Painter Calipers

[PA350]

Has only painted their calipers? Is so how did you prep, how did you paint (and what kind) and how did they hold up?

Just picked up a used '04 350 w/8500miles. Car looks real nice, but painted calipers would really be fine. My Porsche and TL have them and they look real good.

Any experience?

[Step Hen]

You'll want to clean them up and get rid of any dirt/grease that's on the calipers. Brake Cleaner works well, and you can pick it up at any local auto parts store. It comes in an aerosol can. Clean it well because the quality of the paint job depends on how well you prepped the caliper. You will want to take a brush to it as well to reach in the corners and scrub out the debris.

You can get caliper paint kits, either brush form or spray form. High temp engine paint works as well. Some people remove the caliper and others mask the parts around the caliper. 2-3 coats is good, with drying time in between, and then you'll want to hit it with some clear coat. There are a lot of write-ups online, so if you google it, you'll find some nice ones, though I haven't seen any for a Lexus (not that I specifically looked for it though).

[Sidney07]

This is totally my opinion, FWIW...higher end cars/performance cars/etc, that COME with painted calipers look great. When I see the red calipers on a Turbo Cayenne S, or even the gold ones on a Subaru STi, yeah, they look great.The brakes are bigger, better, etc. But every time I've seen someone paint calipers, it just looks cheap, wannabe, etc. Keep them clean, maintained well, etc. and they look ok.

Having said that...it's YOUR car, and if you think that painting your calipers on you IS will make it look better, go for it!!!

[bartkat]

Where did you find a '04 350?

[Tango]

Has only painted their calipers? Is so how did you prep, how did you paint (and what kind) and how did they hold up?

Just picked up a used '04 350 w/8500miles. Car looks real nice, but painted calipers would really be fine. My Porsche and TL have them and they look real good.

Any experience?

After a clean and degrease I initially painted mine black with chrome Lexus ldecals but as the calipers are aluminium I polished the flat section, applied black decals with a couple of coats of clear laquer, which is how they are now. I did mine off the car, but on my previous IS I painted them in situ..just needs more care. See before and after pic. I also have stainless steel braided brake lines.

[PA350]

Where did you find a '04 350?

Oopps...new owner...'06!

[PA350]

Has only painted their calipers? Is so how did you prep, how did you paint (and what kind) and how did they hold up?

Just picked up a used '04 350 w/8500miles. Car looks real nice, but painted calipers would really be fine. My Porsche and TL have them and they look real good.

Any experience?

After a clean and degrease I initially painted mine black with chrome Lexus ldecals but as the calipers are aluminium I polished the flat section, applied black decals with a couple of coats of clear laquer, which is how they are now. I did mine off the car, but on my previous IS I painted them in situ..just needs more care. See before and after pic. I also have stainless steel braided brake lines.

Wow...both look real nice. How did you polish the aluminum? Where did you get decals and any paint mfg you recommend?

[Tango]

Wow...both look real nice. How did you polish the aluminum? Where did you get decals and any paint mfg you recommend?

The decals are available from this site (LOC), although the chrome ones can be difficult to get hold of as they're produced in small batches.

I used 'wet & dry' abrasive paper to clean up the surface, finishing with fine wire wool and metal polish. Paint was 'Hammerite' smooth, but caliper paint is available in most motor accessory shops. The Hammerite paint is especially good if you cannot get the surface perfectly clean, although you still need to ensure it's free of grease....use paint thinners to prep.