I'm joining the PlastiDip craze because it seems like everyone else is doing it. I'm gonna do my back bumper black for starters. Anybody have any advice before I get started? Any prep work/priming needed? And I've heard that clear coating after spraying the PlastiDip will help protect it from chipping. Any advice would be awesome. Thanks.

 

My advice is avoid it and look at more of a long term solution. I didn't care for it.

 

That's what i've been told. A long term solution being what? Sanding off the chrome and getting it powder coated?

 

Clear over the dip works wonders on keeping it lookin nice. Did my buddies bumper that way 8 months ago. Prep work is as simple as wipe the bumper down with rubbing alcohol, tape off anything you need, and spray.

And remove the masking tape while it's still wet, otherwise the tape will lift the dip with it

 

I did my grille surround and emblems with plasti dip. No prep work other than wiping them clean and so far they've held up great

 

As far as bumpers and rocker panels I threw some bed liner

 

What kind of clear did yall use?
Plasti clear?

 

I am fortunate to work for a coating company, so we did some R&D work...



the exhaust is coated in a black ceramic exhaust coating. Everything else is coated in a black ceramic gun coating.





What I would do if I was you, is see if there is someone that can do sand blasting in your area. I'd personally avoid powder coatings, they have a tendency to peel and look like crap over time, unless they are a dupont/uv type material. It's all in the prep work. If you are going to sand the chrome, I'd do a palm sander and some 80 grit, this will give the primer something to cling to. I've read good things about the VHT primer and paints, their wheel paints are supposed to be very durable. Prior to these coatings, I was looking at their black sati enamel.

I'd imagine if someone does powder in your area they would have a blast cabinet.

 

Make sure you mask off the surrounding areas really well if your painting without removing. I plasti dipd my bumpers and ended up going over the dip later with gloss black paint. Looks much better IMO. But my trucks black so it didn't match very well to me.

Just dip and then some of the gloss black

 

did the bed liner stick to the chrome and rockers?