This album covers how to polish up your front brakes to a mirror-like shine,

At the time, I thought that this was better than painting the brakes. Paint has a hard time sticking to such a hot surface, and will discolor over time. I used the Wheel buffing kit from Eastwood to do this project. It contained everything I needed, except a Dremel tool for the difficult areas.

I didn't go for a flat mirror look, as I like the "hammered" metal texture that you see when the calipers are polished. To achieve a flat surface would require more aggressive abrasives, and might reduce the thermal abilities of the caliper (due to reduced surface area).

8/09/05 Update : I decided to paint the calipers because they were rusting. The new pictures have been added under the old ones. If you want polished calipers, I suggest you DO NOT use Meguiar's or any other chemical wheel cleaner. The harsh chemicals in these cleaners will cause the calipers to discolor and rust.

First, remove the wheels to expose the brakes. Notice how dull the metal looks.	Next some Eagle1 Never-Dull to clean the calipers and shield. Use this to prep if you are painting the brakes	The first stage was using an abrasive polish to smooth out the metal. I used Eastwood Tripoli
Next stage involved a fine mirror compound. Eastwood White Rouge worked for this, but it took some time.	I cleaned up the hard-to-reach areas using my Dremel tool and the wire brush attachment	The final result is a bright polished caliper. I had to shut off the flash to take the picture
Take time and clean the inside of your wheels, so the calipers look even better.	You now see gleaming metal through the spokes. This looks great when the moving	Same process on the other side. First clean the area with a metal cleaning product.
Then use an high abrasive polish.	Finish with a polishing abrasive, and Dremel tool for the crevices.	It brightens your wheels when the calipers are clean and bright.
	Final shot showing my newly polished brakes. This should last longer then painted calipers.
The chemicals in my wheel cleaner caused the calipers to start rusting.	The first step was to sand off the rust and prep the surface with brake cleaner	Next, I mask off the rotors and anything else that doesn't need painting.
I applied 2 coats of 1200 degree manifold paint.	The manifold paint dries to a matte finish, which should be easier to maintain than the popular glossy look.	The finished paint after removing the masking.
Some pics showing the calipers after painting.	Some pics showing the calipers after painting.	Some pics showing the calipers after painting.
	Some pics showing the calipers after painting.