I used VHT then hit it up w a few coats of semi-gloss for just the right sheen I was aiming for. The finish turns out super close to what a high dollar powdercoat will, very similar to Anthony L's PC'd rims.
PlastiDip Wheels?
- Thread starter floopy
- Start date
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Grille and emblems so far. Thinking about doing my mirror caps, grey side trim, and rear OEM bumper in it too. My concerns are the same as yours as far as trail durability. I might give the wheels a try too but with everything done, that's like 6-8 additional cans that I'd need to buy. Stuff is hard to find around here, and expensive.
Cheap and abundant in Hawaii!
Could it have been your prep or the number of coats applied? The only scratches I have on mine are from scratching them on boulders, which has actually gouged the wheels. I have this same paint on my sliders and have had no problems with it chipping or scratching with gritty boots. All of the paint damage I have is from rocks.
Anything is possible... I stripped them completely with Tail strip, put down a couple of coats of primer, cleaned and then 3-4 coats of the paint. I have touched them up already. So, life is good. I may go switch to black. If I do, I hope to find a little stronger paint to use.
Just finished the trim and rear bumper. This stuff is stupid easy to use, I think I might have to give the wheels a try and see what happens. Much easier than paint and not as much prep is necessary.
TheFuzz said:
What do you mean by rear bumper? You did the whole thing in PlastiDip? I would love to do everything from the door moulding down on mine but is just don't think it will harden up enough to stand up to the branches and bushes that we see down here.
Maybe its time to call PlastiDip and see if they can make a harder version for us?
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Yeah, the whole thing. Just masked off the reflectors and hosed it with a couple thick coats. Did the side trim the same way. Its supposed to be abrasion resistant once cured, so I'll see how well it holds up before working on having them make a harder variation.
I will post pics in my build thread once I get all of my little odds and ends wrapped up.
I will post pics in my build thread once I get all of my little odds and ends wrapped up.
Im sold after reading the thread and watching the you tube videos. Prep doesn't seem too extensive and its fairly cheap to do. If/when it peels Ill just take it off. Ill probably do it tonight or tomorrow. I just need to find the stuff.
Here is a quick teaser pic after finishing up the trim and rear bumper. Pardon the tape and paper towels, had to redo a section of the front driver's door trim that the tape decided to take with it. Emblems, side trim, and rear bumper have been done in this pic. I also hit the tailgate keyhole assembly for attention to detail. 
I think it turned out really well, it's thick enough to cover up most of the dings and scratches in my rear bumper. Breathed alot of life back into it. My advice to those that want to use this stuff - use as little tape as physically possible, and spray right onto the paint. It will peel off without issue. It's nice being able to pull the coating off and redo it whenever you want, but the adhesive side of masking tape is strong enough to grab on and yank the coating free from the surface...hence my touchup job. Whoops. The only prep I did was a quick wipedown with simple green. Gotta love that.
Now for the wheels...
I think it turned out really well, it's thick enough to cover up most of the dings and scratches in my rear bumper. Breathed alot of life back into it. My advice to those that want to use this stuff - use as little tape as physically possible, and spray right onto the paint. It will peel off without issue. It's nice being able to pull the coating off and redo it whenever you want, but the adhesive side of masking tape is strong enough to grab on and yank the coating free from the surface...hence my touchup job. Whoops. The only prep I did was a quick wipedown with simple green. Gotta love that.
Now for the wheels...
Yeah, the wheels, definitely the wheels...
That looks good, post up pics of the wheels when you are done.
Here is a quick teaser pic after finishing up the trim and rear bumper. Pardon the tape and paper towels, had to redo a section of the front driver's door trim that the tape decided to take with it. Emblems, side trim, and rear bumper have been done in this pic. I also hit the tailgate keyhole assembly for attention to detail.
I think it turned out really well, it's thick enough to cover up most of the dings and scratches in my rear bumper. Breathed alot of life back into it. My advice to those that want to use this stuff - use as little tape as physically possible, and spray right onto the paint. It will peel off without issue. It's nice being able to pull the coating off and redo it whenever you want, but the adhesive side of masking tape is strong enough to grab on and yank the coating free from the surface...hence my touchup job. Whoops. The only prep I did was a quick wipedown with simple green. Gotta love that.
Now for the wheels...
Wow!!
that bumper looks amazing!
and much cheaper than what the body shop would charge to paint it
nice work!
Thanks man. The real test will be how well it holds up. It's extremely easy to get good results with it, but if it starts peeling at the mere sight of a branch then it's not worth the time and effort.
I'll keep everyone in the loop.
I'll keep everyone in the loop.
I wonder if the branches will be the first issue or scraping the bumper on rocks.... I was always hitting the corners going over rocks offroad and still do occasionally with the BOIR rear. I am really interested in seeing how that holds up...
Its coming! I would like to paint or powder coat the wheels, but I am still not sure how I will like it so this should be a cheap preview (20 bucks for supplies). If I like it then I'll probably powder coat the wheels when it's time for new tires.
In the mean time I learned a little bit about my truck. I put the stock wheels and tires back on. So far it's getting about 12.9 mpg (Stock) in the city VS about 12 mpg (35's). The ride; however is amazing on these tires. It almost feels like the boat it once was. I love the peace, the quiet, the smoothness, and soft feel.
More to come.
In the mean time I learned a little bit about my truck. I put the stock wheels and tires back on. So far it's getting about 12.9 mpg (Stock) in the city VS about 12 mpg (35's). The ride; however is amazing on these tires. It almost feels like the boat it once was. I love the peace, the quiet, the smoothness, and soft feel.
More to come.
I posted a couple photos in the photo thread of the wheels completed. I love the black wheels, but I don't think the plastidip would be good for the wheels. As Fuzz stated, you need to be real careful when removing the masking tape or the plastidip will tear, and in my case it tore on all five wheels in almost every spot there was masking tape. It could have been due to poor prep, but I don't think that was the case. I just don't see how anyone could remove the tape without tearing the coating.
Considering the time I spent removing the wheels and taping off, the wheel paint would have turned out much better and been more durable for the same cost.
With that being said, it did apply very nicely and evenly.
I'll be powder coating the wheels soon so I can't wait for that.
Considering the time I spent removing the wheels and taping off, the wheel paint would have turned out much better and been more durable for the same cost.
With that being said, it did apply very nicely and evenly.
I'll be powder coating the wheels soon so I can't wait for that.
A razor blade or exacto knife solves this problem.
If it is something on the body of the vehicle and you don't want to use a knife, and you want to lay multiple coats, simply lay multiple layers of masking tape. Then just pull the top layer of tape after each coat while the plastidip is still wet.
If it is something on the body of the vehicle and you don't want to use a knife, and you want to lay multiple coats, simply lay multiple layers of masking tape. Then just pull the top layer of tape after each coat while the plastidip is still wet.
any updates?