I was never into the import tuner car scene with the huge spoilers, loud fart can mufflers, and graphics all over the car but I did have a pretty nice Datsun 260Z project car of my own. After owning a modified car for several years, I have learned that I will never do such a silly thing again unless I’m quite well off and can afford to mess around with these types of toys. I don’t have any kids yet but I have to be more responsible after marriage. Being responsible these days means that I can’t modify any vehicle I own and no more side project cars.
With the said “responsible expectations” set in stone, my wife was pretty shocked to see that I had a different set of wheels on our car. I used Plasti Dip, a rubberized paint, to change the look of my vehicle but she didn’t know that. The beauty of this project is that it is very versatile, available in a large number of colors, and is completely removable. If you’re every wondering, here’s how to remove plasti dip.
About Performix Plasti Dip
For a while there, Vinyl Wrapping a vehicle was the “thing to do” even though another fantastic product was on the market but went unnoticed. Plasti Dip has now caught on and is a fairly common modification. Plasti Dip is a multipurpose, air dry, specialty rubber coating which can be applied by dipping, brushing, or spraying. The uses of Plasti Dip as a coating are virtually endless and it offers protection against acids, moisture, corrosion, abrasion, and slipping/skidding. Even after drying, Plasti Dip retains its flexible and stretchy characteristics over time and will not sub-come to cracking in extreme weather conditions. It has been tried, tested, and proven in temperatures from -30°F to 200°F.
On the mild side, people apply plasti dip to change the color of trim pieces on vehicles or to change the look of the wheels. On the extreme end of the spectrum, people actually “paint” their entire vehicles in Plasti Dip to completely transform the look of the car. The beauty of plasti dip is that it will come off when you get sick of the color by simply peeling it off. This also helps in protecting the original paint from the elements and the material is durable enough that you can power wash it or even take it through the automated car washes.
I purchased five cans of plasti dip from DipYourCar and I decided to go with the Charcoal (dark grey). The prices vary by color/finish and the one I purchased costs $6.85 per 11oz can. I saved a bit of money by getting the wheel kit (four cans) for $25.50 and then an additional backup can for $6.85. I also purchased the Glossifier 11oz aerosol can for $8.28 for the final touches. The grand total for my wheel project was $52.63 including the cost of shipping. If you can pull of the project without messing anything up, that’s a pretty awesome deal for transforming the look of your vehicle.
Applying Plast Dip To Wheels
Before taking on this project, I watched a number of YouTube videos to get an idea of how people are applying the plasti dip to wheels. The general consensus is that four to five coats should be plenty to offer a sufficient coating and protection. Because my coats were a bit lighter, I went with seven total coats.
Step 1 – Remove Wheels
If you want to get good coverage, you should remove the wheels off the vehicle. This will also ease your concerns about over spraying on the calipers, rotors, and onto the paint of the car. Some people cut a trash bag and insert it between the spokes of the wheel to cover the brake components. If you go with the trash bag method, you need to make sure that the bag does not touch the spokes of the wheel. You want to prevent the bag from adhering to the wheel or the rubberized coating will peel off.
Step 2
Give your wheels a really good wash and make sure you scrub off all the dirt, brake dust, and grime. You’ll need a nice and clean surface if you want the plasti dip to adhere with out issues. Once washed, you’ll need the wheels to be completely dried before you can start your first coat. When you see that the wheels are just about ready, give the first can a good shake for about a minute before applying the first coat.
Step 3 – First Coat
Once the can has received a good shake, spray some off to the side either in the air or on some newspaper to make sure it’s not spewing out any bubbles. Bubbles are our enemy. Keep the nozzle of the spray can about eight-inches from the wheel and apply a very light coat. You only want to dust the wheel with the plasti dip and your first few coats will still show the metal exposed. These first few coats are important as the future coats will stick a lot better to the wheel. You should wait 20 minutes for it to dry before applying the next coat.
Steps 4 – Coats 2 to 5
Same method as coat one and you’ll start to notice the wheels getting darker with each coat. By the end of the third coat, you’ll start to see that most if not all of the wheel is now covered in plasti dip. Make sure you apply a bit extra in the areas where the lip of the wheel meet the tire. Don’t worry about getting plasti dip on the tires, it will peel right off once all the coats are complete.
Step 5 – Coats 6 and 7
During the final two coats, you can now start to pay extra attention to the nooks and crannies of the wheel to make sure the entire wheel has good coverage. After the seventh coat is dry, you’re done. Inspect the wheel and apply any final touches. You can either keep the wheel the way it is or you can give it a few coats of the Glossifier if you don’t like the matte look. With the Glossifier, use the same technique as the Plasti Dip. I used two coats and didn’t really notice a huge difference so I left it as is and didn’t bother with any further coats.
Removing Excess Plasti Dip From Tires
As you were plasti dipping the wheels, lots of the rubberized paint also got onto the tires. You can remove it very easily by simply peeling it off. And any remaining residue can be scrubbed off with an old hand towel.
Extra Plasti Dip? Let’s Try The Gas Cap
I had some extra plasti dip available so I decided to cover the gas cap to match the wheels. I used the same method as the wheels but used four coats instead of the seven. Here is the end result of the dipped gas cap.
Smoked Tail Lights
While doing the wheels, I also decided to tackle the tail lights. I see lots of people with super dark lights but I decided to tone it down a few notches and go for a smoky effect that would look different yet still be safe for other motorists. Performix offers the Plasti Dip SMOKE, which can be used to create a light smoky effect or dark depending on how many coats you use. Again, I used the same method as the wheels and gas cap. To get the effect seen below, I used approximately seven coats of the SMOKE followed by two layers of the Glossifier. The Plasti Dip SMOKE comes in an 11oz aerosol can and costs only $8.28. A very inexpensive and easy modification for your vehicle.
Below are a few pictures of the final product. The beauty of the entire project, I can peel off the smoke effect on the lights as well as the plasti dip from the wheels and gas cap. If you want to change the look of your vehicle without burning a hole in your wallet, do it yourself and get your hands on Plasti Dip from DipYourCar.com.
Should I leave it as is, remove it all back to factory, or perhaps work on some more pieces such as the side mirrors, door handles, or even the back portion of the roof?
