Today I saw a Plasti-Dipped....
 

de-badged Nissan Altima, prb no more than 3-4 yrs old.
It was a funky aquamarine color similar to the aquamarine they offered with the T bird when they brought it back.

I was trying to think of what gearhead dude would choose that color.
Then I read the license plate which referenced the owner being a girl.

No I am not slamming women on the basis of color choice; just sayin I don't think a manly man would pick this color as their 1st choice.

How do you get the stuff to "adhere" to the car yet still be peel-offable (not a word)?

I don't think there's any prep at all, derf. It's just spray, let it dry and drive it. But, I don't know much about anything, so take it at face value.

The only thing that comes to mind is that if you start with the roof and go at the proper pace, the PlastiDip begins to "cure" quickly enough to support the weight of the next lower but continuous portion of the layer you're applying.

But something like a hood -- what keeps the entire cured layer from sliding right off ?

I'm sure it's got something to do with surface tension and adhesion factors, but I'm not a physicist!

I thought you were a mechanic...???

Dammnit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a ....."

Bones, where are you to enlighten us?

I'm not really much of anything, derf. Just a dumbass old hillbilly.

The dip stays on the car, just like paint does; it bonds to the surface... However, the dip has a stronger bond with itself than with the underlying material(that bond is somewhere between road grime and vinyl stickers, strength-wise)... The thicker you spray it on, the better it sticks to itself, but it's bond to the underlying material stays the same... This allows for it to be removed in big sheets when the time comes to take off the dip...

The only prep required is to make sure your car is CLEAN and DRY... Wash it good, store under tarp or inside overnight, DONT WAX IT, then go over again with windex, isopropyl alcohol, etc. to remove all trace of finger oils, grime, wax, etc, and make sure the car is dry, including all panel gaps and crevices... Then mask off the car and spray, starting with the roof, hood, and trunk lid(hardest to get adequate coverage)... Also, be sure to start with a light coat, and progressively get heavier... Most average cars(not full size or SUVs) will use 3-4 gallons... If you use significantly less, you've probably done it wrong...

Thank you, sir.

Can you buy it in a spray can? Might be a way for me to paint my PT Cruiser!

It can be bought in spray cans; however, I don't feel that is the best approach... It's hard to get even coverage from a can, and hard to get enough dip on to ensure peelability down the line... When I did the S series my wife briefly drove, 15 cans barely did two coats of dip, and clearly was not enough product... If you bought by the can, buy at least three cases(36 cans total) from the local Lowes/Home Depot... The other main disadvantage of buying cans(especially from hardware stores) is that you are limited to basic colors... Black is common, sometimes you find gray, and red... You can order cans of brilliant colors of dip from DipYourCar.com, but you could also order a "car kit" that comes with gallons and a sprayer...

https://www.saturnforum.com/forum/sa...2000-sl1-8952/

This is the thread I made back in 2013 when I dipped our S series...

Plasti dip is miserable to get off....4 wheels, 6 hours, a bottle of goo off and half a can of WD 40 later...

why not just use a torch (gently)?

If you apply the dip thick enough, it comes off in one big sheet...

Like this...

This gives a pretty good explanation of how dip works...

its really cool. Sisters bestie just had it done to his brand new STI to protect the paint. looks nice flat white. To make it look really nice it is easier to take it to someone like he did. But if you have the time and paitence and a clean area the gallon buckets with an air sprayer are the way to go. I stay away from the stuff, when I did the hood and portions of the front bumper of the satty i ended up crashing it the next day (yes ive resorted to blaming it on the plasti dip, car was not happy with me lolol). but it did look really, really good on my wheels, it does not stand up well next to brake fluid though.

When bugging my sisters friend i asked him how he washes it. he told me once its dry you wash it like you would any other car, and can last for a long time if done right.

also, the spray cans i got liked to keep clogging so it ended up being all chunky like rubberized sand paper. Im sure doing it in mid march didnt help either.

protip - dont go to light a cig and drop your zippo in a small puddle of it. obviously very very flammable when wet

protecting from paint road rash n such is one thing.


As far as "protecting the paint", my 2 Cents:


I would be concerned about the long term implications of a "rubberized compound" sitting on top of my hood. The metal was designed to be thin enough that you could leave your car running in 105 deg heat for 7 hours on the interstate (not moving) and still dissipate the heat from the engine (along w the engine's cooling system.


I don't know how thick the average finished layer of plasti dip is , but whatever it is, you're adding that thickness of an insulating material to the area above the engine, and sowing down the heat transfer. Which MAY lead to paint/clearcoat issues over time.

I like what you're saying, derf. I also don't like the idea of adding something that's going to hold extra heat under the hood. Especially on my turbo. It runs hot enough now. I am thinking that I might spray the top of the PT though, as, it doesn't have any clear coat peel yet, but the paint is really faded and beyond bringing it back with compound and buffing. I've already tried that.

I am guessing it's fine for both the hood paint and the temps underneath... My reasoning- it's been sprayed on Corvettes that see track time and the owner hadn't complained of cooling issues, and I imagine his hood peeled fine at the end of the season with no clear coat damage... Just buy it in gallon form; the cans are thinned with xylene which is more harsh than VM&P Naptha that's used to thin the gallons of spray able dip...

Ooh, xylene vs naphthalene said the chemist.....what a wonderful choice.
I'll choose neither based on my knowledge unless wearing the proper respiratory PPE.

Of course, it goes without saying to spray the dip in a well ventilated area, and possibly using a respirator... In reality, if you're spraying in a wide open area you can't smell the stuff at all... However, spray it in a garage, and respirators are highly suggested...

how do you control where it goes in a wide open area?
On your car?
On a tree?
On a cute little bumblebee?




Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

Well, I usually spray from about 6 inches...

well, alright then. Thank you