ShadeTreeMechanic

It's been a few months since I upgraded to EBC dimpled and slotted rotors, and Red Stuff pads. I painted the calipers since (a) the pads are visibly red and (b) the day I had it done I saw the red calipers on a new Jetta and felt I deserved red calipers also.

Plus I just wanted to do it.

Took two days to do (mostly drying time). The Duplicolor kit was really easy to use (I've painted rotors with their spray, which is a lot harder to get the coating right). The paint-on stuff is the same material, but is easier to apply and no overspray.

Here's why my brake light was going off (for those of you wondering if you should get your pads done, it is the inside pads that wear out first).
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59694/worn_out_pads.jpg">

It took about four months and three companies to get the correct rear rotors. Seems EBC just hadn't made any rotors for the 3.0 (1.8T were shipped to me in error). The pads I picked up from the local Pep Boys.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59694/finishing_rotor_paint_job.jpg">
You don't have to tape up as much when you're not spraying the rotors.

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59694/front_painted_rotor1.jpg">
By the way, they're redder than this; it's the lighting on my camera.

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59694/front_painted_rotor2.jpg">

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59694/rear_painted_rotor1.jpg">

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59694/wheels_back_on.jpg">

After two month on these, they stop much better, and are a lot easier to clean. There is no huge brake dust buildup like on the stock pads; I can rinse them clean now (a fine powder versus a greasy dust).

Right after I did it, a fellow employee parked a Gallardo next to me. The huge brakes on that kinda made me wish I'd just done a BBK. Not really necessary, but the rotors look small on 19's. And this was mostly done because the stock rotors and pads were more expensive. I didn't realize how long it would take to get the parts though.

JsprZ

btw, I think you mean you painted the calipers.

ShadeTreeMechanic

Fixed (thanks)!

Current prices from <a href="http://www.brakesrus.com/products.php?section=224&type=v">Brakes R Us</a> for GD1045 (rotors): $258, pads :$89. About $130 for the rears, pads were ~$60. Oh, I did get the fluid changed (no stainless steel brake lines though).

When I say it was cheaper, most prices I was found online were for the front rotors separately; EBC's come as a set.

Tay Tay 55

Nice....I need to do a summer upgrade like that. How much time did it take?

chuckdawg82

that looks sweet.

ShadeTreeMechanic

Thanks for the tip. I bought the digital camera to take pics, but I tend to wait till I need it to practice. I could at least read the manual?

ShadeTreeMechanic

It depends on how dirty your calipers are. I took the time to wash the inside of all 4 rims at the same time, so the clean-up took a couple of hours. But the cleaner you get everything, the easier it is to paint (we are talking scrubbing with a toothbrush).

Taping everything up is only a 30 minute job, and painting was overnight. 4 coats of paint (15 minute drying time between coats) then 3 coats of high-temp clear. Definitely a start Friday night, done by Saturday afternoon-thing.