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Styling Centre Caps?

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Styling Centre Caps?

emibeth23

emibeth23

It's arrived!
Parked in the garage
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
42
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Location
Kent
Hey everyone :wave:

My TA should be arriving in just less than a month :D so clearly, I'm getting over-excited and looking up things I can do to pamper it...

I've been looking at getting the centre caps with the red rim, but I can only find them for about £16 each :mad: this seems mighty expensive. I'm a bit of a cheapskate so I'm tempted to get some primer and paint and customise the ones that come with the car? I don't know if anyone has tried this, but I was thinking of using rustoleum spray paint.

Also...how difficult would it be to have my brake calipers painted red?

I'm assuming that neither of these things will void my warranty :rolleyes: as I don't really know that much about it!!

Thanks :)
 
emibeth23 said:
and write 100 lines? ;)

"I must not be a cheapskate
I must not be a cheapskate..."
Click to expand...
Yup. How much are you spending on a car and you're quibbling over £64? :)

Plus, if you get it wrong you'll have ruined a set of wheel centres.

Also, personally I wouldn't paint the calipers because the rear has drums on it and it'll look funny with red calipers on the front and drums on the back. Plus, if you've gone for the standard lounge wheels you'll barely see the calipers anyway.
 
Ahh, you speak such sense :p I'll just save my money then, it's not exactly urgent :eek:

One day in the very very distant future I may change the alloys, but til then I won't even bother to think about the brake calipers :)

Thanks for the advice :D
 
emibeth23 said:
Ahh, you speak such sense :p I'll just save my money then, it's not exactly urgent :eek:

One day in the very very distant future I may change the alloys, but til then I won't even bother to think about the brake calipers :)

Thanks for the advice :D
Click to expand...
It's always a lot easier to talk sense when it comes to someone elses car ;)

If you're changing wheels in the future I'd paint the calipers then as they'll be dirty but the time you can see them with your new wheels on ;)
 
emibeth23 said:
Hey everyone :wave:

My TA should be arriving in just less than a month :D so clearly, I'm getting over-excited and looking up things I can do to pamper it...
Good to plan ahead...can take a while to get bits in.
I've been looking at getting the centre caps with the red rim, but I can only find them for about £16 each :mad: this seems mighty expensive.
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/256319-red-rimmed-help.html?p=2648637
I'm a bit of a cheapskate so I'm tempted to get some primer and paint and customise the ones that come with the car? I don't know if anyone has tried this, but I was thinking of using rustoleum spray paint.

Also...how difficult would it be to have my brake calipers painted red?

I'm assuming that neither of these things will void my warranty :rolleyes: as I don't really know that much about it!!

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Hi emibeth23. I would agree with all the postings before me.

I remember the spec you had ordered and you were really into accessorising the Tech grey with red and your car was the 'opposite' of the OH.

For me I'm not really the sensible one. I paid €77 for a set of new ones (& that was with a 10% discount). Took a month to come in. Bought the special red caliper paint in Halfords for €25. Aerosol for 'cleaning'. 2 pack mix for the paint. You have to get it done 'in one go'.

You can buy secondhand red ringed hub centres off ebay for around £30 but since I'm over the water a lot of ebay sellers wouldn't send 'international'.

Now that I have them :confused: I have delayed putting them on because
1. Car was in for a squeaky rear brake problem. Pads had to be de-glazed. Job done.
2. Car is 'down' for hopefully new rear shocks - still waiting for outcome from Fiat CS.:eek:

IMHO painted the calipers wouldn't affect the warranty providing you're 'accurate' and not painting the 'surrounding' area.

I had the red calipers and red ringed hub centres on a 1.4 Sport and it was the business and suited the 'open' design well.

The hub centres were losing their paint and I'm unsure as to why that was happening. They are more 'delicate'. They don't wear as well as the standard chrome ringed ones.

As already pointed out your 15 inch multispokes wouldn't show up the red since the spokes are tightly packed but I would still be tempted to do - but only the front calipers :). As Maxi said - the drums would look stupid.

If you delay on painting the calipers you will have to be more diligent in cleaning down the calipers - they'll have more grime and bits of rust. When the calipers are new - the paint sticks better.

It also 'mans' the car up a bit. :)

P.S. First picture shows the effect of red painted calipers on an A500 with an open wheel design - I would have to rely on RUI if this was 'trick' photography.:confused:
 

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Last edited:
trim-ring--Sophia-002.jpg


Here's a Pic's of a simple detail that I made just to give mine a little tasteful individuality.
I bought a set of new centres of the 'bay....... I got the "Black Chrome" ones, then simply filled the groove around the centre with "English White" enamel - Sophia is a Funky lady and brilliant white would of been way too much. Cleaned and buffed them - Voila! A tasteful little detail that says "understated" and not "Flash" - to my mind anyway.
 
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oooo is it show off red bits on wheels day?
I will have some of that..
5882162599_88c1d32330_b.jpg
 
RUI said:
oooo is it show off red bits on wheels day?
I will have some of that..
Click to expand...

Good photo RUI. I can see now where you are tempted to do a bit of lowering.

I know some get very touchy on having an Abarth center cap on a 500. But on another thread someone conceded to using a 500 cap but it didn't do the wheels any justice.

The satin on the bydiesel is the same material now as the Twin Air 'plus' where it is being used instead of chrome. So the 'colour' of the bydiesel bits were ahead of its time !

I suppose you will leave the front calipers in yellow so that you'll be easily able to re-instate.
 
The calipers are only yellow on the 1.4 My ones are just silver metal.
If I were to paint them they would be painted black.
 
I have no idea why someone would be upset having an abarth center cap on an abarth wheel..
I had the By diesel ones on before and it's a petrol...;0)
 
BRU5IIS said:
trim-ring--Sophia-002.jpg


Here's a Pic's of a simple detail that I made just to give mine a little tasteful individuality.
I bought a set of new centres of the 'bay....... I got the "Black Chrome" ones, then simply filled the groove around the centre with "English White" enamel - Sophia is a Funky lady and brilliant white would of been way too much. Cleaned and buffed them - Voila! A tasteful little detail that says "understated" and not "Flash" - to my mind anyway.
Click to expand...

It's certainly not flash - in fact, it must count as the most subtle mod ever - I would not have even spotted it.
 
RobinPJ said:
It's certainly not flash - in fact, it must count as the most subtle mod ever - I would not have even spotted it.
Click to expand...

And strangely enough? - I'll take that as a compliment. It's one of those things that you know is different - but you have to look for it.
I think it's subtle and tasteful, and that's how I prefer to go about "individualising" my motor car - and I like to think it's how it reflects on me too!!!?

(Smiley face - Tongue in cheek].
 
RUI said:
I have no idea why someone would be upset having an abarth center cap on an abarth wheel..
I had the By diesel ones on before and it's a petrol...;0)
Click to expand...

Well i for one am angry *shakes fist* :p

Tbh I don't see why someone would get touchy about it when Fiat screwed the badge over by attaching it to a 500 T-jet and calling it a different brand
 
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