AutoFlex - new removable "paint"

[deevergote]

I follow DipYourCar.com on Youtube, and just got an email today about a new video featuring the newest removable product: AutoFlex. Apparently, this stuff comes in a legitimate high gloss. It can be sanded, buffed, and waxed. It remains flexible over time (no amount of time specified).

I'm sure this still won't compare to a true high-quality automotive paint job, but the advances in removable coatings are truly impressive, I feel. I'm a big proponent of never doing anything irreversible to a car, if at all possible. That being said, I love the idea of a removable paintjob. That means I could go out, buy a car with the original paint in fantastic condition, spray on a custom removable coating to make the car unique, and then be able to remove it at any time to return to the original paint. With many cars, especially collectible cars, the original paint can be a pretty big deal. Something like this would not only preserve it without limiting "custom" options, but it will also protect the original paint from scratches, fade, etc...

I know a lot of people aren't a fan of removable coatings, and they cringe whenever they hear "plastidip"... but I think this is truly impressive, and I expect such things to be damn near indistinguishable from a quality permanent paint in a fairly short time!

Here's a picture of the car in the video. Notice the shine on it.

[lbus9168]

If it didnt always turn out crap, then removable paint jobs would be awesome. That Car looks quite good, however.

I think the biggest issues with removable paint us that you can't make the panels straight without woodworking including filler, which ruins the original paint anyway.

It's a great idea buy the execution is never good enough

[deevergote]

I would think that if done by a professional, the results would be quite good. The GTR there is obviously done professionally. Stuff like that likely wouldn't cost any less than a decent-quality paintjob, I'm sure.

What do you mean by removable paint not making the panels straight?

[Raf99]

I think he is referring to prepping a car. ( smooth out bumps, dimples, use filler if needed, sand, prime, sand, paint, etc....) With plasticdip you can't really do this, the car needs to be perfect to begin with.

[lbus9168]

Yeah what Raf99 said, sorry i wasnt more clear on that.

[deevergote]

Ah, yes, very true. I mean, you COULD do those things... but then you peel the removable stuff off and there it is again.

Still, I'm not suggesting this as a restoration option. I'm suggesting it as something for a car that already has original paint and bodywork in good condition. Like, if you buy a pristine 2003 M3 in white, but you'd really like it to be purple. It would greatly decrease the value of the car to respray it with regular paint, but if you spray it with something removable, the original paint will remain unchanged. You can get your color change without sacrificing the original. That's how I'm seeing it, anyway. This stuff looks almost as good as normal paint, judging by that R35.

[owequitit]

Vinyl wraps are also a really good way to go. Not as cheap as something you can DIY easily, but usually more consistent.

I used plastidip on my Prelude blades to see how it would work. Meh. It came out straight and even (it will fill in minor imperfections if you use it right) but it doesn't come off as easily as they advertise unless you do it just right.

[deevergote]

It comes off pretty easily as long as you apply it thick enough. The mistake most people make is that they put it on too thin, and it doesn't peel off. It just chips off in annoying flakes. If you do wheels with a can, you should use a full can for each wheel.

I dipped the Fit's hood 2 years ago. Looks like crap, because I did it when it was windy... but it looked better than it should have! I'm going to try to peel it off soon to see how it held up.

This stuff says that it will remain flexible, which I find interesting. It appears that it's designed for long-term automotive use, unlike Plastidip (which was not originally intended to be put on cars at all.)

[Accrdwgnguy]

Vinyl wraps are also a really good way to go. Not as cheap as something you can DIY easily, but usually more consistent.

I used plastidip on my Prelude blades to see how it would work. Meh. It came out straight and even (it will fill in minor imperfections if you use it right) but it doesn't come off as easily as they advertise unless you do it just right.

I feel vinyl wrap is the best way to go as far as ease of removing without paint damage. Downsides are it's not cheap, I hear 1k to 1500 for a pro wrap by a shop, as much as a cheap paintjob. You can DIY it, buy vinyl on ebay in your favorite color and go at it. Buy more than you need if going this route

These removable options are really better for much newer cars, as a 20 year old car is more likely to have it's share of dings and rust. And if a pristine original paint old car were to come up, I'd rather preserve and display the original paint instead of covering it up. Some basic paint care goes a long way toward keeping the paint looking good.

[deevergote]

Agreed on the newer car applications. I wasn't really suggesting this for use on a CB7, although I have seen some that had original paint in absurdly good condition.

I like this because it can be waxed, sanded, buffed, and treated like paint in pretty much every way. I'm truly curious to see if it would peel off as easily as they suggest after a year or more.