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Can you paint calipers (using G2) while on the car?

nickbuol

nickbuol

New member
I've got some G2 paint coming this week ("Mustang Red Fire" which I was told is a very good match to my Red Fire Metallic colored GTP)... Anyway, I was hoping, that since it is a brush on paint, that I could leave the calipers connected up to the car while I paint them. I would obviously be removing them from the rotors, but don't want to disconnect the brake lines if possible.

Has anyone else done that, or am I going to have to completely remove them from the vehicle to paint them. If they really NEED to be fully removed, is there a "how to" on here about what I would need to do? I would think that brake fluid would come oozing out and need replacing, but there is always more to it than just refilling.

Thanks!
 


I used G2. Since im anal and wanted my aluminum f-body calipers covered completely for winter i took mine off, popped out the pistons and seals then painted the entire caliper inside and out besides the cylinder for the pistons. Its really not that hard to do, if you want to just take them off. Just disconnect the lines and pull off the caliper, (obviously you will have to bleed them, when u put them back on) and let it drain. If you get brake fluid on the paint, it will rub off. Good luck
 
Thanks guys! I just have a large number of jobs to perform on my car in the next 2 weeks (as well as doing my regular "non-car" stuff) so if I can do them "on the car" then that will save me some time so that is why I asked.

I am also thinking about painting the rotor centers (hub), but have yet to come up with a good way to get a clean circular edge to mask off the rotor surface that I don't want painted... Any ideas?
 
are your calipers new or old stockers? this stuff looks interesting to me but i dont have new breaks and wont for a while.
 


nickbuol said:
I am also thinking about painting the rotor centers (hub), but have yet to come up with a good way to get a clean circular edge to mask off the rotor surface that I don't want painted... Any ideas?
Click to expand...

You could just mask it off as best as you can and let the brake pads do the rest :th_thumbsup-wink:
 
Yup. Painted the rotors today, and then drove around making some "good" stops. I also rode the E-Brake to make sure that the rears got cleaned up as well too. They look really nice in black. Can't wait for the G2 in Red Fire (matches my car) to get here so that I can paint the calipers...
 
99prixgt said:
I used G2. Since im anal and wanted my aluminum f-body calipers covered completely for winter i took mine off, popped out the pistons and seals then painted the entire caliper inside and out besides the cylinder for the pistons. Its really not that hard to do, if you want to just take them off. Just disconnect the lines and pull off the caliper, (obviously you will have to bleed them, when u put them back on) and let it drain. If you get brake fluid on the paint, it will rub off. Good luck
Click to expand...

hey how did you take out the pistons and seals? mine stick sometimes so i think i need to clean them up a little
 


Just finished painting the calipers with G2. I used the custom "Mustang" Red Fire to match my Grand Prix's Redfire color. It looks pretty good so far. Per instructions, it says to let it sit a while before putting the tires back on, and it is 5 minutes to midnight, so they are going to wait until morning. Then I can't drive it until 24 hours of "curing time", but I may wheel it out into the driveway and snap some pics in the sunlight. I can't wait to see it done. Then the next project is my FWI from TDC if my stinking black coupler ever gets here, but that is another story and belongs in another topic area...
 
I want to see some pictures cause I am really wanting to do mine silver with a brush but I want to see someones results before I mess mine up.
 
OK. Here is the disclaimer... My car is DIRTY! It NEEDS washed badly! I know this, and there is no need to tell me. I want to wait until the G2 is fully cured, and the caliper decals are "baked on" from use before washing everything up.

I also did not "stage" the car very well, and honestly didn't car since it was so dirty, so the angles aren't the greatest, but let me tell you this. I LOVE the color of the calipers. G2's "Mustang" Red Fire is a GREAT match to the Pontiac Redfire Metallic GTP I have.

Front (Wet G2)
brakesf.jpg


Rear (Wet G2)
brakesr.jpg


Front (Dry with GTP decal)
front.jpg


Rear (Dry with GTP decal)
rear.jpg


Front of Car
car1.jpg


Side of Car
car2.jpg



Again, I know it is dirty. And I am sure that someone will say, wow, your suspension is rusty... You should upgrade...

Still working on my other list first (FWI intake this week, and then fixing broken things like the front sway bar and front right wheel bearing)...
 


EmEaston24 said:
wow..your suspension is rusty. lol jk. looks good, i like it
Click to expand...

Really? You think it is rusty? LOL

At least you can't suspension much with the wheels on. I had it all checked out last week and they said that they were "functioning fine" but of course at the same time the place wanted to sell me new shocks/struts.


Thanks for the compliment on the calipers.
 
Love the calipers, did you have to take anything off? cover anything etc? i will totally be ordering some of this lol..

shame you didnt get a before pic of the calipers.
 
I just put a little "safety" masking tape on the rotor "hubs" or "hats" (whatever you want to call them) and a couple of pieces on the "edges" of the rotors, just in case. In actuality, the only place that the G2 paint went that it wasn't supposed to, was on the garage floor (on the newspaper I put down). As long as you aren't trying to put on thick coats, you will be fine. And watch your rubber pieces too, but I didn't even mask them off.

Very easy to do, but very time consuming. Also, do it outside during the day or in VERY bright lighting if at all possible. I was having a hard time seeing into all of the nook and crannies until I got out my halogen shop lights since I was doing mine in the late evening in my garage.

I put two coats on them, but had enough paint to do about 4 coats. I felt wasteful throwing away 1/2 of the paint, but it covered so nicely on the first coat even than the second coat just seemed like a good measure, but not needed (probably a good idea though).

If you wanted "before" pictures, just find someone with stock "dirty" black calipers, and rusty rotors. I sprayed everything down with regular brake cleaner and scrubbed all surfaces that would be painted with a wire brush and removed any remaining rust (not much on the rotors, and none on the calipers) with sand paper. Washed with more brake cleaner. Painted the rotors with VHT Gloss Black. Before applying the G2 to the calipers, I used the brake cleaner that they included. It was different than the other stuff I had in that it evaporated very quickly, but came blasting out of the can so it was a good final rinse and dry before putting the G2 on.

I'm very glad that I did this, but just wish that it didn't take so stinking long to paint the calipers.
 
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