[Irish]

Anyone who has owned their car for a while - how are the calipers lasting?

With normal calipers there's very little you can do and over time they lose their factory look.

Does the same happen with the GTI ones? I suppose I would intentionally spend even longer with the alloy brush and some MC2 cleaning them as best I could when doing the wheels but will they lose their bright red appearance over time?

 

[oxford]

lol, perhaps you should buy one first! your not placing the order till Jan are you?

 

[Irish]

Well I'm more just curious - AFAIK with Brembos for example, the finish ensures that they stay red. It's the little things Oxford []

If I get the right price for mine I'll be ordering for Jan/Feb.

 

[oxford]

hehe, your very much like me, when you have your heart set on something there is not anything that will stop you!

- you can always give them a decent polish with the wheels off to restore the shine in later life I am sure. Or spray an extra coating of laquer on them just after purchase?

 

[TDI-line]

Well my R32 one's were still blue after a year, does this help.

 

[Irish]

It does !!

 

[JWhite]

Previously I've taken the wheels off and put a bit of extra heat resistant laquer on them.

Not sure on the standard of the VW finish though (maybe good another to stand up to time)

 

[Sem]

If they are anything like the powder coated Anni calipers they will most likely fade.

 

[mikemod]

Mine are still like new after 4 months, just using water and car wax/shampoo to clean them and the wheels at the moment.

My wife has a Lupo GTI and the ones on her car are still good after
three years, again I never use any alloy wheel cleaner just shampoo/wax
and water. I think some of the alloy wheel cleaners will fade the paint.

 

[Jade-Asha]

Do NOT use ANY wheel cleaners,these are to agressive...........

 

[Irish]

Some are better than others...

Unless you wax your wheels every single time after washing the car it is very hard to keep alloys clean with just shampoo and a sponge.

And what's more I would've thought that brake dust would be hard to get off a caliper with again, just soap and sponge, no?

 

[oxford]

Think you will be fine with Virosol or MC2 mate to be fair.

I use it to get flies off the front of mine

 

[Carlos Fandango]

I have the 17's on my car and I easily get to the calipers after 5000 miles they still look like new 

 

[Foxy]

I've done about 8k on mine now - use only Virosol to clean my wheels and brakes, and they come up literally like new every time.......no sign of losing colour and turning pink at all......

 

[Silent Hill]

Working In london and getitng the train (saves me about 500 miles a week + traffic) my baby sits on the drive covered in a Weathersheild cover.. i seriously recommend it to all you guys who love your mk5 as much as me.. i slide it off on saturday morning and its just as shiny as when i left it... had her for 4 months now and have done 4k (imagine what that would be if i commuted to work in her) the cover is custom made 3 weeks.. and ?260 but well worth it... allows the fabric to breath so its ok to leave on in rain, snow etc...

As for the calipers and wheels I have monza's and i have not had to use any kind of cleaner on them yet, just soap and water (auto glym) and they are just as shiney if not more so than when i picked the car up!

Just clean them regular and you shouldn'g get the dust burning into the wheels needing harsh cleaners... that is unless your like my dad... who uses ABS to its fullest and waits till the last minute to slam on the brakes!

Ps any one had the rear wiper motor changed? mine used to wipe some times when i started the car VW said it was a known fault with a batch of dodgy motors... changed it and no problem since.... wonder if i was only one!

 

[Chris]

If they are similar to those on the rear of the CupraR (front are
brembos), then they will fade....... almost every R i've seen/driven
has had near pink rear calipers!

 

[Irish]

If they are similar to those on the rear of the CupraR (front are brembos), then they will fade....... almost every R i've seen/driven has had near pink rear calipers!

Shame..

All the same, can always pull the wheels off and paint them if they fade. For an amateur like me, seeing where to paint the caliper due to it already being done will be a big help.