Rebuilding calipers - refinishing?

Another option might be Cadmium or Zinc plating:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140223383&postcount=37

(Somehow, applying a "plastic" coating to a hot caliper has never appealed to me...)

 

Steve, he is asking about aluminum calipers. I am no expert in the field of plating but I dont think either of those can be done to aluminum.


Brembo calipers are often just painted in exactly the same way as a fender is painted.

Usually works just fine unless they get REALLY hot.

 

My mistake -- bliped over over the description.

 

Except with a paint that is imune to brake fluid.

 

Powder Coat

Ciao,
George

 

I don't think there is any such paint.

 

+1. I've had two sets of calipers powder coated and one set custom painted to match the car. The painted set (from 7 years ago) now looks like a battlefield, while the first powder coated set (from 9 years ago) hasn't a chip on it. As a result, I'll never paint another set, unless it's impossible to find powder in the right shade, but even that's unlikely as www.nicindustries.com will custom mix powder for you to match nearly anything you have for a $200 charge.

 

What ever holds the color to the caliper is pretty tollerant of brake fluid.

 

I rebuilt the calipers on my 328 about a year and a half ago and decided to paint them with VHT caliper paint. They turned out quite well and although I like how they've held up so far, I think I like the look of cad plating better and will go that route next time. I've bled the brakes once since completing the job and while I was able to keep brake fluid off of them for the most part, a little fluid does drip down from the bleeder valve and the paint has held just fine. The first photo is just after completing the job, second and third photos were taken about a year later after one driving season.
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Be VERY CAREFUL with plating.

Most readily available (Read: CHEAP) processes (but damn nice lookiing) damage the part in the plating process.


The vast majority of platers are NOT Chemists/Physicists/Metalurgests. They should be.



Perhaps one of the more learned here will speak up. There are several.

 

Here is an example of what can be done by a professional painter. $428 for two calipers.

Taz
Terry Phillips
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Wow, those yellow calipers look great. Who does this and can I get some contact info from you?

 

Nate- Done locally here in Albuquerque. Any good paint shop can do the same if you provide the decals. PPG codes for paint are below and the whole is then covered with clear coat. Unless the car will be tracked, it is not even necessary to use high temperature paint.

Rosso Corsa PPG 75250
Giallo Modena PPG 84028
Argento Nurburgring 36520


Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Very Very NICE, Taz.

 

Thanks for the info. I consider myself a newbie here on F-chat but I can honestly say that I enjoy reading every single one of your technical and non-technical posts here. Keep up the good work.

 

It is standard automotive paint. Urethane is very resistant to brake fluid.

 

What Ferrari has aluminum calipers?

 

Buxton- Joking, right? Silver calipers have been optional for quite a while and I have seen examples on just about all the modern Ferraris. Here is a page from the Scaglietti option brochure for the 360.



Taz
Terry Phillips
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Nate- If you want to really learn about Ferraris, follow Brian Crall's (Rifledriver) posts. I learned most of what I know about Ferrari guts from him.

Plus his posts are, on occasion, very humorous.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Thanks, I do follow his posts as well.