Using 3M vinyl for chrome delete (self applied) (1 Viewer)

[LCtoLX]

I’m thinking of trying my hand at some chrome delete using 3M vinyl. Anyone here have satisfying results with either some chrome delete or larger panels? I realize that the best way would be to pay a shop that does this sort of work but attempting it myself is something I’m considering. It’s not so much that I want to save some money (like the old tightwad that I am). It’s more the do-it-yourself part of me that wants to experiment. In a previous life I’ve installed my own camshaft, set up a new ring and pinion in a ZF transaxle, rebuilt my engine and so on. Now, as an old fart, I’d like to modify the look of my LX just for fun.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/restyling-studio-us/

I’m thinking of darkening the hourglass frame in the front and the trim above the license plate in the rear. These pics are not of my LX but are from the internet.

 

[82SC]

I bought a bunch of samples on eBay and Amazon. I’ll be updating my experience once I get to it.

 

[CharlieS]

I'm sure you can do it. I've tried wrapping trim parts and had mixed luck. I think more patience than I have would help. I have trouble with getting it to lay right over tight bends.

 

[mn12]

I used 3M 2080 gloss black on the handles and the large chrome piece above the rear gate handle.
Relatively easy. Have good light and a sharp knife.
For the grille accents, rear window and rear taillights, I dipped those.

 

[LCtoLX]

Thanks for your replies 82SC, CharlieS, mn12. I guess there’s no harm in trying. And there’s the dipping option. I’ll have to look into that too.

 

[82SC]

Oh yeah especially with this.
Don’t like it? Peel it off. Plastic up mistake. Peel it off.

 

[CharlieS]

I've found Plastidip and the newer Hyperdip to be good DIY choices. I think paint is better overall, but the dip is reversible, so it has that going for it. It makes it easy to experiment. Most recently, I covered all of my chrome with anthracite Hyperdip.

 

[OysterDome]

I had a local guy wrap all of the chrome on my 2010 LX570 and I think it looks great. I did not want to attempt myself as some of the chrome surrounds are awkwardly shaped. With the pieces you pointed out, I think you could chrome delete pretty easily.

[Wrap and debadging were top of my list, now I'm playing the 'which wheel and tire' game and still haven't come to a decision in 3+ months.]

 

[LCtoLX]

Thanks for your replies 82SC, CharlieS, mn12. I guess there’s no harm in trying. And there’s the dipping option. I’ll have to look into that too.

The dipping option. LOL ! Obviously I’ve been out of it for awhile. Not long ago, I’d heard about “dipping” wheels instead of painting them. And then dipping emblems, including here in this thread. Well, I finally checked out a YouTube video and learned something. There’s no need to remove emblems or grills to dip them. Duh oh

 

[CharlieS]

For dipping, I find removing the parts and treating them like I'm painting them gives me better results. Sometimes I mask them off right at the edge (not a typical plastidip approach, since you want to have something to peel) when removal is difficult (like the large land cruiser piece across the hatch).

No matter how easy they make it look in videos, I never find the peeling part to go as well as they show it, especially in places like the gaps inside the Toyota emblem (Lexus may be easier though, since it has two larger gaps).

A wooden toothpick makes a good "tool" to facilitate removal.

The good news is that if there is a mess up, you can peel it all off and try again with no penalty.

I like the temporary aspect. I've tried a few colors, and landed on one that I like. Now that I've tried and like the anthracite, I'll probably commit to paint in the same color (if/once the Hyperdip starts to fail).

 

[Arcturns]

I did it with 3M Vinyl. Buy more material than you think you need, buy the plastic applicator tools, use plastic razor blades to trim, have a heat gun handy, but be careful to not get too close with it and overheat the material. If you mess up peel it off and try again. BTW. I did pop the Toyota emblem off and sprayed with Plastidip. Cutting around that would have drove me crazy

 

[LCtoLX]

For dipping, I find removing the parts and treating them like I'm painting them gives me better results. Sometimes I mask them off right at the edge (not a typical plastidip approach, since you want to have something to peel) when removal is difficult (like the large land cruiser piece across the hatch).

No matter how easy they make it look in videos, I never find the peeling part to go as well as they show it, especially in places like the gaps inside the Toyota emblem (Lexus may be easier though, since it has two larger gaps).

A wooden toothpick makes a good "tool" to facilitate removal.

The good news is that if there is a mess up, you can peel it all off and try again with no penalty.

I like the temporary aspect. I've tried a few colors, and landed on one that I like. Now that I've tried and like the anthracite, I'll probably commit to paint in the same color (if/once the Hyperdip starts to fail).
View attachment 2607159

Yes, the temporary aspect is attractive. At first I was thinking of using a color that matches (as close as possible) the Nightfall Mica (dark metal flake blue) of my LX. Then dark grey or the color you used started looking the way to go. I haven’t decided if I want to just do the hourglass grill frame or more or all the chrome.

I did it with 3M Vinyl. Buy more material than you think you need, buy the plastic applicator tools, use plastic razor blades to trim, have a heat gun handy, but be careful to not get too close with it and overheat the material. If you mess up peel it off and try again. BTW. I did pop the Toyota emblem off and sprayed with Plastidip. Cutting around that would have drove me crazy

View attachment 2607359

View attachment 2607360

If my job turns out as good as yours I’ll be very happy. And dipping some items and “vinyling” others makes sense. I’m under the impression that vinyl can last longer than dipping. It’s good to know that a mess up can potentially be redone.

 

[Tighe]

I had a local guy wrap all of the chrome on my 2010 LX570 and I think it looks great. I did not want to attempt myself as some of the chrome surrounds are awkwardly shaped. With the pieces you pointed out, I think you could chrome delete pretty easily.

[Wrap and debadging were top of my list, now I'm playing the 'which wheel and tire' game and still haven't come to a decision in 3+ months.]
View attachment 2606909View attachment 2606910View attachment 2606912

Did your truck originally have the chrome strips at the bottoms of the doors? If so did you remove them yourself?

 

[OysterDome]

Did your truck originally have the chrome strips at the bottoms of the doors? If so did you remove them yourself?

Yes, I removed the chrome door strips and the rear "Lexus" and "LX570" badging myself. The 2008 to (I believe) 2011 model years are just stuck on with adhesive.

I used a plastic pry tool to get a finger under the trim and pulled it off (pull harder than you think). I then used a 3M wheel (decal remover) in a drill to run off the adhesive. Nearly all the adhesive is gone, but i still need to touch up a few places and then wax it once the weather turns nicer here in the PNW.

 

[Mdog97]

I tried a chrome delete on a BMW sedan earlier this year. Really just upper and lower chrome trim on 4 doors, plus an odd trapezoidal piece on each side where the rear window upper and lower trims meet. It ended up being a good excuse to finally buy a heat gun, but the complicated corners of the trim ends and the trapezoid did me in. Total investment was small, and I learned a lot, but it was above my skill / patience level. I ended up paying a local wrap guy to do it and he did a wonderful job for like $300. Kudos to those who can do vinyl wrap themselves - you have my respect.

 

[Jagger]

What adhesive did you use to re-apply the side molding and other things for good solid stick after the wrap was done?

 

[Mdog97]

@Jagger The wrap films have adhesive on the back - you peel away the backing to reveal it. In my case, the molding pieces on the BMW slot / clip in, so I don't think there is / would be any adhesive used. (The wrap guy did the work, not me, after I gave up trying to wrap the pieces on the car.) The wrap guy, who does this all day every day, did the BMW pieces on the car, so there was no need to reapply anything, as far as I know.

I can't recall from this thread who removed their LC / LX trim pieces for vinyl wrapping and then re-mounting, but hopefully someone who did that can come along and expound.

FWIW 3M (and others) make a bunch of products specific to this market / application. I went down that rabbit hole a while back, mostly via Youtuuuube, where there are tons of good and not so good how-to videos. I'm sure they (3M) have a specific product for "reapplying plastic / aluminum trim exterior trim pieces", either a spray adhesive, a two-sided tape, or maybe both. Sorry to be less than specific.

 

[82SC]

I’m gonna experiment by putting smoke clear headlight film on the chrome pieces. To recreate smoke or black chrome. Anyone tried that?

They do smoke clear powder coat for chrome wheels to get that black chrome effect.

 

[CharlieS]

What adhesive did you use to re-apply the side molding and other things for good solid stick after the wrap was done?

Depends on the year. Some years use plastic trim clips with a tiny amount of double sided tape. I've had good luck with both 3m trim adhesive (in a tube both yellow and black options available) and 3M double sided tape (VHB is their very high bond product and works incredibly well).

 

[bloc]

3M VHB all the way. Shop around.. huge variety in pricing. I’m not sure if counterfeiters are to the point of copying this stuff but you can pay a whole lot for it, or an actual reasonable price if you spend some time searching.