Dipping a car

So Josh turned me onto this on another thread. I had never heard of dipping a car before, but now I am totally excited. The only thing is that my brother has heard a lot of bad things about it. based on what I have seen on youtube from Dipyourcar, I would say it has to do with the surface, prep, and the number of layers put on. The naysayers said they had to use gas to remove it. Anyone here with any experience with dipping?

It always boils down to surface prep but it can't be much other than a wipe down with grease/wax remover otherwise it would basically defeat the purpose if you had to take a scotchbrite or something to existing finishes -- aint no way Id let someone do that to a brand new vehicle and its done all the time down here -- there's atleast one or two bodyshops in the area that specialize in it. As for the removal -- Ive never heard anyone needing gas to remove it -- I could see if its particularly stuck down in a spot using some denatured alcohol but not gas, I would think removal would be just like taking off a vinyl wrap -- most will come off pretty easy but Im sure there will be spots that take a little more elbow grease to remove.

Check out this link...

http://www.plastidip.com/blog/2012/08/plasti-dips-removal-tips/

That link makes me think that people are applying it incorrectly. I think some people might be scotchbrighting it. This might be a big problem- it looks like it needs a smooth surface to peel off correctly. It looks like its prep/misunderstanding that gets people into trouble. My dad wants to do it to one of his Deloreans to freak out his car club. I told him we have to test it on one of his old panels first. I do not want a nightmare peeling issue on one of his cars. I will let you know how it goes.

Id tend to agree, as mentioned earlier the only prep Id do is wipe down with grease/wax remover, let dry, & then apply. You definitely should do a test panel 1st to insure you're getting the results you want.

BTW Deloreans are AWESOME!! Would love to see pix of one done up if you do it!

I am almost thinking we might have to put a clear coat on the car and then dip it. I think the way the stainless is it might bond if it was not coated first, but we will see on the panel.

The cars are cool. He has had one from 2000 and got the bug bad. We got to go to a lot of Delorean car shows over the years, and I even got to meet John Delorean himself. It is interesting to read the influence he had on the sister to this car, the compact Tempest. Very different in a lot of ways from the Buick, even if the base is the same.

Hey Josh-
Did you see this video yet?

I don't buy for a minute that it would stop rust, but interesting from a prep perspective.

lol

I agree with most of what you say, but for me I would like to have a cost effective way to make the exterior look good this season until I can afford to put some real money into the body. My mechanicals will be pretty solid once the brakes are done, so I can get it on the road this season, then work on the body over the next couple of years. It is inexpensive, and you can achive some cool colors. But there is no way that it would seal rust. Maybe surface rust, but I would be nervous about that.

Bill wrote:Hey Josh-
Did you see this video yet?

Bill--

I hadn't seen this video -- I actually haven't seen alot of them lol -- just was aware of the technique and intend to use it on my 81 regal resto just to get a finished product on the road since I can't afford the $4k paint job right now -- all the body work is done and it's primed so Im in good shape.

As for sealing rust in -- I actually think it's quite possible for it to do what they claim IF, as they are very clear about, the car and the rust is 100% dry and it's done in a non-humid enviroment. Essentially thats how all the rust encapsulator products work ( IE POR15, RustBullet, etc... )

And Keiths comment regarding door jambs and under the hood are vaild BUT there's no reason these areas can't be dipped too -- just gotta take the time to mask them off and spray it. Wouldn't be any different with cutting them in for a real paint job -- it's all bout how much time, effort, and money you want to put into something.

How about this for a thread revival. I am plasti dipping the Buick pretty soon. I was able to score a 2 for 1 on regular blue unthinned Plasti Dip. This means I can thin it at a 1 to 1 ratio for 4 gallons of dip total. I bought three 25g bags of pearl (2 deep ocean blue, 1 cobalt blue) to put in the final coat.

Ocean Blue
Cobalt Blue

The deep ocean blue is what I am going for, and the cobalt is there to bring it back if it gets too dark.

That deep ocean blue should look pretty sweet Bill -- can't wait to see it!  Did you buy the special applicator gun too?

nope- I got a cheap $20 harbor freight gun. I have read a lot of reviews saying that this particular gun is pretty good for at least one spray. They had a some coupon sale, so I got it half off. The Dip itself was 52.99, but buy one get one free with free shipping. Again, unthinned, so I really have 4 gallons. The pearls I got off ebay and they had some special, so I go them for $22.00 with free shipping. With thinner, I should be under $110 total. I think the gun will work for what I need. I will find out fast before I lay on the final coat.

The only concern I had is that some of those pigment manufacturers say I should have a 1.8mm to 2.0mm tip on my gun when I add it to Plasti-Dip. The gun came with a 1.6mm. I think I will be ok because I putting Pearls on and not Flakes.

Hmmm.... well if I was you I'd mix a small batch and spray a test panel before hitting your car with it. Might find you don't like the pattern / spray out. I just know that my buddy dipped his jeep and used the recommended application gun and said the hosing on it was like a small vacuum cleaner hose -- I'd wanna test it out 1st personally.

I plan to test it two times. Before the initial spray and with the pigments added. With what I have invested I am not too worried if it heads south. I did my wife's wheels on her van before winter hit and they have held up VERY well through the season. That's what made me pull the trigger.

Kewl! Post'm up dood! I'd like to see - glad I was able to turn you on to something affordable!

Thanks again. This should keep it looking good for a few years til I can do the real bodywork.

We still gonna plan a meet this summer? Would love to meet up in Joliet at route 66 or something.

I have been putting more thought into that. I will revive the main thread on it and see the interest level. I think there are definitely four that would want to go, but it may be too far for Keith.