arjay

Thanks to help in this forum I have got my rear callipers off, painted and ready to re-fit. Question:

1. It is over fifty years since I built my last plastic aero model and attached transfers/decals. Can I take it that I just wet the transfer then slide it onto the calliper or are they now peel off and apply? Can't tell just by looking.

Thanks again

RJ

crg53

You do not have to wet anything, just peel the back side of the decal off and then apply to the caliper. Apply pressure to the letters by rubbing back and forth, make sure there are no air bubbles, then gently peel off the front paper.

Steven C.

Then apply clear over the decals or they will not hold up very long.

arjay

Thanks for that - just as well I asked!!

Steve C
Err OK - is that clear lacquer or something?

crg53

That is a good idea, something that I didn't do to mine. That said, mine have been on there for over 3 years and still look like new.
PS. You can buy clear in a spray can.

Metal Guru

I never cleared mine and they held up fine. I don't use my car as a daily driver,however.
A better option is to buy stencils and paint with epoxy paint.

arjay

Thanks to all for your help. I'll see if I can get a can of clear in this backwater of Spain. If not, I'll just leave it. Now I know how to do the job (remove and repaint), I'm happy to do it again in a few years if necessary.

Having said that I have only done the rear pair - still have the fronts to do!!

Steven C.

That would be clear from a spray can. And you need to let the caliper paint sit for a week before applying it anyway. The factory ones have clear over them BTW. Makes it mush less tricky to get a paint brush up through the wheels to get the brake dust off while washing. A lot less worry about nicking the decal...

arjay

Thanks for the explanation. I must say, I always used to hand power wash the wheels in the local car wash. Never worried much about the decals, or the calliper paint if it comes to it - there wasn't much of either to see!!

Now, I guess, I'll be a whole lot more careful

Boeing 717

Just make sure that it is a high temp clear some brands will turn yellow in about a month.

arjay

Wow - it is worrying to read all the different provisos about using clear. The choice here in Spain is very limited and I haven't got confidence I'll get anything that is right.

My plan at the moment is to just leave the callipers without any clear and take a bit of care with them. Now I know how to refurbish them it would be simple enough to remove a wheel and just repaint/decal the part that actually shows.

I have now finished the work and am just giving the paint 4-5 days to harden off before taking the car out. I'll put a couple of photos on here later.

Thanks to all those who took the time to help me out.

RJ

Boeing 717

Have you thought about ordering a brake caliper stencil set??? Just paint the "porsche" on and you wont have to worry about it anymore. Thats what I did its easy and cheap. Just need some high temp white paint.

http://eagleday.stores.yahoo.net/brcapaki.html

arjay

Good point Jerry. Next time it will all be different. Like I will actually disconnect the callipers from the brake lines and learn how to bleed the system! Painting in situ is actually OK but takes a bit longer and is more "fiddly". Thanks to you guys I have a heap of good ideas to use next time. I'll probably get a friend to buy the stuff in the UK for me before I start.

Hopefully, though, it won't be for a while yet. In the meantime I'll write up what I did as a guide for absolute newbies.

Regards

RJ

Here are a couple of before and after shots.

Boeing 717

Oh wow that looks pretty good, good job!! Is the "porsche" on upside down though???