Boxster S Red calipers

I really want red calipers but don't want to spend the 10+ hours on the DIY so I'm considering buying some new boxster S calipers and then selling mine. I'm trying to get a ballpark what the total project would cost, what else I'd need (pads, sensors, bolts, etc), best place to buy the boxster calipers and how much I could get for my used calipers with 20,000 on them. Sunset Porsche is ~ $295 ea. Does anyone know this ebay seller? They almost seem "too" cheap. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=150094726374 Thanks for any words of wisdom/advice/comments/observations

Those calipers in the ad looks like they have been repainted. Look at the pistons. They have red paint on them. I ordered a complete set of calipers for my 996CAB and then sold my black ones on ebay and got something like 4-500. There is a GOOD market for those brembo monobloc calipers.

I agree. They look good and maybe in "like new' condition, but it looks like overspray. If my 42 year old memory serves me correctly, they dont overspray on new OEM stuff.

I see your point - good eyes. Assuming they are "like new" would either of you hesitate to buy them at 150 each? Maybe I'm being cheap (well actually, yes I am), but seems like I could come close to beakeven on the swap. Dell - if you don't mind me asking, where did you buy yours & did you do the pads & sensors too?

If you were to post this on the Cayenne forum, you would be called a "poser" since only CTTs have red calipers. I guess 996TT and C4S drivers are more open minded! Have you considered posting a thread "Looking for red calipers"? You never know what might come out of the woodwork.

I think in the 911 category there are more RED applications. Like you said the Cayenne ONLY got reds if it was a TT. But in 911...the S, C4S and TT had them and the Boxster S too.

I've been called worse by better. Actually painted calipers are a fairly common mod around here so if I do it I won't be posing alone.

Not a Poser as the 996 when ordered new could have red or yellow (Not PCCB's) as a custom option.

I think either way, you are either gonna spend time doing it or pay for someone else to spend time doing it. Are you planning to swap them yourself? Ten you need to remove calipers, replace with new calipers and pads and sensors, then bleed the brakes...This is gonna be a few hours, or you can paint them yourself in an afternoon...depending on your level of patince and attention to detail, you can get really good results and dont need to remove the calipers, or bleed the brakes. If you can live without driving your car for a week or so, there is a guy on 6 speed online that will powder coat and rebuild your calipers and send them back...I think its $500 for this. he uses the factory caliper rebuild kit as he completely disassembles them for powder coating. You pick your color. Here is a pic after I painted my caliper...didnt take long, maybe a few hours and then drying time...then used hi-temp caliper decals for the Porsche lettering.

Arent Boxster S calipers the same as standard Carrera calipers? Never mind, I reread the original question --

Don't get me wrong, you can paint them pink or green for all I care. Wait, pink calipers, there's an idea!

looking into getting yellow ones.....

Newport my attention to detail isn't good enough for this to be a DIYer but I appreciate the advice as yours look awesome. Because I can't paint and probably don't want to wait a week or two, I'm trying to determine total cost of a swap with some used/new calipers, pads, sensors, caliper bolts, etc along with the time to do the change. I still may look into finding someone local (DC) to paint mine because I'm not totally sold on the red calipers with Lapis, Sav. beige and a black soft top combo. Pink might look nice though.

About two years ago, I purchased new Boxster S calipers in red and the new bolts for about $1,350. I then sold my black ones with about 9,000 miles on Ebay for $600. There is a high demand for our brakes because many VWs, Audis and BMWs can be modified with a bracket to fit these brakes. For the record, my factory OEM Boxster calipers actually had some overspray red paint on a bleed screw or two.

Those yellow calipers look AWESOME on the black wheel .... great job man !

I'd have to check my paperwork, but I got them like 3 or 4 years ago. As far as the pads and sensors. I just brought over them from the other calipers. There is absolutely ZERO difference between the 986S and 996 narrow-body calipers so you have ZERO wories about fitment, etc. Caliper replacement is something like 2 bolts and a brake line.

Red calipers look good with Lapis Blue. I painted my calipers using the Duplicolor "brush on" paint. The first pic is a shot of my calipers on my '04 Lapis Blue Coupe. The second pic is after the final coat of paint and placement of the PORSCHE lettering. The third pic is after applying a couple of thin layers of spray clear coat. The whole process took about 6 hours +/-.

No offense to Tim's great handy-work, but if I was going to "paint" them like Tim did, I would take them OFF the car so it is easier to be "perfect" with the paint and to not have to work about masking, etc, of parts that you can have removed. Not to mention you would have the ability to THOROUGHLY clean them prior to application. But that's just me. Hey, blame it on the OCD! Now you understand why I went with the factory painted calipers instead.

When I bought my 02 996, I ordered Red 996 Calipers from the parts counter. Here in the US they are used on the Boxster S, but have 996 part numbers. They were about $320 a piece back in 2002. I reused the caliper bolts, but I added a drop or 2 or loctite to each bolt to keep them in place. Everything else came off of the Black calipers. When I got the new car home, I switched out the black calipers for the red ones, cleaned the cosmoline off of the black ones, and sold them on ebay for $300 each. Net cost for the retrofit was $80. In 2003 PCNA started offering red calipers on the 996 as a $1800 option. I think the parts counter retrofit is cheaper and you end up with the same thing. Do you need the P/Ns for the Red 996 calipers? I would guess that you might be able to get as much as $250 a caliper for your black ones. Clean and polish them up and see what happens.

I would love to see the P/N. Thanks!

Galun....if they aren't posted by the time I get home this afternoon I'll post em up. They would be on my invoice from when I bought them. Just need to dig it out of my file.

996.351.426.11 Right front 996.352.422.13 Right rear 996.351.425.11 Left front 996.352.421.13 Left rear

Great, thanks! For people who are considering them, they are now about $360 for the fronts and $300 each for the rears directly from porsche parts department. There is also someone selling the red OEM rears on ebay for $150 each. Depending on your luck you may get $550 - $800 for black calipers on ebay.

I would say 550-800 is a bit optimistic but it is not unheard of. You can pretty much count on at least 400 for the black ones.

Thanks for all the info & pics everyone. Tim - the red calipers definitely look hot on your Lapis coupe. Looking at attached pic, do you think they'd be too much mixed with Lapis, a black top and lighter interior? If not & I can do the retro as efficiently & cost effective as Orient it's a no brainer. Of course it will probably cost more in the long run becasuse I'll want different wheels so I can see them better. I emailed the ebay seller who has the "new" ones listed for 150.00 & still waiting to hear back.

The ebay seller already emailed me back. It appears that they will not have the fronts in red. The fronts are available at sunset for ~$365 each. I am going to remove the calipers and paint them.

Hi all, When you paint, how do you get the porsche logo on? Anyone know any shops in San Jose who is willing to do the job? Steven

No, I don't think the red calipers would be too much. Remember that Black is a neutral color and goes with everything. Even with the top down the tan interior will not noticed much from the outside because the Lapis body color will tend to dominate the color scheme. The "splash of red" will catch the viewer�s eye and will contrast/compliment the Lapis Blue.