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Where to get brake calipers painted red (or any other color)?

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I think red calipers set the MS off as not just an ordinary sedan. My P85 had the standard black calipers, so I set out to find the best way to get the factory red appearance. Aftermarket solutions that provide Tesla looks and quality are hard to find. There are after-market caliper covers available, but, in my opinion, none of them I could find are of Tesla quality or appearance and some could easily create problems if they worked loose. I decided the best solution is to do as Tesla does, and paint them.

Painting calipers on the car is not a good idea as overspray can be a problem and the entire caliper can not be painted while installed. The calipers must be removed to be properly painted which involves the need for re-assembly and brake bleeding after re-installation. The car has to be on a lift so all 4 wheels can be removed. This is not an easy DIY project.

Continental Imports in Gainesville, Florida is a high end shop doing mostly Merc, BMW, Audi, Porsche and Lambo work. They’ve done work on several Teslas and are familiar with the car. Darren, the Service Manager, has a lot of experience painting calipers on other high end cars, and is able to exactly match the Tesla factory paint. The job requires two coats of paint, followed by the Tesla decal application and then clear coating. To allow the paint to properly dry between coats, they need the car overnight.

Since the cost is about the same as Tesla charges, I decided to get the job done. I was provided a loaner 2014 BMW while my car was in the shop. I’m very pleased with the results and can’t find any difference between the appearance of my calipers and those supplied by Tesla.

If you need an excuse to make a road trip and want red calipers, give Darren a call at 352-377-6604. With some notice, he can probably provide a loaner car. Gainesville is a great place to visit, particularly during football season, and I think you’ll be happy with the results. Hopefully the supercharger there will soon be open.

Have a look at the finished product.
 

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Red calipers were not an option for most of 2013, I believe. When they began offering, I'm fairly certain it was an option for any car, at a price. It now seems to be part of a package only and not a standalone option.
 
When the red calipers were first offered by Tesla, the price was $500. At that time, a P85 upgrade was 10K more than the S85 price. Late in 2013 or early in 2014, the Red Calipers ($500), the spoiler ($1,500) and the Alcantara headliner ($1.500) were "bundled" with the P85 upgrade which now costs $13,500 more than an S85. The red calipers are now available from Tesla only as part of the P or P+ package.

I paid about $540 for my paint work, which, considering the amount of work involved and tying up a lift for a couple of days, is a fair price. I supplied the decals. If the calipers are in bad shape, it might cost a bit more to clean them up. As far as getting red ones from Tesla, expect to pay at least $2,000 or more for a new set of calipers as they don't paint them as an aftermarket service.
 
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Sorry, I misinterpreted. I thought he meant that he had asked Tesla what it would cost to swap to the red calipers after the fact, and was quoted approximately the same amount that he paid to have the old ones painted, which made me wonder why not just go with the Tesla offer. The new explanation makes more sense.
 
While I was in Japan a week ago I left my car with SDR auto in Cockeysville MD for a week to do the calipers and paint the brake hats and rotor edges to eliminate all of the ugly rust.

They spray painted everything with their best equipment, including the G2 caliper paint, applied the Tesla letters and symbols, and sprayed it all with several layers of clear coat. Here are photos of the results. I couldn't be more pleased.

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@artsci, I had my calipers painted in my small local auto detailer shop. Charged about two hundred buckaroos but worth every penny. Painter was extremely carefull to get a brilliant tesla-red color. My calipers stand out now. Decals to be applied as soon as they arrive (according to tracking, tomorrow).

I am flat-black wrapping some chrome now.

Btw artsci, I installed the lighted front T and it looks AMAZING !
Can't wait to get the rear red T.

Cal
 

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@artsci, I had my calipers painted in my small local auto detailer shop. Charged about two hundred buckaroos but worth every penny. Painter was extremely carefull to get a brilliant tesla-red color. My calipers stand out now. Decals to be applied as soon as they arrive (according to tracking, tomorrow).

I am flat-black wrapping some chrome now.

Btw artsci, I installed the lighted front T and it looks AMAZING !
Can't wait to get the rear red T.

Cal

Looks good. There are many excellent local shops that can do this kind of work very well.