Painting Brake Calipers help

[mattanthony23]

I just bought a new black 2015 370Z Coupe (my first Z) and I wanted to paint the brake calipers red. If that is a modification someone has done I'd appreciate some info.

I'm interested to find out if they can do it using paint, or if it needs to be powder coated to resist the heat, how much something like this would cost, ect...

Any info is much appreciated, happy to be a part of the community

[NolimitZ32]

In short, powder-coating is best but ceramic based paints can be used, in fact every auto parts store sells brake caliper paint in cans and even in kits, if you plan to DIY these are usually a good way to go, if you are paying a pro to do it I don't think the difference in price will justify skimping on a proper powder job since most of the labor is in the prep and the prep for powder is generally less labor intensive since it usually consists of a corrosive bath vs blasting, sanding, priming, etc. for paint.

[mattanthony23]

Thanks for the Info Nolimit!

[BusyBadger]

I wouldn't worry about powder coating the calipers unless they're the Akebono calipers from the sport package trimmed 370Z. Any money you save by painting the standard calipers instead of powder coating could be used to actually upgrade to the Akebonos or other big brake kit. Mike (RedDet) sells the Akebonos as an upgrade from a webstore.

As for heat resistance, the paint that's used in caliper painting kits is a two part epoxy style paint that will withstand the temps generated by your brakes. I've know some folks that have had good results from the G2 kits.

Welcome to NICO!

[mattanthony23]

I think you're right BusyBadger, the more research I do online the more I realize the powder coating is probably superfluous. It seems like they have special caliper paint to handle a job like this. And my Z is the base model, not the Sport package, so they do not have the Akebono calipers, just the standard caliper that comes on that model.

Would you recommend getting the painting done at a shop that specializes in brakes or auto body paint?

[BusyBadger]

You could have a shop pant them but its a pretty straightforward DIY job. G2 USA has some tips on their website and they've got a vid or two on YouTube as well.

If you've got a steady hand you could even paint them while they're on the car and loaded with pads but if it were me I'd be pulling them off. The nice thing about doing them on your own is that you set your own timetable. Well, except for the working time of the paint. Since it's an epoxy you've only got so long before the paint starts to harden and becomes difficult to work with.