Looking to Plasti-Dip the Fit... any pointers, suggestions, or ideas?

[deevergote]

Even though this is about my Fit, I'm posting it here... as any useful information will apply to anyone doing a CB as well.


Anyway, my Fit is terribly beat up. Hit on the passenger side doors and 3 out of 4 corners (passenger side is all mashed in, bumper hanging off). Scratches, rock chips, chalky/faded paint... 318,000 hard miles and 5 years (to the day, two days from now) takes a toll!

I want to Plasti-Dip it. Partially because it'd be fun to change the color, partially because it'll be fun... and temporary, and partially because I want to protect what's left of the original paint as best I can.

I've done a bit of research on dipyourcar.com, but I'd rather start a dialog here than join their forum and get "search noob"ed to death!

Anyway, I want to do it as cheaply as possible. Rattle can (about 12 should do it, from what I've found), with the spray attachment sold on dipyourcar.com. I'll probably do it matte black... since my choices are black or white from Lowes. Other than that, I'm paying more to order and ship.

Now, I have no garage, so I'll be doing it in my driveway. I understand that it'll very likely come out pretty imperfect. I'd like to get it as perfect as possible, though! I'm considering doing one panel at a time.

So, suggestions on prepping, masking, spraying, peeling... anything at all... would be quite welcome.

[toycar]

I'd play around with a couple cans on your good first and get familiar with the stroke pattern and distance for any even finish. Then, peel that shit off and do it for real on round 2.


I'm considering doing this in black, white or that gunmetal grey'ish color on my cd5. Nothing fancy, but if it works out until I'm ready to shell out the coin for a real paintjob w/out letting the oem shit get any worse, why not?

[sonikaccord]

Have you plastidipped anything before?

It's pretty easy, make sure you do light coats of course. It's like regular spray paint.
Since you are doing the entire car, I suggest doing entire panels at a time. You don't have to tape anything if you don't want and just peel the paint off of whatever you don't want it on (mirrors, lights, etc.), but you will be painting damn near your whole car...0% tint anyone?

Also peel slowly until you kind of get a rhythm going. If you can't grab an edge to peel, I use a mechanical pencil tip to get me started.

DO NOT HALFWAY SPRAY ANYTHING YOU WANT TO PEEL!!! You will hate trying to get it off. It needs to be a full 3-4 coats for best peeling.

Edit: It's pretty durable too, I have it on my 8th gens spoiler and emblem for about a year and it still looks good

[deevergote]

Cool.

Yeah, I sprayed an old cymbal that was sitting in my basement. Two fairly light coats, enough to cover it completely. Peeling worked well enough, though I see what you mean about it being easier with more coats.
I was under the impression (from my other readings) that heavier coats were actually better for peeling... would it really be better just to do many lighter coats?

The thing that I really liked with the cymbal was that my coats were at varying heights, sprayed pretty haphazardly. The coverage once dried was even, with no evidence of the spray. Not streaky, blotchy, runny, or uneven. It gives me hope for a larger surface!

I'm going to use the rest of this can on a spare CB7 hood in my basement (my practice hood for when I was trying to do a roller job on my 3rd gen... gave up on that.)

[HappyGilmore]

It's really good stuff to use even on rims (but be very very careful though), I have seen some crazy things done with Dip on youtube and dipyourcar.com. But it's worth it esp if you get tired of a color you can just peel and respray!

[drew12000]

Meet Fonze.




http://www.dipyourcar.com/forums/forum.php

[deevergote]

It's really good stuff to use even on rims (but be very very careful though), I have seen some crazy things done with Dip on youtube and dipyourcar.com. But it's worth it esp if you get tired of a color you can just peel and respray!

Yup. That's what I like about it! Cheap, fairly easy, and temporary
I was initially going to use it on my Prelude Si rims, which got me interested in it. Then a shop opened literally at the end of my block that dips entire cars for $850. Then I started looking to see how cheaply I could do it myself. When I realized that I could do it with a dozen $6 cans, on a paintjob that's already fuxord... I figured why not! But I'd rather think twice and spray once, rather than screw it up the first time and have to redo it.

Meet Fonze.




http://www.dipyourcar.com/forums/forum.php

Yeah, I've been watching lots of stuff with Fonzie. He really knows how to represent the product! I haven't watched that video yet. I'll need to give it some time!
I've been searching around on the site, reading the DIYs and some in the forum... but it gets overwhelming. There are so many possibilities! Using the cans will limit me a good deal, though. I don't care to bother with a spray gun.

[ferenza]

I did my hood and it came out well.4 coats it took
My issue came when it was time to peel it off.It got brittle, shreded to pieces and just about bonded itself to my hood.It dried out after about a year.

My friends dad did his 09 infiniti fx white. bought 8 gallons to make sure he covered the whole truck.He can get it to peel off even though he put about 7 or 8 coats on it.Its flaking like mine even though he got his from dip your car website.I wont be putting this on my car again.Its either paint or nothing.

[deevergote]

I guess if I do it, I'll have to be sure to remove it in a few months before it gets too brittle to peel!

[drew12000]

I did my hood and it came out well.4 coats it took
My issue came when it was time to peel it off.It got brittle, shreded to pieces and just about bonded itself to my hood.It dried out after about a year.

My friends dad did his 09 infiniti fx white. bought 8 gallons to make sure he covered the whole truck.He can get it to peel off even though he put about 7 or 8 coats on it.Its flaking like mine even though he got his from dip your car website.I wont be putting this on my car again.Its either paint or nothing.

Weird your having this issue. I've been playing with this stuff for about 3yrs now. Did my ex wheels and hood. Had no issues with it peeling. Only issue I had with it not peeling off in one piece was when I painted over the dip. Sounds like you had it to thin.

I guess if I do it, I'll have to be sure to remove it in a few months before it gets too brittle to peel!

[Raf99]

another thought deev is some areas of the car will be harder to apply the coats properly. ie - the hood and roof areas. May want to rig something up to give you a better reach to those hard to reach places so you can apply even coats. Also you should post some before and after pics.
I looked into this as well and the only issue I seen people had were getting the coats to apply evenly. And that it took off the clear coat of their paint when removing it.

[AmznAzn]

Heat up the cans, it helps the paint flow out a lot smoother which equals less texture.

Also, I would look into wrapping the car. Looks so much better and a lot more durable (if done correctly of course)

[deevergote]

Wrapping is incredibly expensive. The whole purpose is to do a temporary color change on my beater work car for about $100.

[wildBill83]

That guy in the video did crappy prep work on that audi. Be smart and do better prep and don't forget to protect your radiator. I can't imagine the audi radiator he coated is going to do good work.

[illinois_erik]

the way im going to go at it is, buying it in gallons prethinned and mixed, using one of those electric harbor freight airless hvlp guns (only because i have other projects in mind) or the generic wagner types if i can find it on sale. fix some of the minor rust and chippage. in my scenario some sanding(wet) may be involved but any work will be covered with regular spraybomb enamel. and probably a quick scuff, then wash it down with dawn then clear water, then acetone wipedown (budget permitting). I want the plastidip to adhere the best it can and encapsulate the original finish until i can do a proper paintjob/get tired of matte. About 3 coats on the car, more or less to make all the chrome black, and black, black on the doors,lips.(the cars white and itll be white) thatll involve minimal masking. itll look good i thinkz. if you have overspray thats hard to get off the microfiber towels rub it right off, and when you make it thick it comes off easily like peeling sunburns

this will be done on a choice day outside i might get one of those harbor freight canopies when theyre on sale and some tarps for sides for a little containment, but itll lay down without the fog like regular paints and air guns