GeorgeM

I use Duplicolor engine enamel grey primer for the hats on my GT. It's close enough to the original finish and very easy to touch up, even on the car without removing the caliper. If you keep them clean, i.e. at every car washing, they hold up well. A quick wipe with the purple degreaser stuff also works, but that can take some paint with it if you wipe too hard... easy to do a quick re-spray though and a quick drive around the block will clean the paint off the rotor surface in short order.

When I re-vamped my calipers due to peeling clearcoat, I had a hard time finding stencils for the thicker font used on pre-GTS cars (I think GTSs had the later thinner font script). I got them from an outfit in the UK called HighgatehouseUK. They sell the decals but also the reverse to use as a stencil. I didn't get them in time for whatever event I was prepping for, so I lightly sanded the clearcoat off, making sure not to sand of the lettering, masked for the black basecoat, then lightly sanded the ridge away around the script before applying the clear coat. They turned out alright.

dr bob

The Wheel Dynamics guys are pretty darn good. If you are at all on the fence about doing it yourself, or want serious show-off quality work that's beyond your own capability, go with them. They are -serious- Porsche guys.

StratfordShark

Yup that was my approach. Cured in oven after gloss black had dried, then applied the decal. Instructions for my decals were to let them "cure" for 48 hours before applying any clear coat.

After putting on couple of coats of clear gloss I cured those too in oven.

StratfordShark

No need to strip all the paint unless you're changing colour, just good rub down with 400 or so wet and dry paper to key the old paint.

The write-ups I've seen from those who have stripped all the old paint off involved either aircraft paint stripper, or wire brush and sanding in more intricate spaces. If you remove paint down to aluminium then you need an etch primer before the colour coats.

The critical thing is a thorough clean beforehand to get the last dust and grease off the caliper.

StratfordShark

Thanks but you'll see my painting nowhere near as good as Bertrand's on the rotor hats!

In my case the paint in the circular channel surrounding the hats is badly cracked and flaking, so I bet the paint will come out of their very soon with a few washed. I must have got my technique wrong there.

But I was determined to paint the rotors with this new set of rotors and pads. The state the rotors get into really bugs me too! I wish they came from factory with a better finish - painting them was fiddly with having to mask off the braking surfaces.

StratfordShark

I think the most discouraging part of recent caliper refurb job was getting those screws out and SS plates off. The heads on mine were just corroded blobs really.

Wheel Dynamics

Thank you for the warm feedback sir,

We have a 928 we purchased a while back to try and get working on but we have not yet begun working on her.... But I'm sure we will in the next year.. And post photos here.

dr bob

I'm not in the L.A. area anymore, or I'd be over there with my metric hammer and screwdriver to lend a hand with your 928. I may be down for Shartoberfest the third weekend in October, but only a short visit -- gotta get back to the Oregon mountains here before the first snowfall and all. If your project car is driveable, you should consider the Sharktoberfest even at 928 International in Anaheim.

Wheel Dynamics

We just have it tucked inside the back of the shop, she will be worked on once we have more time around here.. Thanks for your suggestion sir,

Chris Lockhart

Wheel Dynamics, If the quality of the work on your 928 mimics those calipers you presented, that will be one more beautiful 928!!! Those calipers were stunning!

Wheel Dynamics

We will have to see... we have a 951 ahead in line right now...

docmirror

I painted three sets with VHT red and they look fine, not show quality, but fine enough for me. Of course, the prep is the important part. Also, I don't think it's been mentioned but putting on the VHT or other high temp paint, you have to put on very thin coats. It's quite low viscosity and will run easily. Better to do 4 or 5 thin coats than try to glom it on and get runs. Also, I used a couple of those small stiff wire brushes in my drill to get into the convex sections of the caliper to clean it well. The paint that is on there is tough stuff, but you can get it out with a stiff wire brush in a drill and some time.

StratfordShark

Don't forget to mask off the pistons and dust boots, and to plug the hydraulic entry thread (I used tapered rubber vacuum line plugs.

This is great opportunity to renew seals and boots which is easy and satisfying job but you really need air line to push out the Pistons to remove old seals and boots. If doing this do it after painting and oven curing. You still mask off old boots, so as not to get paint in the bores if the boots have any tear, and to keep pistons free of paint.

skpyle

That is a sexy picture...


Seth K. Pyle