To paint or not to paint calipers...

[klarkent42]

I need some help! I'm considering painting my stock calipers. Opinions? Colors? Here's what my car looks like currently....





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[14S4GWM]

Search a bit, theres at least 20 threads on this. One very recent.

[klarkent42]

Search a bit, theres at least 20 threads on this. One very recent.

I did, didn't see many cars with the same color scheme as mine :(

[mr shickadance]

painting stock calipers is always a hard no for me for a two reasons:

1) because the caliper is not closed, brake dust gets on the paint quickly and makes it look bad in my opinion

2) my other opinion is that you are only painting them to make it look like they are something they are not. sort of like running LM reps with the BBS wheel cap on them, it's something it's not, you are only fooling people who don't know anything about cars.

just my opinions tho, everyone is different.

[demonmk2]

Paint them silver or black...that'll help clean it up.
Just don't paint them red, please.

[Davor_]

If you're looking for some contrast and some color to brake up the black and gray I say yes.
But some non red/yellow color :)


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[Bikel]

^^ Agree... don't try to make them something they are not.. just clean ém up and roll on^^

[SDV325]

Paint them silver or black...that'll help clean it up.
Just don't paint them red, please.

Yellow? Would match the fogs? haha

[SteveYem]

^^ Agree... don't try to make them something they are not.. just clean ém up and roll on^^

How did you get the backing plate to be so bright/silver? Mine is like a medium to dark gray at this point. If I could get mine to look like that, it would quell my desire to buy a BBK just for looks.

[Thurston]

off topic but I like the yellow lamin-x fog lights.

[MrFunk]

I agree not to paint. The OEM calipers are ugly to start with, painting them accentuates that. Just keep them clean, they are already painted black. Get a good small brush and give them attention each time you was and they will look as good as they possibly can. If you want "cool" looking calipers then go with a true BBK...

[Victor Newman]

i'd say silver or gray would be fine. but even with my bbk, i went with black calipers, as i think the stock rears look goofy and didn't want to have yellow 6-piston fronts and black single piston floating rears. kinda like the guy at the gym that can bench 350 but obviously has never done one squat

[Victor Newman]

i vote silver

[chilort]

The only answer is purple.

[Endi]

just but Porsche calipers and call it a day

[Bikel]

How did you get the backing plate to be so bright/silver? Mine is like a medium to dark gray at this point. If I could get mine to look like that, it would quell my desire to buy a BBK just for looks.

just sand off the paint to a brushed aluminum finish and apply new decals ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audi-S4-Brak...-/111104727056). a small amount of hightemp clear gloss will keep them looking smart. good luck...

[SteveYem]

just sand off the paint to a brushed aluminum finish and apply new decals ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audi-S4-Brak...-/111104727056). a small amount of hightemp clear gloss will keep them looking smart. good luck...

Sweet. Thanks for the pointers. Any advice for what grit sandpaper to use? And did you sand by hand or with a rotary tool?

[Bikel]

^^ Just sand the paint off by hand with like a 180-220 gt. and then maybe a 400 gt to finish. easy-peasy!

[Gentian7]

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[will13k7]

oem calipers are not that great looking, I vote to keep them hidden.

[SwankP3RF3ct10n]

^^ Agree... don't try to make them something they are not.. just clean ém up and roll on^^

How much do your wheels weigh? Are the Hartmanns heavier than stock front R8 wheels? Did you ever do that research?

[Bikel]

How much do your wheels weigh? Are the Hartmanns heavier than stock front R8 wheels? Did you ever do that research?

no. don't know the exact stats - sorry...

[deewan]

Own a '13 brilliant black S4 very similar to your color setup. I have been thinking of painting the calipers a dark blue, silver or dark purple. The blue and purple would be something in the daylight is noticed a bit, but after dusk looks black and hidden. Just for something a little different. Silver always looks classy to me.

Something a little darker blue than this. But the purple is spot on.

[lopott]

don't paint

[fung9420]

Purple is interesting
Getting the RS calipers, thinking Fluro green on a blue car tho. Haha.


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[will13k7]

^^ went glacier white metallic on the RS calipers recently:

[kobrian85]

^^ went glacier white metallic on the RS calipers recently:

I dig this, but keeping them clean is going to be rough.

[will13k7]

I dig this, but keeping them clean is going to be rough.

Not at all worried about that, I'm a bit OCD when cleaning my car as I enjoy cleaning it immensely. Could be problematic for others who don't tho.

[fordperf]

IMHO painting the calipers does not make the brakes "something they're not", it just brings the eye's attention to whatever it is they actually are.

And paint em red if you like red, it's your car do what you like :) Whether it's been done a lot or not, is irrelevant. Personally I am painting mine red because it matches the red in the Supercharged badging, which is what I care about. I do not care if it's been done a lot, I care what mine is :)

[0000_S5]

IMHO painting the calipers does not make the brakes "something they're not", it just brings the eye's attention to whatever it is they actually are.

And paint em red if you like red, it's your car do what you like :) Whether it's been done a lot or not, is irrelevant. Personally I am painting mine red because it matches the red in the Supercharged badging, which is what I care about. I do not care if it's been done a lot, I care what mine is :)

I completely AGREE. Well said. Paint doesn't make them some sort of impersonation (unless you put a Brembro sticker on them).

[Victor Newman]

I completely AGREE. Well said. Paint doesn't make them some sort of impersonation (unless you put a Brembro sticker on them).

but it's kinda like painting your washer fluid cap in your engine compartment... drawing attention to something that doesn't really warrant attention. single piston floating calipers are being phased out on new "sporty" cars, and the only people who will care (enthusiasts) know it

[0000_S5]

but it's kinda like painting your washer fluid cap in your engine compartment... drawing attention to something that doesn't really warrant attention. single piston floating calipers are being phased out on new "sporty" cars, and the only people who will care (enthusiasts) know it

Why do people wrap their cars? To make them look different and to add or change the color. To each his own - I'm just suggesting that it is an aesthetic choice and not pretending to be something it is not. There is a thread around here about a CF dipstick...

[fordperf]

I completely AGREE. Well said. Paint doesn't make them some sort of impersonation (unless you put a Brembro sticker on them).

I certainly don't support falsely trying to mislead anyone about what you have; if you dont have Brembo brakes, dont put a Brembo sticker on it. EOS. I had red caliper covers on my E90 in an attempt to keep dust off my rims, which actually worked better than I thought. I wasn't trying to impersonate painted calipers by having red covers.

[fordperf]

but it's kinda like painting your washer fluid cap in your engine compartment... drawing attention to something that doesn't really warrant attention. single piston floating calipers are being phased out on new "sporty" cars, and the only people who will care (enthusiasts) know it

Like a carbon fiber rear fascia warrants attention? Half the stuff people put on their cars are meaningless affectations. Gold rims don't warrant attention, they're just aluminum alloys supporting rubber who cares to look at them in orange. But some people like contrasting colors and standing out, even on the most mundane of things :)

[Victor Newman]

oh, of course do what makes you happy in the end, regardless of other people's opinions

[RyanJon]

[RyanJon]