New 8 owner with rusty rotor hub questions
 

First of all, new to the board. Hi everyone. Just purchased a 2004 Blue-8, best car I have ever purchased. I have been reading a lot of stuff about the Rotary Engine and will do all what I could to keep my baby in her best form. This is a definite keeper for years. This is how happy I am with the 8.

But hey, it kind of does bother me whenever I look at those rusty rotors. I have been reading a lot of threads about them and I know there are different solutions, like high temp. paint, etc. But I found something on Ebay called the HUBCENTRIC HUB CENTRIC RINGS. It's probably nothing new but I don't know much about cars, I just like to drive around with style :yumyum: Do you guys know if they are any good? Will they cover the rusty hubs once put on?

I also wanna paint my calipers to yellow (normally people like to do red), to contrast the blue. I will properly powder-coat them and get it done in a shop. Has anyone done that before, or am I the only weird one here? I know ... it's not the most proper way to beautify my wheels but ... I simply cannot afford new big brakes right now ...

those hub center rings do keep your wheels clean from brake dust but look like crap andwill trap heat from the brakes that is designed to escape and thus warping your rotors and creating pulsation. just use the hight temp paint it looks the best and our cars already have great brakes any way so i would spend you money on an intake or something

VB-8 - those ebay rings have nuthin to do with what you're thinking. They are for aftermarket wheels's center bore to make them fit many different cars 'center hub' (end of the wheel hub - not the brake rotor hat). OEM wheels don't need nor can they use these.

Painting the ROTOR HUBS correctly IS a pain, but if doing with quality materials i.e. epoxy paint, you'll likely never need to do it again and you'll have 'real perdy looking' brake hubs. :) Use cheap shit like a spray can, etc, it'll look ok for a while, but you will need to redo one day. You get what you pay for, both in cost of materials, and labor time to do it.

OK Thanks dude! Phew ... lucky we have knowledgeable 8 owners here.

One of the first things i did was paint my rotors and calipers. It was a bit tedious but not difficult at all. I just picked up some high degree paint and a brake paint kit from the local auto store. It took me about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, there is a great DIY in the DIY section check it out there.
I took the cheap/simple route as i have winter tires and summer tires on separate rims so every time i change from sumer to winter or vice versa i can take a few minutes and do some touch up. This way its not really an inconvenience.

Also i feel that the brakes for the 8 are of good quality and complement the cars power well. I believe that money can go into other areas rather than getting slotted/drilled rotors or better pistons for now.

You can paint the calipers yourself as well. Many here have done so, and it's pretty simple & straighforward. Same thing that Spin said about hub paint applies - get the right paint and make sure to clean properly, and not drive for 24-36 hours. It's a fun & cheap project to spend a lazy afternoon - I think I pd $25 for a kit w/paint, cleaner, brushes, etc.

Use the search function & you'll find lots of threads on the calipers, and a few on the rotors too.

Congrats on the 8, and welcome.