HOW TO: Plasti-Dip Front Bumper / Rally Art Look!

[deprydation]

COST: Plasti-Dip - 7$
Easy Remove Painters Tape - 6$
Razor blade - 1-3$
TOTAL: 14-16$

Why?: You get the Ralliart bumper look without going to Mitsubishi and buying the 175$ RA bumper + cost to paint and time to install. It's a cheap modification that has turned alot of heads on the car.

Step 1: Go to Home Depot/Lowes/Auto part store and buy yourself a can of Plasti-Dip spray can, roll of easy remove painters tape, and a good sharp razor blade.


Step 2: (Optional) Because I'm lowered I chose to jack my car up and work off a rolling chair. Makes things a bit easier to tape off and remove the tape and everything once you get it all done.

Step 3: Begin taping off everything with the blue painters tape. Make sure you get pretty precise on your triple diamond and get some old newspaper or sale papers to stuff in the front end and cover the top of your radiator for overspray. If you're sloppy with spray cans or don't feel comfortable with it, make sure you cover more of the bumper area around the painting area. You can tape some newspaper or cut some trash bags or something to cover your headlights/foglights or bumper.

OPTIONAL: You can scuff up the paint or clear coat on the part you're going to paint for a more permanent or better adhesion. I chose not to do this in case I get tired of it and feel like pulling the dip off. Remember if you do scuff up the clear coat with some light grit sand paper that if you pull the dip off you'll be left with a section of bumper without any clear on it.







Step 4: After everything is taped off and you're ready to paint make sure everything is clean. I took some mild wash soap and wiped down the area really good that I was going to Plasti-Dip. After the soap I used some of the Meguiars Quick Detailer and went over to make sure it was absolutely clean.

Step 5: Shake the can for a good minute and begin spraying in an even back and forth motion being careful not to overspray onto the area you don't want black. Once you get a good coat of it, stop and smoke a cig, drink a beer...do something to let it get mostly dry.



Step 6: Shake the can for another good minute and spray another good coat on it until it's nice and shiny then let dry again.



Step 7: Shake the can up again and spray on a thin coat just to cover any blemishes or anything from the drying.



Step 8: Wait for everything to get real nice and dry and get that razor blade out.

Step 9: Take the razor blade real lightly and cut on the edge of the tape just hard enough to get through the Plasti-Dip but not cut the shit out of your bumper. Peel the tape slowly so you don't peel up the Plasti-Dip and use the razor blade as needed to touch up your lines as you pull the tape. When you finish, it should look something like....





WARNING: The Plasti-Dip WILL PEEL VERY EASILY. That is the wonderful part about this. If you don't like it or feel like you don't want it anymore it will peel right off and leave no residue.

Now, you could probably use a gloss black paint on this but I would definitely scuff up the clear coat some to help the paint stick better.

TECH TIP: If you want this part to be shiny instead of the flat rubber looking black you can spray some tire wet on there and make sure you get it nice and even. It'll wash right back off if you want to go back to the matte look.

[gspower]

dont we already have a how-to?

[deprydation]

Couldn't find one anywhere. That's why I've got this going up.

[ryanastyG4]

good job
but for anyone doing this I would cover more than the area portrayed. easier to prevent overspray.

[DustinH]

If i did it like that with just the tape id have some killer overspray

[deprydation]

Just be more careful with the spray pattern....

[Clovisman]

Looks really good!! You said it will peel-off real easy, so how does it hold up to car washes and car wash spry guns??

[gspower]

you should have sanded that clear coat man, it would have given you a better adhesion of the new paint

[ryanastyG4]

^^the point is if you dont like it the plasti comes off. then youre screwed with a center with no clear on it.

but always properly cover areas that are being painted.
could easily slip newspaper or a cut up plastic bag under the outter edges of the tape to cover the rest of the bumper/headlights/etc

[deprydation]

Originally Posted by Clovisman

Looks really good!! You said it will peel-off real easy, so how does it hold up to car washes and car wash spry guns??

I've used my 1800 PSI power sprayer on it lightly and it holds up. The main worry is right after you spray it on that it'll peel SUPER easy. Once it "cures" on there you shouldn't have any issues with any peeling unless you either hit something or purposely start peeling on your seams. One of the ways that I've heard of a couple people doing to clean up your seams if you're not good with a razor blade is to take some thin black pin striping and line your seams with it to clean up any edges. Personally I used an Xacto knife so it was pretty easy.

[TyEclipse]

Originally Posted by gspower

you should have sanded that clear coat man, it would have given you a better adhesion of the new paint

Maybe the method on this how-to is for the ones that aren't sure of what they want at the end of the week (like me), and want to have the factory finish when they peel the Plasti-Dip.

[gspower]

^^ I understand now, i didnt know thats the purpose of plasti dip.

[TyEclipse]

I forgot... It looks great! I want mine!

[Sin]

Like it!

So it wont't harm the bumper eh? Sweet.

Only question is that if it is made to come off at will, will roadway debris jack it up (rocks and shit)? I mean it is the front most part of the car and it wouldn't have anything like a clearcoat on top of it.

[Ricoswave]

This thing looks awesome, but I have a bad feeling its going to be shredded up after a few highway trips. Who knows maybe it will actually hold up better than paint?

[Sin]

Will, you'll have to give us an after christmas update on how it's holding up. You know, with all the holiday driving and stuff.

[deprydation]

I've been driving on it like it is for about 3 weeks now or so since the SoCal4G Motor 4 Toys event and there's not a nick in it or anything. It's pretty durable stuff, but if you want it gone it'll be gone pretty easy. That was the purpose of spraying on 2 thick layers and 1 thin layer to cover blemishes. I've taken it down some dirt roads and down the busy California freeways. I'll take a pic of it in a bit. Hell it's even raining pretty good right now and it's holding up just fine.

Maybe I should make the HOW TO: Remove Plasti-Dip...

[gspower]

you should really do your back bumper too, youll be that much more satisfied

[Asian Cracker]

Looks great!

[deprydation]

Originally Posted by gspower

you should really do your back bumper too, youll be that much more satisfied

Only reason I'm wary about doing the back is because I have the Spyder and you have the Coupe. The Spyder already looks kinda goofy with the top up and I don't wanna make it look worse

By the way, is this actual paint or is it Plasti-Dip?

[deprydation]

Could a MOD move this thread to the "HOW TO" section?

[Sin]

Loving this thread!

[TyEclipse]

Such an easy, cheap, beautiful and, best of all, not risky mod! Thanks a lot!

[bwilliams]

Verry cool !!! I might try that when the warmer weather comes back to Wisconsin.

[Taranis]

Nice job with the spraying; looks OEM from the pics and adds a nice contrast.

If you happen to go to those self-serve car wash bays be careful with the high pressure sprayer if it has the warm soap option. The high water pressure plus warm temps peels Plasti Dip off like warm butter (which could be a good thing if that's what you intend at the time anyway). =)

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by deprydation

Only reason I'm wary about doing the back is because I have the Spyder and you have the Coupe. The Spyder already looks kinda goofy with the top up and I don't wanna make it look worse

By the way, is this actual paint or is it Plasti-Dip?

Hey Will, the Spyder looks sexy with the top up, it's like a bra just waiting to be slipped off. "don't say the top is down...Say the titties are out!"

[haladafs]

i did this to mine, as pictured but i peeled it off when i got my cf hood

[haladafs]

and its on my wheels... i have zero rock chips and it works great against ice snow and salt

[Matched88]

ok my only question would be, do they make different colored plasti dip?

[Taranis]

Originally Posted by Matched88

ok my only question would be, do they make different colored plasti dip?

Yes it comes in yellow, white, red, clear, blue and black.

Plasti Dip Protective Coating Products | Synthetic Rubber Dip Coating

[Matched88]

aw, was hoping for more variety, too many random orange eclipse around my area with blackouts, its getting old for me seeing them, might try white on wheels, wish they had more neutral colors

[deprydation]

UPDATE: After the holidays and the hellacious rain that all of San Diego just got, the car looks the same as the day it was sprayed on. No nicks, chips, rips, tears, or damage to it.

[XxkevinchuxX]

could you paint over the plasti dip?

[TyEclipse]

Originally Posted by XxkevinchuxX

could you paint over the plasti dip?

Hope that the answer to that is "Yeah"!

Though, I really don't know why I could celebrate 'cause I haven't found that Plasti-Dip spray anywhere down here...sigh...

[Sin]

^^^ Internet homeslice. Ever since God invented it, you can get anything.

[Sin]

Any update for us Will?

Still going strong?

[haladafs]

no you cant paint over plasti dip, and i will warn everyone not to try it, my friend tried it out and it doesn't work at all, but the plasti dip is tough stuff, its worked great on my wheels and hasn't chipped once and its been on there since june, even the salt and snow is not effecting it at all, but i peeled my front bumper off, because i got so many bugs splattered on it and eventually after scrubbing it so many times it had a small piece come off and i put on my cf hood so i just removed

[07gt]

Will's car looks great. Went over yesterday to work on my TCL light(see other thread) and it looks just like in the pictures. I'm going to say fuck it and try red for the hell of it since its easy to peel off with no sideaffects. Kinda curious how red would look on the black haha

[TyEclipse]

Originally Posted by 07gt

Will's car looks great. Went over yesterday to work on my TCL light(see other thread) and it looks just like in the pictures. I'm going to say fuck it and try red for the hell of it since its easy to peel off with no sideaffects. Kinda curious how red would look on the black haha

Do it!

We'll be watching!

[gspower]

Originally Posted by 07gt

Will's car looks great. Went over yesterday to work on my TCL light(see other thread) and it looks just like in the pictures. I'm going to say fuck it and try red for the hell of it since its easy to peel off with no sideaffects. Kinda curious how red would look on the black haha

i think youde take the cake for being the first person to ever try that
talk about original