One of the last things to get addressed with the modification of any Mopar, new or old, is usually the brakes. If they aren't frozen up, they are treated just like the old 8 3/4" axle...left till the fail. That is a sad approach, but with the modern Mopar crowd it is actually understandable as the brakes are brand new and perform their task satisfactory, or better. Granted SRT guys and gals get the very nice Brembo set-up and you have to admit that big, red caliper hanging over the drilled and slotted rotor looks great. So you check the options...and it stops there, litereally. The typical enthusiast will be hard pressed to feel the need to pop for a brake kit that is going to run $1-2,000 dollars when that same money can make a bigger impact elsewhere. The solution: how about working with what you've got?
That is exactly what we did with our Mopar 10. In addition to the already decent braking you get from the factory set-up, the Mopar 10s are equipped with the STP (Super Track Pack) upgrade and should perform even better with the HD linings. However, just like the SE or R/T owner, we would like a little more pop from the area behind the wheel. With the STP upgrade in place, I did not feel the need (at this point anyway, hint-hint) to pop for an aftermarket brake kit. You can go from mild to wild, but at this point in time I can not justify 2k going into a six-piston caliper and massive rotors. I do plan to take the car around the tarmac, but quite frankly we don't have a track here and I'm pretty certain I can get more bang for the buck by addressing other needs first.
Thus, my conclusion was to simply paint the calipers....a likely stance by most of us in this situation. If you need the braking, your rotors are warped, or you just have the money, I endorse spending on the braking system. This is something that you will never regret, the brakes perform a critical function to your car...not as glorious as a burnout, or as much to brag about as an 11 second quarter-mile, but they slow you down, keep you from getting t-boned in intersections, help avoid bad drivers easier, and for the hard-core crowd they will be well worth the money for reduced lap times.
But back to the topic at hand, painting the factory brake calipers. First off, true to myself and honest with you, I have to say, "Why the heck did the factory not paint the calipers on the Mopar 10s?" I will even go so far as to suggest it should be considered for R/T Classics. This is simple and could be done pre-assembly and then simply pulled from the bin. They wouldn't be out much, and it would make buyers and enthusiasts very happy. I want to always stress that I am not on the Mopar payroll, despite the fact I might be more passionate than some, and my opinions will never be sensored by someone controlling the purse strings. I pay for hosting, created this site, perform the work, and do the videos and write-ups...if I am unhappy, then by-gosh you will know about it. You may disagree, you might not like it, maybe I'm killing my chances of getting tied in with the purse strings, but you can't put a price on honesty, and when it comes to Mopars I will always be brutally honest. It isn't that I like to point out the improvements and complain as much as it is the simple fact that Mopar has to be the best....this will never be, a close second to ford...to me, second place isn't an option...it is how much farther ahead can we stay from the competition. But I digress...
I really do think it would have been a nice touch for Mopar 10 Owners to have Blue, Red, or Silver calipers...maybe even with the omega "M" cast in or a decal applied (cheap and the technoogy is there), but hey, reality is they weren't. I am trying to stay true to this car and do what I think the factory could have, or in some cases, should have done. With the blue belt-stripe and the blacked out wheels, not to forget mentioning the custom center caps I have to say...blue brake calipers would look awesome on this car...and they do!
Once you've come to the conclusion this is the route to go and you are fine painting you calipers you need to pick out your color and method. In some cases one will influence the other. I have yet to see a good brake caliper paint in some of the high-impact colors so unless you want the engine enamel flaking off, you will be pushed into a brush-on.
My issue was the fact that this car was brand new...not even 1,000 miles on it. In the past I have always used VHT aeresol with great success. That said, for most anything other than brake calipers I have used DupliColor and been very impressed with the results. So, both were in the running, but think about it...can you really do a good job spraying your late model Mopars brake calipers? The simple answer is no, you can't if they stay on the car! To me, it is not worth the extra time and trouble of removing the calipers and pads when you have the option of a brush on kit.
Duplicolor makes a brush on kit, but I have only used their aeresol paints, which again have delivered great results. The reason I didn't pop for the ultra-affordable Duplicolor kit is the simple fact that their blue didn't seem to be as good a match for the Mopar 10 as the G2 Blue....
That's right, I went with the G2 Brake Caliper Paint System.
I sourced the G2 Blue Brake Caliper Paint System, Part Number G2162, from Amazon.com for a shade under $50 and it came with everything you'd need. Let's take a look at the real-time unboxing video for more insight on the kit's contents, directions, and an overall review of the system:
Despite the completeness of the kit I would reccommend picking up a small detail brush and some painters tape to mask off, but everything else is there.
The directions are simple and thorough and will get you started on the right path to sprucing up your Mopar's brake calipers.
I had no trouble mixing the paint, it went on smooth, the paint self-levelled just as professed, and the end result was a very nice looking brake caliper that should hold up for years to come. Here is a video showing the mixing process and procession from first coat to end result. We highlight the original shade, the color after one coat, the color with two-coats, the color totally cured and hardened, and most importantly how it looks with the wheel and tire installed! It also includes a color comparison for G2 Blue and VHT Blue for those interested in a good, real world side-by-side and not a pixel square on your desktop:
In conclusion, I am very happy with this custom accent, or modification. It looks great and I have a hard time picturing the car without the painted calipers. I have zero-regrets, the paint has held up great for a little over 2 months of daily use now, and it has generated quite a few compliments. This was my first time to actually use the brush-on process over something in a spray can, but it went well and we had very few spills or mishaps. I will say, despite the fact the factory's UCA looks weak and flimsy, it will at some point find its way into your forehead...do yourself a favor and wrap a rag around the top point and tie it on...no need to thank me, I know, cough learned, from experience.
If you have any questions, feel free to sign up on the forum (FREE!) and post away:
http://www.lonestarmopars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=206
For you Mopar 10 Owners that might have stumbled upon this thread, don't forger that I have started the first, official Mopar 10 Registry! This is a database built to archive your car by preserving and documenting the legend in the making. We will feature owner's stories, problems, likes and dislikes, modifications, wins at car shows, track performance, and even help faciliate a few regional get-togethers that we can hopefully turn into a mass Mopar 10 gathering in a few years. Check it out and please sign up:
http://www.lonestarmopars.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=59
And now that this is going up my M10 blog I can provide even more updates. I painted the calipers around Memorial Day...this is now after Thanksgiving and they look just as good as they did in May. I drove the car daily up until I tore it apart for the stereo upgrade and that includes rain and 70 mph dust storms!
Lastly, the Mopar 10 Registry is coming along nicely and should be live very soon!
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