Brake Caliper Refinish DIY with VHT Paint & Caliper Upgrade on 997.2 C2 Base
#31
As a comparison, I have mint condition factory OEM Red calipers on my 2014 Panamera GTS and I can say that it would take extremely closeup and extended inspection/comparison to come to a conclusion that my 997 calipers are not OEM painted, and I think that probably even in this case, very few people would come to that conclusion.(the only real clue is the decals being above the surface)
Just trying to provide some perspective, and also note this comes from a self confessed detailing fanatic
Well, said and agreed, we were happy to see that someone actually performed a baking on the calipers, we won't disclose to the exact temps, times etc. for obvious reasons however I will say that the OP took measures to prevent premature failures. We applaud his diligence and we thank you for your post!
-WD
-WD
Fair enough. You paid your dues for being a forum sponsor and get to advertise your services. Thats the rules. For those of us who like to get their hands dirty, learn about the cars they drive and feel satisfaction on a job well done...I applaud the OP. He did a professional job that anyone can do if they take their time, prep and wants to know how their car operates. This is a perfect cheap DYI project that yields awesome results.
With that said, some jobs for some people are worth paying for. If you dont have the time, skills or endurance, its worth farming out. Oil changes come to mind. It aint worth the $30 to do my own.
Everyone appreciates the Pros chiming in with advice. Yall do it every day for a living. Please continue to drop nuggets of advice when able.
With that said, some jobs for some people are worth paying for. If you dont have the time, skills or endurance, its worth farming out. Oil changes come to mind. It aint worth the $30 to do my own.
Everyone appreciates the Pros chiming in with advice. Yall do it every day for a living. Please continue to drop nuggets of advice when able.
I did caution in my initial post that I don't advise taking this on unless you are prepared to do it right. It's not easy and takes a lot of time (particularly the prep part which is 90% of the effort). It was also easier for me as I could still drive my 997 during the project because I only removed the base calipers and rotors when I had everything ready to swap out.
For those of us that like to DIY certain things because of the challenge, experience and satisfaction, this can be a very rewarding project.
#33
#34
Thanks! Your brakes look amazing. I'm not sure I can replicate those results so my calipers will go to Wheel Dynamics.
#36
Out of interest, did you also bake the paint? Not that I think it has a direct impact on color, but rather on the gloss & texture which can have an impact on the perceived color.
#38
If you can prep your calipers that is key to getting a smooth clean first layer down, the rest is pretty much connecting the dots....
Last edited by Wheel Dynamics; 04-27-2016 at 12:37 PM. Reason: update photo; wrong photo used.
#39
I know cooking these things in your own oven is probably not the best idea in the world. A toaster over or spare oven would probably work but toaster ovens are small.
What would be wrong with creating a box out of aluminum foil with metal framing. Picture a photo box but made out of metal and then putting that in the oven?
What would be wrong with creating a box out of aluminum foil with metal framing. Picture a photo box but made out of metal and then putting that in the oven?
#40
I know cooking these things in your own oven is probably not the best idea in the world. A toaster over or spare oven would probably work but toaster ovens are small.
What would be wrong with creating a box out of aluminum foil with metal framing. Picture a photo box but made out of metal and then putting that in the oven?
What would be wrong with creating a box out of aluminum foil with metal framing. Picture a photo box but made out of metal and then putting that in the oven?
$60 countertop oven = easy solution. No need to make your kitchen smell like a paint shop
#41
Good call. We replaced our toaster oven several years ago and I moved the old one out to the garage for just this reason. When I sandblast and paint metal parts, I use the toaster oven to both dry and pre-warm the metal parts and also to bake the finish. I have found that the parts that I do this process on wind up with not only a very uniform finish (paint adheres and flows better when sprayed onto a warm--not hot--metal surface), but an exceptionally durable finish as well.
When I built my shop, I briefly considered installing an old oven for this reason. It would be great to be able to bake larger parts, like wheels. It would have been a reason for me to get into powdercoating. But, I realized that an oven would take up too much space and I'd use it only a few times a year, so I discarded that idea. The toaster oven allows me to bake 75% of the parts I refinish anyway.
When I built my shop, I briefly considered installing an old oven for this reason. It would be great to be able to bake larger parts, like wheels. It would have been a reason for me to get into powdercoating. But, I realized that an oven would take up too much space and I'd use it only a few times a year, so I discarded that idea. The toaster oven allows me to bake 75% of the parts I refinish anyway.
#45
Following the basics of this post, I chose to strip my calipers with paint stripper, wire wheel with a dremel tool, light sanding, and then cleanup with acetone as my prep. After VHT paint, I baked @ 300 deg F, for 1 hr.
After baked and cool, I applied high heat vinyl stickers and clear coat just over the sticker face area.
Here are the results of the procedure I used and yes, its all in the prep work. I went from thrashed black calipers to this. Three more to go... ; )
After baked and cool, I applied high heat vinyl stickers and clear coat just over the sticker face area.
Here are the results of the procedure I used and yes, its all in the prep work. I went from thrashed black calipers to this. Three more to go... ; )