Painting Brake Calipers

Painting Brake Calipers

This week we performed some custom work, painting brake calipers on a 2008 Maserati Ghibli Q4. The process takes about 12 hours to do it the right way. Prep is key to making these calipers turn out like this. 1) Removing as much brake dust, dirt and grime and 2) High quality products.

First we will remove the wheels, brake rotors and pads. Next we do prep, lots and lots of prep. We can not do enough prep. If there is any brake dust on the calipers, the primer will not adhere correctly and you will see it. We also mask the entire car, incase of over spray,. We also mask the suspension components, ABS / sensor wires and brake fluid lines. After all the prep and masking is done, we spray 3 coats of acid based self etching primer on the calipers.

We let that set up and cure per the manufacture’s instruction, then start painting the brake calipers. Painting brake calipers takes time. Applying many light coats is the another key to a quality finish. The paint we use is a ceramic based high temp paint (900º) that will hold up to the heat. We let that set up for many hours before starting on the next step. When the paint has sets up, we install the Maserati decals. We use 3m cast vinyl that has a very long life, UV stable and is extremely thin. The clear coat will protect the decals and will last the life of the calipers. Lastly, we spray the calipers with ultra gloss, glamour 2 part clear coat. Again, many coats is the key to this amazing finish.

After everything cured over night, we were able to reassemble the brakes. We check the brakes and make sure everything is functional, exactly like when the vehicle arrived at the shop.

If you would like your brake calipers painted with the same results, contact us. Call 425-254-0627 or email us. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

 

 

 

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Performance Tune – 2018 Golf R

Performance Tune – 2018 Golf R

Performance Tuning the Golf R

Today we installed a stage 1+ performance tune on our customer’s 2018 Volkswagen Golf R. The procedure is simple and takes about an hour of time for us to complete each tune. The new performance tune will give him an additional 83hp / 70 Ft Lbs of torque, with no other modifications needed. This tune will also optimize the 1/4 throttle range, so while driving in traffic or with the cruise control on, he will see better fuel economy. Just as long as he keeps his foot off the throttle.

Tuning the 2018 Gold RThe customer also has an Automatic Shifting Manual Transmission (ASMT or DSG) in his Golf R. With the engine performance tune, it requires an additional tune for the transmission control module. Not only does it need this for the additional horse power, but it also optimized the shifts timing and removes the gear kick down. Kick down happens when breaking or slowing while turning. This is a common complaint from owners with a DSG transmission.

In just under a two hours, our customer now has 375hp with 350tq and will be getting fuel economy. Additionally, he purchase a Uniconnect+ cable which will allow him to upgrade to a stage 2 at home, scan his car for fault codes and clear them if needed.

For more information, you can go to the Unitronice’s website to see what we can do for your vehilce. To make an appointment for a performance tune, call 425-254-0627 or email us. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

 

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How to Prep Parts for Powder Coating Correctly

How to Prep Parts for Powder Coating Correctly

Left part after chemical stripping, right after chemical stripping and media blasting. This is how the left part should have looked and why the powder flaked off.

This weekend, our good customer Keith dropped off a few items he needed powder coating correctly applied for his 2014 Subaru Impreza show car.

The bumper canards Keith purchased from an aftermarket parts company coated them satin black. As he was installing the parts onto his car, the powder started flaking off around the screw holes. Immediately he knew that he needed to get them recoated and have them powder coated correctly.  Keith called us on Thursday and we told him we would need to strip them back to bare metal and correctly prep them for powder coating correctly.

Keith’s 2014 Subaru Impreza Before Installing Parts

We chemically stripped them and after 5 minutes, we knew they were not prepped the right way. As you can see in the photo, the part on the left is how the company coated the part. The part on the right is what the left should have looked like and taken about 30 minutes to chemical strip. The part on the right was media blasted at Meister Werks with 36 grit aluminum oxide. This will give the powder ‘bite’ and allow it to stick much better than the smooth surface seen on the left part. This exactly why you can not powder coat over chrome. There is nothing for the powder to stick to and will flake off almost immediately.

The next time you need your project done correctly, call Meister Werks. We do large production runs and single items as well. We also shoot satin black almost every Friday as a part of our Black Friday special. To make an appointment or with any questions, call 425-254-0627 or email us. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

After Powder Coating

After Installation

After Installation

 

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