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DIY Plasti Dip! Grill and Rear Badge [Lots of Pictures]

85K views 64 replies 42 participants last post by  TopazID 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey boys and girls! Today I decided to go to Lowe's and buy some black spray-on Plasti Dip. I have some more ideas for what I want to do with it but I started out easy (doing the model emblem) and moved up to something a bit more complex (the grill). I am now convinced that along with duct tape and WD-40, Plasti Dip is God's gift to mankind. The best part is that it is completely reversible, should you decide you no longer like it. That is also a downfall, since it might come off before you want it to. Just be careful with it and avoid touching it unnecessarily.

I was going to pull out the grill to spray it, but one of the tabs was already broken from the previous owner. I didn't want to risk breaking more and ended up just masking it really well and spraying it in place.

Note: I was doing this in temps of 95 degrees and moderate to heavy humidity. The humidity did not affect it as much as I expected, so I was able to drastically cut the waiting time between coats. Please realize that Plasti Dip instructions state to wait one hour between coats.
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DIY #1: THE EMBLEM
I got the idea from [linky].

Tools required:
-An old newspaper
-Masking Tape
-Plasti Dip Spray
-Toothpick


STEP 1: CLEAN THE AREA TO BE 'PAINTED'
You don't want to spray on top of dirt and grime, or it will bubble or just plain not stick. The link said to use a cotton ball and alcohol. The alcohol works very quickly to remove grime (and also overspray from the plasti dip), but the cottonball left cotton fuzz all over. I do not recommend it.

STEP 2: MASK THE AREA
Masking for this is super easy. I took a half page of newsprint and tore a rectangular hole across the fold and taped it to the car. Don't worry about masking around the letters. It will come right off, as you will see below. Just leave a close area around the logo, but make sure that it is not touching the letters/numbers.


STEP 3: APPLY COAT NUMBER ONE
After making a test spray on a spare page of newsprint to check product flow, spray plasti dip evenly across the surface. I do not suggest doing more than one pass, as the product will run since it has nothing to cling to besides the smooth surface. Wait at least 5 minutes before applying the next coat.


STEP 4: APPLY COAT NUMBER TWO
Now that there is some rubber on the surface, the next coat has something to grab when it gets sprayed on. Be more liberal and get good coverage. Two passes should do for this coat. Wait 15 minutes to an hour before applying the next coat.


STEP 5: APPLY COAT NUMBER THREE
This should be the last coat if you sprayed the surface properly. Make sure that you've sprayed the top and bottom of the emblem. Allow 30 minutes for it to dry before removing the masking.


STEP 6: REMOVE MASKING
Be careful not to prematurely pull off the rest of the rubber. Use the toothpick to break away rubber clings.


STEP 7: PEEL AWAY EXCESS RUBBER
Don't rush this step. The rectangular piece will separate and break away from the edges of the emblem, but you will need to use the toothpick in some places to help it along. You will need a toothpick or two to peel out the insides of the numbers, but once you get it started, it will come easily.



STEP 8: CLEAN UP ANY OVERSPRAY
Use alcohol on a paper towel and gently rub the overspray. It will lift right off. Enjoy the finished product.



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DIY #2: THE GRILL[E]

Note: Most people prefer to do this by taking off the grill. This tutorial shows how to paint it while leaving the grill intact. I didn't have to worry about breaking any tabs this way.

Tools required:
-Several old newspapers (or the Sunday paper)
-Masking Tape
-Plasti Dip Spray
-Toothpicks


STEP 1: CLEAN THE SURFACE TO BE 'PAINTED'
Washing the car beforehand helps a lot, and use a chamois cloth or a thin, nonabrasive cloth to wipe around and inside the grill. Dry every part and scrub any bug remains. A toothpick will come in handy to remove dried bug carcasses from the corners. Once you are certain that you have cleaned in all of the corners and gotten the finish as smooth as possible, proceed to the next step.

STEP 2: MASK AROUND THE AREA TO BE 'PAINTED'
It was easiest to do this by putting the hood halfway up. Gravity kept it from going up any further, but engineering kept it from falling. It stayed there very well on its own. Tape paper immediately behind the grill, and cover the engine compartment and around the kidneys.
Pro Tip: Use small pieces of tape on the curves around the kidneys. Wrap tape over the edge to fill the gap, and press it down with a toothpick to stick it in place.


STEP 3: APPLY COAT NUMBER ONE
Angle the can so the you are spraying in the direction of travel, so that you coat the sides of the vertical slats. Do not spray a location more than once if possible. I ended up doing six passes (three in each direction) for the first coat. Wait at least five minutes before applying the next coat.


STEP 4: APPLY COAT NUMBER TWO
Try to cover as much as possible in as few passes as possible. Realize that the problem area is the chrome grill surround. It will take as many as four to five coats to completely cover the chrome. Wait 15 minutes to an hour before proceeding.


STEP 5: APPLY COAT NUMBER THREE
Focus on the outside chrome portions, as the inside will be much less noticeable if you miss a spot. Wait 30 minutes to an hour before proceeding.


STEP 6: APPLY COAT NUMBER FOUR
Pay attention and focus on any spots you missed in previous coverage. Apply as if this is the final coat. Make sure you have applied the product from all angles. Wait 30 minutes to an hour before proceeding.


STEP 7: APPLY FINAL COAT
This is to touch up any thin areas. Make sure that your chrome is fully covered!! Do not "touch up" specific areas, because the product will blob like spray paint (don't ask how I know). Make an even path across the entire surface.
Allow at least 30 minutes for the final coat to dry before removing masking.


STEP 8: REMOVE MASKING AND CLEAN OVERSPRAY
Break away any rubber clings with the toothpick. Rub overspray with alcohol and it will come right off. Enjoy the finished product. You may need to use the toothpick to clean the crevice around each kidney, but be careful not to scratch your new rubber coating. It will take several hours for the finish to cure completely. I suggest not driving it or touching it until it has completely set.

STEP 9: ENJOY THE FINISHED PRODUCT


 
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#5 · (Edited)
Oh wow I didn't think about doing the roof. That would look slick and be super easy. I DID think about doing the side mirrors, but with the amount of bugs they collect, I doubt it would hold up to washing. I was considering doing shadowline trim around the windows and even had the crazy notion of doing the rims. I don't know how far I will go. The rims wouldn't look too bad I guess, any thoughts on this? I photoshopped it and it's decent.

If I wanted to go the performance look, I could get a color and paint the calipers. I don't know if anyone has done that. I considered doing the interior trim but I'm not a big fan of the colors.

I recently came across a thread with a pic of an e46 completely repainted in plasti dip.:facepalm:
Edit: http://www.e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=843848
 
#7 ·
Update: I'm super happy with the results. The new finish has hardened substantially, and I'm going to be doing my mirrors and/or rims next week, though I can't say how permanent that will be. The black grille makes the front have more of an aggressive stance, and the black model number on the back makes the tail end look more uniform (That WAS the only chrome back there besides the tailpipes). I recommend this DIY! :)
 
#17 ·
Looks nice, Carlos! The 0 tried to be difficult for me also but I picked it out with two toothpics.



The other guy that I saw said he did his entire car with 3.5 cans. :eek:

Its a good concept but it will be a little testy when you wash it. I still have to wash mine since I did the grill. I know it will hold up if I take it easy, but doing a whole car would make me nervous.
 
#20 ·
I plasti-dipped my badge over a year ago and it is still holding up great. I took my emblems off before painting as I didn't think of this method but it works just as well. I did about 7 or 8 thin coats on mine with about 30 mins in between each and then let it sit overnight before re-installing.
 
#21 ·
Nothing wrong with playing it safe! Christopher, it dries smooth like a normal matte black paint. It has a slight texture to it but it's good. I was thinking about doing my bike as well, except it's already got a snexy black and dark grey paint job.
 
#23 ·
Looks Awesome! I am going to do this to my rear badge, but I think the black will stick out bad on my base color of the car which is Titanium Silver. I have seen in another thread about painting over the plastic dip. Therefore plastic dip in black then before peeling and making it look nice I will spray a coat of gun metal silver over it. I bet it will look awesome when compared with the Titanium Silver. Opinions??
 
#25 ·
My car is titanium silver also and I love the look. I like the fact the the badge can now be read clearly from 30 feet away instead of <10 feet like before when it was chrome. Initially I thought it looked a little odd, but combined with a few other changes on the car, it looks really nice.

Just remember that if you're going to paint over it, take it off the car and restick it when you're done, otherwise you're in for a rough masking job.
 
#26 ·
Yeah I see your car is the same color as mine however yours is the awesome 330 Xi and mine is a 323Ci which does not have any balck any where on it. Yours looks good cause you have that black trim that runs on your rear bumper, which matches the rear badge now.

If I take the rear badge off, do I have to get the stuff that makes it stick? Or can you heat it off and put it back on with out pruchasing anything extra??
 
#27 ·
Got my plasti-dip and I am ready to try this out! I have only seen great results thus far. Pictures tonight possibly!
 
#29 ·
This is the OG thread that showed you how to do it: http://g35nyc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36224

I used that thread to paint mine but decided I'd rather just go debadged. As for the grills, I did them the same way as you based off how a user on BF.C did his. Almost all the tabs are screwed up on my grilles, including the places on the hood where they snap into, so removing was not an option for me. With the grilles though, I had the hood all the way down, just because it seemed easier and I didn't have to mask the engine bay as much as you.

I've had my wheels and grilles painted for several months now and I'm happy to report that they've help up great!. Next on the agenda is the window trim! Thanks for your informative thread.

BTW, have you thought about cutting out the piece in between the dot of the i and the stem? Try using a razor blade, but be careful not to scratch your trunk!
 
#33 ·
I just did my grill like a week ago. Also did my headlight trim (the inside part). Really love the look, I think it makes the car look a ton better. Im intrigued with the badges, I may have to try it. And Im planning on doing my wheels sometime soon as well, whenever I can get the time. lol
 
#35 ·
Some info about plasti dip.

I did my stock wheels with it and decided to take the plasti dip off later.

Well I didn't do enough layers so the plasti dip wasn't easy to get off. Most of it just peeled off but some of it I had to rub and rub and rub to get off.

Well I tried using turpentine to get it off and it worked great. Just dissolved the plasti dip.

Just fyi incase you get in the same situation :)
 
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