DIY was commonly done by Model 3 owners, but so far I haven't seen any posts about Model Y owners doing it. I watched a ton of YouTube videos and decided to take on the challenge. I'm not car savvy at all, but was intent on saving $500-$600 that I was being quoted for painted calipers.
I went to Harbor Freight and bought:
After removing the wheels, I cleaned and sanded the calipers.
I then masked off all the areas.
I did 2 coats of Primer, 3 coats of Red, 2 coats of Clear (all coats 15-20 minutes after the previous). I added the emblem before the clear coat.
Finished Product
Don't be intimidated by this Model Y Family. No need to pay someone if you want painted calipers! The paint materials is less than $50 and the jack and other tools can be used for tire rotations (save $50-$100 every year). I did 1 side per day. Each side took me about 4 hours, start to finish. But, there's a decent amount of down time between coats.
I went to Harbor Freight and bought:
- 3 Ton Low Profile Floor Jack ($100)
- Jack Stands ($40)
- Torque Wrench ($20)
- Breaker Bar ($10)
- 21mm Deep Socket ($4)
- VHT Caliper Paint
- Rust Oleum High Heat Primer
- Rust Oleum High Heat Clear Gloss
- Jack Pads
After removing the wheels, I cleaned and sanded the calipers.
I then masked off all the areas.
I did 2 coats of Primer, 3 coats of Red, 2 coats of Clear (all coats 15-20 minutes after the previous). I added the emblem before the clear coat.
Finished Product
Don't be intimidated by this Model Y Family. No need to pay someone if you want painted calipers! The paint materials is less than $50 and the jack and other tools can be used for tire rotations (save $50-$100 every year). I did 1 side per day. Each side took me about 4 hours, start to finish. But, there's a decent amount of down time between coats.
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