I have no knowledge nor the tool to do the job. I am just asking to see if it is possible to DIY. That's what dealership service is for. Too bad they don't do such mod. Even if they do, I wouldn't pay them $110/hr.
This stuff is certainly a DIY job (to me at least) I will not however go to an MB dealership to have this sort of work done. They will charge you and arm and a leg. If you really want to have your calipers painted, go to one of the automotive specialty shops. There are a number of shops in the Greater Vancouver area that will do this kind of work. Good luck!
Martman
PS: We never did get to meet up lat week to visit Costco for the Stoner's deal. Were you able to pick some up?
Can you suggest some automotive specialty shops that you know of? Reliable and knowledgeable on German car? I am interested in getting them painted. I am also looking to install alarm if you know any.
PS.. no I didn't have a chance to go to Costco. I ended up getting a bottle from CT. I also got a bottle of Turtle Wax rim cleaner and the result shown in the above pic - clean but dull. Four raincheck for the car shampoo that was OOS.
For starters, try this place on Boundary Road called NMontion. N-MotionAuto.net
They tinted my previous car - a Mazda 5 GT. I know they do HID conversions, alarm installs, graphics, install mods, etc. They do both Japanese and European imports.
Also, in Richmond, try Bismarck collision on Minoru Road. They are more than just a body shop. They are a division of SR Auto Sports - they do a lot of racing conversions for mostly German marques. I've seen Bimmers, Benzes, Ferraris and even a Lambo Countach at their shop.
Bismarck Collision looks like a nice shop. I'll give them a call tomorrow. They show a lot of high end cars in their gallery. I have contacted Ryan at N-motion about the alarm. They are next to BMW at Boundary. Small nice shop. However, they mostly do Japanese cars. I am not sure if I am willing to go with them.
I have used Bismark collision in the past when I had to have some body work done on a previous car. They do service a lot of high-end cars, and their sister company also does mods for mostly European imports as well. They are certainly used to dealing with MBs, bimmers, Bentleys, etc. In fact, a friend of mine who owns a Ferrari brings his car to Bismark.
Who is their sister company? Should I mention your name when I contact them to maybe get some discount? MB is a luxury brand, but I don't think the B can be looked at as a high-end car.
jtcb, I think the other company is SR Auto Sport (?) I only dealt with Bismark when I had to have some body work done a while back (ICBC claim) Not sure if they'll give any discounts, but you can most certainly ask. Good luck.
Quote jtcb "ok.. I am planning to paint the caliper. Here's some questions." Unquote
Sorry not to get back to you straight away but I have been away on holiday for a week.
I have painted calipers on several cars that I have owned so here are some points to consider before painting calipers.
I personally think that the best colours to go with are either the silver (as original M/B) or black. Thes go very well with the majority of the Bs colours.
Although red looks very nice on a sleek Ferrari most of us bought our Bs partly because we are discerning people and liked the quality look of the car. In most cases red would look tacky & garish and a bit boy racerish. However it would probably not look out of place with say Derek,s red. (You would not buy the car if it had yellow door handles,would you, same thing with garish pads)
If you painted your calipers say lumi yellow or dayglo orange you might like it fine but what about the person that comes round to buy your car when you go to sell it, and isn't it a nice excuse for the dealer to knock some money off on part exchange.
Regarding paint, I personally have found the easiest and cheapest paint to use is good quality high temperature engine paint ( usually good for about 700 degrees) this paint is thin and goes on very easily. I find that the thick caliper paint tends to look a bit glossy & plastickey but some like that look
Don't think you can paint first thing in the morning and go shopping an hour later it takes time to dry and will probably need a couple of coats.
Follow the manufacturers instructions as some can be painted again within an hour or so and some need several days to dry before a second coat.
Make sure that you clean the calipers thoroughly I wash mine first with water and then used a spirit based cleaner to remove the grease (dont get this on the seals or any rubber brake tubing).
The best job is done if you remove the calipers but this requires more work than most of the members would probably want to undertake.
I find that it is easier (but takes slightly longer) and makes a better job if you use a long handled flat headed brush that is about 1/4 inch wide as with this you can paint all round the caliper, with it on the car, without getting the paint over the disks / rotors. If you do get it on the rotors get it off straight away.
If you are reasonably adept you could probably do a reasonable job in about 1 hour per wheel per coat of paint. Do ensure that you donn't just rely on the jack to support the car whilst working on it we want to gain members rather than lose them.
It is a job that any reasonably competant diy person can do, you do not need to be a mechanic.
Photo below is not a very good one of the calipers as it was designed to show some marks on the wheel, but it shows the calipers which in black look discreet and not obtrusive.
Linear Mode
