Honest opinion about painted calipers?

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by Kzang

Agreed with Florida, the DIY painted caliper looks ghetto... the one from Porsche is professionally done. If you can get your stock calipers to look like that Porsche caliper minus the "PORSCHE" then it might be alright. Imo the rotors being plain and non slotted or drilled also makes a difference. If I was OP I'd bite the bullet and get the M Performance /brembos / bbk sets and call it a day.

I have driller/slotted rotors on all 4 corners. 365mm/345mm (Front/Rear).
M Performance brake kit for x5 is very weak upgrade for 50i brakes, if at all (afaik we have several threads where consensus was that there are no real performance gains compared to 50i stock brakes), it's a descent upgrade going from 35i tho, I agree. Besides MPBK rear calipers are same as 50i rear calipers (if I'm not mistaken) and yet it's painted blue AND has M sticker on it lol

The thing is I'm very content and happy with my 50i brake performance - it's aesthetics I wanted to improve. I don't like the looks of stock grey-ish metal calipers - they look bad, finish is bad, especially when you have open bmw rim design. I really wanted to step over this stereotyping about calipers so I can have my hands free to improve looks, but NOT to make it look like something it isn't

Originally Posted by Florida-X5;

OP .... seems like you already had your mind made up before you posted so it's your car man, do what you like.

No, no, not at all. I really was and still am on a fence. That's why I wanted to discuss this topic. To get to some consensus. Contrasting opinions, but I'm probably not going to do it, because I don't want my 50i to look ghey. No really, I know it's my car and it shouldn't matter what others think, but it does to me, to some degree, after all we are modding our cars so they look good, so that other enthusiasts will appreciate it too. Picture thread for example - if it wasn't the case then no one would have shared any photos - if it was only for ourselves to enjoy you know

[Doanster]

It's not like the 50i calipers are small to begin with. That's why I don't think they'd look out of place if painted, especially paired with the new rotors.
Color choice also makes a difference. Even if I owned a Panamera GTS, I'd still repaint the stock lime green calipers!!

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by CeeTeeX5

Is black ok? less ghey? Just curious where that falls on level of gheyness lol.

Lol it not some much about the caliper colour and more the DIY and the fact the 99.999999999 % it looks looks very cheap and ghetto ie ghey... not that there is any wrong with ghey....

If you want to try and do it right I would talk to iND. they do custom colour BBK that turn out beautifully. I just don’t think a cast caliper hold the paint the well and it comes off well.... ghey

You drive a 80- 100 k BMW why hack it up with a cheap DYI caliper paint job.

Just my thoughts.... but like I said earlier your car, your life, who cares what a bunch of dicks on the Internet think...

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by DuSh

I have driller/slotted rotors on all 4 corners. 365mm/345mm (Front/Rear).
M Performance brake kit for x5 is very weak upgrade for 50i brakes, if at all (afaik we have several threads where consensus was that there are no real performance gains compared to 50i stock brakes), it's a descent upgrade going from 35i tho, I agree. Besides MPBK rear calipers are same as 50i rear calipers (if I'm not mistaken) and yet it's painted blue AND has M sticker on it lol

They are not the stock caliper painted blue ... the stock is cast and mbbk aluminum

In most cases in a one off stop there will not be a huge difference but over a track session there would be a huge difference

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by Florida-X5

There is a BIG difference between painting this type of caliper


And this type of caliper, IMHO ...... (I think gold on Porsche means ceramic, according to my neighbor who has a turbo 911 and turbo Cayenne)

Quoted for truth

[CeeTeeX5]

Originally Posted by redline9001

Lol it not some much about the caliper colour and more the DIY and the fact the 99.999999999 % it looks looks very cheap and ghetto ie ghey... not that there is any wrong with ghey....

If you want to try and do it right I would talk to iND. they do custom colour BBK that turn out beautifully. I just don’t think a cast caliper hold the paint the well and it comes off well.... ghey

You drive a 80- 100 k BMW why hack it up with a cheap DYI caliper paint job.

Just my thoughts.... but like I said earlier your car, your life, who cares what a bunch of dicks on the Internet think...

These types of topics just always crack me up and I enjoy seeing how passionate and worked up people will get to defend their opinion, especially around completely subjective things.

I do like to seek other's thoughts though when a modification I intend to make may have a mechanical/safety impact. I don't think painting calipers falls in to this bucket so I'm just here for the entertainment

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by redline9001

They are not the stock caliper painted blue ... the stock is cast and mbbk aluminum

In most cases in a one off stop there will not be a huge difference but over a track session there would be a huge difference

I wanted to go with M5 F10 calipers (6 pot) and their rotors (lightweight) - there's a bracket adapter available now on the market, but all in it was a $5k project - too much for a car that is a daily and not a track car

I agree with you, it's just I had experience driving x5 with MPBK and after 3 consecutive braking from highway speeds within 5-10min timeframe (75mph to near stop) - brakes were gone. They started to vibrate from heat. Took some time to cool them off. Owner of that x5 told me it was every time with MPBK like that. Besides MPBK rotors are heavier than M5 F10 rotors - whoever engineered them did a half-ass job imho, that's why I'm not considering them as a viable option

[yewlock]

Originally Posted by CeeTeeX5

Is black ok? less ghey? Just curious where that falls on level of gheyness lol.

Since my girl friend like pink, I will paint it pink.
less ghey?

[ergoyo]

Agree with not painting calipers too. It's rice and as soon as the color starts fading it looks even nastier and cheap. It's like the typical mod a 16-yr old would do on an old civic.

I just hit mines with caliper grey to sort of restore the newer look on them. I also hit the hub with caliper black and was able to get rid of that ugly brown rust. I'm super happy, it refreshed the look, and no one can say I monkeyed with the wheels.

[d_v_o_1]

If you take the time to prep and paint properly there is no reason it can not come out better looking then those red caliper below the Porsche ones.

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by yewlock

Since my girl friend like pink, I will paint it pink.
less ghey?

MOAR GHEY

[fosterelli]

I think there are two answers...

First, your ride, do what you like, live and let live, nothing is rice or ghey if you like it...it's your time and money and anyone telling you how to spend either is nonsense. Differing opinions are great, but outside of that, to each their own.

Second, if you clean, prep, primer, and paint properly you can get your cast calipers to appear as machined calipers.

Remove them from the vehicle, protect your pots, spray them down from every angle with gallons of brake cleaner. Next, get a Dremel and grind any casting die marks, sand all strange edges away (casting witness, grinding/deburring witness, etc.).

Prime with high quality, high temperature primer, preferably something with self-etching characteristics. Paint with high quality paint, high temperature only, several coats, follow instructions carefully. Clear coats as desired for gloss effect. Wet/color sand with high grit to make 'em pop. And if you're adding a logo, put below some clear.

Shit in = shit out. Effort in = awesome out. Prep is key.

And yes, at-home jobs typically SUCK, because someone grabs a can of yellow or red and sprays the shit right on the car, on top of the brake dust, and goes down to 7Eleven to show it off.

If you have reservations on your abilities, just remove them and take them somewhere and explain what you're looking for. Or do the prep and have pros do the paint. Won't cost shit and will look great.

And for my personal opinion, having owned vehicles with and without OEM painted calipers, I prefer with paint...and if I liked them enough, I'd do it to all of my unpainted calipers...I have the tools, the shop, and the time to represent properly. Just don't like them quite enough to interfere with my other projects...and our vehicles are typically 1-2 year rides...so I really have to love it to get that involved.

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by d_v_o_1

If you take the time to prep and paint properly there is no reason it can not come out better looking then those red caliper below the Porsche ones.

I found local shop that charges $450, but they do it right, take calipers off, prep and paint professionally. You have to leave car for 2 days. I'm sure final result will be better than stock grey-ish cast. It's just that people will still think it's ghey and rice no matter what - I can't change that

The key issue here is that supposedly I am trying to make it look like BBK or like something it's not, even if I'm not going to use any stickers with fancy letters or logos. Let's do some math: dealer price of stock OEM BMW 50i calipers (4 pcs) replacement and 4 oem BMW rotors cost same if not more than average BBK. Performance wise 50i brakes (with 365mm/345mm rotors) have braking force probably equal or slightly more than some average to entry level BBK. And yet it still has this stigma - you can't paint it - just because it's not a aluminum monoblock
I bet 99% people don't have an idea what 50i brakes are capable of or how much they cost, yet even a 16yo boy on 2003 Honda Civic will say ghey/rice when he looks at my painted cast calipers Stigma. This is the world we live in

I'll just keep them as is - I'll be a real man - I'll let them rust lol



Airbags are ghey too:

[Maverik259]

Haha F that noise man. You can at least paint them black. This will at least help cover up the cast marks and blend looking like a monoblock system without looking like a poser and thus would protect from rust which will look awful. Seen too many X5s with rusty calipers. Paint em black. You can even slap on a sticker if you want to help em pop but at least go with black if nothing else.

[fosterelli]

Yeah DuSH I think you're missing the point (at least my point)...

If you do it right, no one will know they aren't OEM, and no one will know they are cast, except those who (1) know BMW X5s enough (2) get close enough to see them properly

And besides, who gives a shit what anyone else thinks? FWIW I could get them to appear as a machined piece of billet aluminum in no time.

If you can do the removal, prep, and reinstall, you can probably cut that shop cost pretty good.

Haters will always hate, if it ain't your calipers it'll be your flat billed hat (curved in my case) or your grey sideburns. F them and F caring what anyone thinks about anything outside of you and yours. I listen to my wife and five kids, and that's it. Everyone else can piss off if they don't like my decisions.

[Chadmatic]

I have no opinion on this topic other than the fact that the thread title is ‘Honest opinion about painted calipers’ and there are members here who are criticizing those who are giving their honest opinions. But what do you expect, this is a BMW forum, and you know what they say about BMW owners.

[fosterelli]

Originally Posted by Chadmatic

I have no opinion on this topic other than the fact that the thread title is ‘Honest opinion about painted calipers’ and there are members here who are criticizing those who are giving their honest opinions. But what do you expect, this is a BMW forum, and you know what they say about BMW owners.

I think there's a difference between an honest opinion and calling things "ghey", which in of itself is strange. An honest opinion is "I think it looks cheap" or "might not fit well with the look of your calipers" or "you should just get BBK"...or on the flip side, "do it bro, do it!".

But dissing the notion it is less of an opinion and more of a slam. There are objective opinions and there the rest...

I never could grasp why people give a shit about what other people think, or understand why people give two shits about what other people do to their vehicles. I totally get asking for opinions and providing them, that's forum 101. Yes, laugh when you see them with something funky...point them out to your family...but type away on a keyboard bitching about another's choice and taste, not so much. Some people get outright nasty.

I'm the first to crack a joke, laugh at the wire rims that stick out 24" from the hub, and mock the guy with the vanity plate on his BMW that says 04BMWM3.

However, I'm also the one who doesn't get why people care that homie put a ///M badge on his X5 50i or decided to slap an AMG badge on his C Class. Why would I care? I may remove my badges and decline the Bentley watch, and I don't wear MB or BMW apparel.

That doesn't make me judge the guy who rallies the ///M and AMG sporting base. To me the ///M and AMG are a passion, not a car's trim level...because that's their DNA, that's how they started, and that's the reason they exist...to excite, motivate, exhilarate, and build performance enhancements from intakes to full blown special models.

It's like hot rod builders and car tuners and customizers...without guys painting calipers and modding their rides, we'd have no SEMA, no AMG or Dinan or AC Schintzer or Brabus or Rennline or any of the fun stuff we enjoy...because the caliper painters started it all (or the bootleggers or the engine swappers).

The young guy who throws the ///M on his 230i and starts modding can be the next great tuner who provides us with more coding or HP/TQ/Style/Sound and overall sweetness. So I won't discourage anyone.

It's the root of automobile customization, so give the kid who's first mod is some stupid aftermarket pedals a chance...and don't diss those who want to tweak an otherwise basic luxury ride that almost anyone in America can purchase, lease, finance, rent, or borrow from a friend. It's an X5 for Christ's sake.

And paint the damn calipers already!

[Chadmatic]

Originally Posted by fosterelli

I think there's a difference between an honest opinion and calling things "ghey", which in of itself is strange. An honest opinion is "I think it looks cheap" or "might not fit well with the look of your calipers" or "you should just get BBK"...or on the flip side, "do it bro, do it!".

But dissing the notion it is less of an opinion and more of a slam. There are objective opinions and there the rest...

I never could grasp why people give a shit about what other people think, or understand why people give two shits about what other people do to their vehicles. I totally get asking for opinions and providing them, that's forum 101. Yes, laugh when you see them with something funky...point them out to your family...but type away on a keyboard bitching about another's choice and taste, not so much. Some people get outright nasty.

I'm the first to crack a joke, laugh at the wire rims that stick out 24" from the hub, and mock the guy with the vanity plate on his BMW that says 04BMWM3.

However, I'm also the one who doesn't get why people care that homie put a ///M badge on his X5 50i or decided to slap an AMG badge on his C Class. Why would I care? I may remove my badges and decline the Bentley watch, and I don't wear MB or BMW apparel.

That doesn't make me judge the guy who rallies the ///M and AMG sporting base. To me the ///M and AMG are a passion, not a car's trim level...because that's their DNA, that's how they started, and that's the reason they exist...to excite, motivate, exhilarate, and build performance enhancements from intakes to full blown special models.

It's like hot rod builders and car tuners and customizers...without guys painting calipers and modding their rides, we'd have no SEMA, no AMG or Dinan or AC Schintzer or Brabus or Rennline or any of the fun stuff we enjoy...because the caliper painters started it all (or the bootleggers or the engine swappers).

The young guy who throws the ///M on his 230i and starts modding can be the next great tuner who provides us with more coding or HP/TQ/Style/Sound and overall sweetness. So I won't discourage anyone.

It's the root of automobile customization, so give the kid who's first mod is some stupid aftermarket pedals a chance...and don't diss those who want to tweak an otherwise basic luxury ride that almost anyone in America can purchase, lease, finance, rent, or borrow from a friend. It's an X5 for Christ's sake.

And paint the damn calipers already!

I don’t disagree with painting calipers, but don’t ask for honest opinions if you can’t handle the responses.

[1230vani]

Originally Posted by d_v_o_1

If you take the time to prep and paint properly there is no reason it can not come out better looking then those red caliper below the Porsche ones.

Nice! Where did you source the stickers from. Planning to do do performance oem upgrade for power only which comes with slightly updated brakes. I would like to paint those and slap a sticker like yours. Thanks

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by Chadmatic

I don’t disagree with painting calipers, but don’t ask for honest opinions if you can’t handle the responses.

I appreciate all responses. I was just trying to get to the core of issue here (don't mind my provoking posts). I want to find out why people think that way. Maybe I can use that knowledge to adjust. For example I'm right now thinking maybe silver will be a better choice. Silver is closer to stock look and it won't be as bad looking as stock unpainted and won't cause ghey/rice reaction

Imho this is probably first world problems lol, but with our BMW open rim designs stock calipers look awful with time and I don't think it's very smart to drive rusty calipers on a $70-80k car. It may not be ghey, but it's going into opposite territory to redneck trucks? (no disrespect to redneck on this forum). There has to be something done imho

[turboawd]

Originally Posted by Florida-X5

There is a BIG difference between painting this type of caliper


And this type of caliper, IMHO ...... (I think gold on Porsche means ceramic, according to my neighbor who has a turbo 911 and turbo Cayenne)

pretty much this. with cast calipers i'd go either silver or black. with nice machined calipers then red or yellow.

[Kr0m3assass1n]

#1 All OEM colored calipers are also painted, therefore it is possible to get the exact same finish aftermarket, assuming the shop takes care and does it right. A friend painted his Panamera calipers in that lime greenish color that Porsche has and they look incredible. But I also think he paid over $1000 for the job.

#2 I would get them painted personally just to get the right look because mine are starting to show surface rust in this horrible DC/MD/VA climate and it looks like ass.

DuSh - ultimately, do what you think is right. It is your car and your car alone.