Epoxy Coated Calipers

[martyo]

I painted my back brake calipers with black epoxy paint today. I think they came out well. Tomorrow or Sunday I will do the fronts.

I couldn't do the links, but pics are in the Photo Gallery.

What do you think?

[WolfeBros]

Hey Marty they look good. Is that the Eastwood kit that you are using ?

[martyo]

Thanks Sam. I used the kit from www.g2usa.com. It looks just like the Eastwood kit and I believe it is the same kit, just "re-labled." FYI, I paid about $43.00 for the kit, with free shipping.

[TAF]

Looks like you did them with the lights/power out :lol:

J/K Marty...it looks GREAT and a HUGE improvement over the "pigeon-dropping" color that all of ours came stock.

Now you just need a friendly dealer to do the axel TSB and have them paint your axel-ends, like mine did, to get rid of that rusty crap.

[JohnnyB]

looks great.... are those the Dennis rotors

[Marauder57]

MartyO

The calipers are much improved....I like the look. That color that the stock gets just makes the car look aged before it's time...to me at least. The black looks good.

How long will that paint job hold up? Is this a one time "life of the car" type thing or does it require reapplications?

[martyo]

Well, I just finished the fronts. I will post pictures tonight or tomorrow.

I really like the way both the front and rears came out.

I don't know how long this treatment will last but I have used epoxy paints in the marine environment (which these kits are) and they have lasted a very long time and been very durable (it is a very hard finish). I used the black because I believe that the ever-present brake dust will be less visible (a warning to those who want to use red or silver/grey). Besides, I would rather call attention to the rotors than the calipers.

Those are Dennis' rotors. I like the braking improvement as well as the looks of them. The coating is a big improvement.

Note: If you have the mechanical ability, I would recommend taking the calipers off before you paint them, although it is not necessary -- it will just make the job go quicker and neater (I did not take them off).

[MERCMAN]

MARTY, What kind of prep work did you have to do prior to painting?

[Mike M]

I like it...black looks best.

[martyo]

Clean with spray brake cleaner (a can of the CRC is supplied) and wipe down. There were small grease pen markings on each caliper -- I do not know what they meant, but I wiped them off too to make sure the paint would adhere.

Mix the paint (epoxies are two part) for five minutes and apply with supplied brush. The brush that comes with the kit isn't great. Consider getting one that is resistant to the solvents in epoxy paint and use that instead. I did not do that by the way, but I am still very happy with the results.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

[jaywish]

To Marty & All

Marty did it right.

Two part is almost always the way to go if you want maximum durability.

He knows from the marine environment which is usually the most demanding. :up:

By the way Marty are you on the sound or the Hudson?

Jay

Who knows if I buy a Marauder before the end of the season & if my boat doesn't sell, maybe we can get the local owners together for dinner & a cruise?

[MMM2003]

Those calipers look great. I have been considering that as well. Nice job MartyO.
Everytime I clean the car and wheels, those nasty grey stock calipers standout and that's really not what I want.

[jgc61sr2002]

Marty - Great job you do nice work,:up:

[martyo]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I did the fronts today and will post pics of them tomorrow when I return. The fronts look great. I highly recommend this mod.

[RCSignals]

Way to go Marty :)

Now you just have to stencil "martyo" on the faces. Will you go with red or silver for that?

[FordNut]

Looks good Marty.

Gonna do mine in red, got the kit from G2. Waiting for the wheels to come back from powdercoaters then I'll do the calipers while I've got the wheels off. Black car w/red letters & stripes, black wheels w/red calipers. Should look a little different from the rest of the MMs.

The wife's silver one is getting black letters (no stripes) and black calipers. I thought about putting a chrome grille on it like Dennis' blue one, still thinking about that.

[martyo]

OK guys, the pics of the front are up too. I really am happy with this mod. It was worth the time/effort/money.

Let me know what you think of the fronts. I didn't bother with a "before" pic as I figure you guys all know how god awful they look. Now, if someone can make me a "martyo" stencil, I will be able to get some red paint and finish customizing 'em like RC suggested.

[MERCMAN]

Marty, since you did front and rear at different times, did you have to buy 2 kits? Or can you mix up the epoxy in two batches on an as-needed basis?

[jgc61sr2002]

Originally posted by mercman
Marty, since you did front and rear at different times, did you have to buy 2 kits? Or can you mix up the epoxy in two batches on an as-needed basis? mercmman - Good question. I was wondering the same.

[martyo]

To answer some of the questions I received here and in PM's:

I used the product offered by www.g2usa.com. They only do phone sales, no internet sales, so I ordered from www.wheelskin.com who offers free shipping (an expensive item for hazmat products like this). I received the product by FedEx ground two days after ordering and paid a few pennies under $86.00 total for the two kits I used. Eastwood also makes a very similar kit (in fact the kits may be the same and may only be labeled differently).

Before painting, you should clean the calipers with the supplied spray can of brake cleaner. One can is more than enough to do all four brake calipers. My calipers had grease pencil markings on them. You must clean this off or the epoxy finish will not properly bond to the caliper surface. I used a ScotchBrite pad for the preparation.

I bought two kits because I had little knowledge about the kits and their contents. If you were inclined, you could cut the kit in half and use one part for the fronts and one part for the rears. Once the product is mixed, you have only a limited time to use it. It starts to set up pretty quickly. Also, if you plan on cutting the product into two portions, you will need a second paint brush. The kit comes with one of those cheap stiff glue or "acid" brushes because they are resistant to the resins in the epoxy. If I had to do this over again, I would go with one kit and cut the product in half and get two better, disposable, paint brushes that are resistant to the resins in the product and more pliable for better flexibility when painting (although a stiff brush does help to work the product into the rough textured surface of the calipers).

In case you are curious, you can get by with one kit and not worry about cutting it provided you have all four wheels off at the same time. Remove all of the wheels before you get started as you will not want to waste time taking them off once the product has been mixed (remember, it starts to set up immediately after you mix it). I could only do one end of the car at a time due to space (a small garage) and tool (only one set of jack stands) limitations. If you are mechanically inclined and have the right tools and facilities and can pull all of the calipers off of the car and then paint them, this would be the best method but its is definitely not necessary to do so.

One last thing, if you are curious what the finish looks like when it is cured, take a look at the finish on the jack that came with the car. It looks like that only rougher due to the nature of the cast finish on the calipers.

Good luck. Let me know if you have questions. As always, I can be reached on my cell phone at 914.582.6262.

[Dan19063]

Just wo0ndering if you have any pics of your calipers that you painted. I cant seem to get MartyO's pics to come up to take a look at. I would like to see your red ones Cause I think they would look a little better than black. If you do have pics can you send them to my email. dan19063@comcast.net.



Thanks,

Dan

[crom]

I used this same kit over a year ago. I bought it from eastwood but it is the same one. The paint is a 2 part epoxy polyamide coating. We have used this type of paint sytem for years on military aircraft. It is a very durable paint system that is resilent to grease, fluids, chips etc. If you purchase just one kit, it is more than enough to do all four calipers. The paint has about a 1 hour work time so you need to have all your prep work done once you start. I suggest you mix up only half the kit and do the front calipers first. Once you mix the base and catalyst let it sit for about 10 minutes for the reaction to take place (stand time). Then begin to apply to your front calipers. Try to use long even strokes in the same direction and overlap on the wet edge. I did one complete coat on one side, then went and did the other. Once finished, go back and apply a second coat to the first one and so on. I did three coats on each before the paint became unusable (starting to set up in the cup). This paint is also self leveling and if done the way I described above will leave a very smooth finish. 3 coats seemed to work well in filling in the rough cast surface of the calipers for a smooth finish. Once you have finished the fronts, mix up the other half of the kit and apply the same process to the rear calipers. When I finished, I let the car sit for 24 hours to allow the paint to fully cure. I don't have a garage and did all of this in my driveway, just have to time it with Mother Nature. The paint has held up fine for over a year and a half now. I drive my car everyday, rain or shine no problems. Last thing when you get ready to do this be mindful of the temperatures/humidity. The paint will set up quickly (read your work time) in hot temps. Hope this helps those interested. Oh yea, I painted mine blue, I have a black '03. :D

[huot5]

I just G2'd my pieces today. I also painted the rear rotor hats.
Car was in the shop for the Kooks' install, on the lift. While it's there, gonna knock out a Metco safety loop, PI TC, tranny cooler, TCI tranny pan, rear cooling kit, 160 t-stat. Finally gitn'r done.

[dwasson]

Do any of you real car guys know if the epoxy has any effect on heat dissipation.