Plastidip.
It's an awesome spray coating that I love. And it's removable. Pretty cool.
So take a look at the old stained plastic rear door handle/license plate holder.
Yuck right?
So I try out a $5.95 can of spray plastidip. I know it's tough and you can pull it off any time if you don't like it. No harm, no foul. I think of it as waterproof removable paint. It just happens to be easy to work with and look amazing.
Alright, grab a crate with some windex & paper towels to make sure we're clean.
Great. Let's break out the blue painter's tape (remember you can always peel off any overspray, but it's just quicker to mask it I think). Note those are stains in the plastic, not gunk. And look how faded that handle is. Yech. I also don't think much of that silver doorlock. Luckily plastip won't foul the lock mechanism, so it gets shot too, no masking.
Okay, maskin like a madman. Ignore the bumper. That's next on the hit list, but I'll do it in another thread. This is just to show what this stuff does for trim.
Note here the little strips of tape. I find it easier to tear off a bunch of little four inch strips and stick them to the body temporarily, then use them with one hand while the other holds the masking paper. You can use newspaper too, but that brown stuff is cheap at Home Depot/Lowes ($5?) for a big roll. Besides I just happen to have an extra roll from a little sailboat I painted with real paint last winter. It's also super easy to work with. Tears easy. Just way easier than newspaper, trust me.
Okay, so here's after one coat. You want to lay it on in a bunch of light coats. I like about five to eight light coats for a flawless finish. This stuff is SOOOOOO much easier to work with than paint you won't believe it. Even if you bump it and make a mark in the paint, it doesn't matter. Just keep laying down more coats. You won't see the fingerprint after two more coats. Awesome.
Alright, I won't bore you with seven more coats, but that's what I used. If you're dipping over a bright base (chrome or white paint) you'll need more coats than against a dark (black, blue, etc) surface. But just keep adding coats until you're happy. Let each coat dry about five to eight minutes. This stuff is about 80% thinner by volume so it's not heavy and dries fast. If you do a full paintjob on the entire van, then peel it off and weigh it, you get a little over a pound. So forget about adding any weight with this stuff like you'd worry about with bedliner/sound deadener etc.
Here's an up close of the finished product. Tell me that doesn't look like it just rolled off the lot, I dare ya. And it looks better in person. Has a rubbery feel kind of like touching a balloon. And best part? The preferred method of cleaning it is the car wash. This stuff is tough. Also doesn't rub off on clothes, etc. Lovin it.
Here's the updated rear from a few steps back. Notice anything about the bumper?
Aww yeah! Next up mirrors and side door handles.
Check my the kitevan thread on Homebuilds in the forum for more on my van, including lots more dippin.
Hope this helps guys. I've learned a lot on these forums. Thought I'd give back. - S
Here's a video of plastidip removal also for skeptics: [youtube:2wy904uc]
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