I would stay away from caliper covers myself. The sets that I have seen installed on different vehicles have looked totally ridiculous in actual application, nobody is going to be fooled, they look totally counterfeit. Plus it is just one more possible thing to go wrong around a rotating assembly. I would be inclined to purchase a set of used calipers (with the brackets if possible), powdercoat/paint both the brackets and calipers, then rebuild the calipers, and install them with no down time to your vehicle. You can then sell your old calipers if you want to and recuperate some of your costs. Just an idea. Good luck with your choice.

 

[Vettelt193]

I have used rustoleum with a brush and it was fine. If you are searching for perfection, then don't do it, but if you are ok with a 2 foot paint job it comes out great. Very cheap, very easy. No one will ever notice it isn't quite perfect unless they are down on their knees cleaning the wheels. from experience, the only one that 'gets' to do that is me.

 

[boomdriver]

I have used rustoleum with a brush and it was fine. If you are searching for perfection, then don't do it, but if you are ok with a 2 foot paint job it comes out great. Very cheap, very easy. No one will ever notice it isn't quite perfect unless they are down on their knees cleaning the wheels. from experience, the only one that 'gets' to do that is me.

Thats called a "Monet"....

...when it looks right from more than 10 feet away, but gets blurry when close up