Friday, April 5, 2013
Audi A8 Painting Stock Calipers
Things You Will Need: Caliper Paint Kit (or Paint, Brake Cleaner, and Bushes), Masking Tape, Wire brush and/or Sandpaper, Rag, Jack and Jack stands, Socket Wrench, Decal (if desired)
Mod Time: 3 hours
Difficulty (1 to 5, 5 being the most difficult): 1 – Very easy, takes a bit of time but straight forward.
Step 1 – Preparation
Loosen the bolts off and proceed to jack up every corner of the car.
Once the car is off the ground, remove all four rims.
In order for the paint to last, you must thoroughly clean the calipers.
Spray the calipers with the cleaner, allowing it to air dry. Use the wire brush and sandpaper to clean off the rust.
Then respray the calipers with the cleaner and wipe them down with a rag.
Using the masking tape, cover all areas you do not plan on painting. It is important to cover all rubber parts and the brake bleeder screw.
Step 2 – Painting
Stir the paint real well. Brush on thin coats.
Wait 10-15 minutes before applying subsequent coats.
Repeat this process until you have consistent coverage and are happy with the look.
Step 3 – Waiting
The paint requires a curing time, and this will vary by what you use. Check the can for specific information.
Move onto the next caliper as the one you just completed dries.
Once you have painted all four calipers, you can remove the masking tape.
Step 4 – Decals (If Desired)
Some like to place a decal on the caliper to give that special look.
Once the paint is dry, line up the decal and place it on the freshly painted caliper.
You may want to coat the edges in clear coating to help hold it on, but this is not necessary. Covering the whole sticker may cause damage to it, so be careful.
Step 5 – Waiting
You can now replace the rims and lower the car.
Make sure you re-torque the bolts to their proper specifications.
Be careful when replacing the rims to not hit the calipers. The paint has not fully cured so it may be fragile.
Stand back and enjoy the new look, no longer will you see rusted calipers behind your rims. When cleaning your ride make sure to spray and wipe them down to maintain that high-gloss finish.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Audi A4 B5 Painting intake runners
The Cost
- $10
Items Needed
- Newspaper
- 100 grit sand paper
- Tape
- VHT Caliper Paint (available at Auto-Zone)
Time
- 1 hour
The Procedure:
First: take off the engine cover, and expose the intake runners:
...barrowed this photo
Second: Sand the runners as far as you can reach. your goal is to try to make them as smooth as possible.
Third: Clean off dust with a paper towel and a strong cleaner
Fourth: place Newspaper to completely cover the engine bay, fenders, and front bumper. This paint will overspray, so be sure to put time into this and do not leave any spot un covered.
Fifth: tape off runners. Place tpe beneath the fuel rail and place engine cover back on to ensure that the tape is placed far enough down so that you cannot see it when the cover is in place.
Sixth: use duct tape and connect the newspaper to the fuel rail, and ensure that nothing is left exposed except for the intake runners.
Seventh: take your can of VHT caliper paint (Color of your choice), and spray runners making sure to spray from a 12-16 inch distance, and try not to saturate them.
Eighth: repeat step seven at least 4 times for good results, spray thin coats, and allow ten minutes between spraying. When you have applied the desired amount of coats, allow a couple hours to dry...no need to do anything during this time.
Ninth: remove all newspaper and tape, and apply engine cover. it should come out something like this:
and I think this looks much cleaner than before! 
also: this will leave you PLENTY of paint to do your calipers as well....I did both and still have half a can left over.