Can anyone tell me how this is usually done? It says on AmericanMuscle.com that you don't have to remove the calipers to paint them but wouldn't you have to remove them to paint them every wheres? Also I am quite sure the tires/wheels have to come off first and the only way for me to get that done is to take the car to my mechanic and get it up on a hoist. Do I just ask them to do this for me while I paint all 4 calipers, wait for the paint to dry, then ask them to put the tires/wheels back on? If anyone has painted their brake calipers, and knows from personal experience, I'd like to know what you did to get this customization done.

 

Most people just remove the tires and use the AM kit where you just brush the paint on. And while the tires are off you can still reach a good portion of the caliper, enough to count anyway. Some people just go ahead and remove the calipers, but since that requires more effort, it's not the popular route. I'm fairly certain that AM has a how to video on their site for that too.

 

I bought the duplicolor paint from Autozone for like ten bucks. You jack up the car, pull off the wheels and then you can paint the calipers as they are. Use painters tape in areas you don't want painted, and you should be alright. It took me about 45mins- 1 hr because I put several coats on. it comes out really well if you do it right, and it's not too hard. :]

 

What about taking the tires off? Do you get your mechanic to do it and expect him to wait while you paint all 4 calipers, wait for them to dry, then get him to put them back on, I'm sure it won't be a problem if I asked to do that but I just wanna know what people usually do because I don't have a jack to put the car up and take the tires/wheels off myself and I would really want to do it that way anyways.

 

A lot of us just have our own stands, and it doesn't take too long to dry.

 

Jack stand mod FTW

 

Agreed. I bought four 3-ton craftsman stands for like $60 on sale at Sears here about a year and a half ago. And you can get a decent jack for cheap too...

 

I used a jack... did one at a time. I used a one inch foam brush. I would reccomend it too, it helps apply the paint so much better. Paint dries exceptionally fast too.

 

got to wait for the right temperature too. if its too cold out, they won't dry unless you remove them and do it inside.

 

It's that way with everything you paint. I'm pretty sure the magical number is 55 degrees. Any lower and it won't dry right.

 

You do not need to go to a mechanic to have the wheels taken off your car. If you have never taken a wheel off, then now is the time to learn how to do it. Your car comes with a jack so if you don't own one you can use that one. Or go get a cheap jack and 2 jackstands (total cost should be well below $100 for basic cheap stuff) and you can do this in your garage, driveway, apartment complex parking lot, etc... with no problem.

 

Thanks, that is good to know! However my car never came with a jack so I would have to buy one. The only thing is I have never done or seen it done before, I am kind of sketchy about doing it.

1. I don't wanna do it wrong and damage my car, I just have a strange feeling about something small lifting up something huge, I feel like it could bend something or damage something.

2. I guess I have watched too many movies but I also don't want the car all of a sudden to come crashing down and crushing something...like, me!

 

The jack should be in the back in the trunk there is a piece of wood that covers it in the back. Simply lift up the very back of the carpet in your trunk at the back where the trunk opening is and you will see your jack and spare tire.

I realize working on a car can be scary, but trust me you are not going to hurt your car. Here is a simple set of videos for you. Also your owners manual lists all of this as well. If you plan to start working on cars the best thing you can do is get out there and learn and do it. Trust me its the only way you will learn whats going on with your car.

How to jack the rear of your mustang up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk1aAlGAjes
How to jack the front up and use jackstands:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv4ADESUk20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVaT1LQCmrc

 

youtube is your friend

 

wow dude... do yourself a couple of favors.

1. check the trunk under upholstery and under the spare. thats where the jack should be. if it really didn't come with a jack and/or tire iron, go get one right away. what happens if you get a flat tire in the middle of the road at night? you'd be **** out of luck.

2. learn how to properly jack your car up and change a tire. it sounds like you don't know how to do that, because the jack is made to lift up the car one corner at a time, so its not like its lifting the whole weight at once. there are little notches on the frame where the jack goes (6" behind the front tires, 6" in front of the rear tires).

3. get jack stands if you plan on spending anytime at all under neath your car. they are designed to hold up to two tons each. but painting the calipers, even with them still on the car, will NOT require you to be under the car at all.

 

I will have to look and see if there is one, if every car has one than I must have one. I never owned a car before so yeah this stuff is news to me. However I live in P.E.I Canada, no matter where I ever got stuck I'd never be **** out of luck, maybe for driving but I wouldn't be stranded, it's a small Island and not very hard to walk anywheres, if needed. Thanks for the tips though it sounds more normal now that you said it lifts up just that corner and not the whole car by that corner.