PlastiDip durability question

[geokots]

I'm probably going to plastidip the front and back ponies but have a question on durability.
I've seen a few videos and it looks pretty straightforward but also looks delicate.
Will it stand up to regular car washes? Once the weather gets better I'll be washing by hand but I also go through brushless which is more of a pressure wash.
Will it stand up to the water pressure, bristles, cloths etc.?

I know people do rims so I imaging it will but it looks easy to peel.

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[2Cool]

I have used it on emblems/badges on previous cars and gone over a year with no peeling. I use touchless car washes fairly often, no worries.

 

[geokots]

Ok. I don't mind doing it once a year or even twice.

 

[opensesame]

If you do multiple coats it will have more durability. If you can do 3-4 coats, then let it dry 24 hours and do another 2-3 coats after. it should last a couple years.

 

[Juben]

Like opensesame said, the durability really depends on the number of coats.

In addition to my Mustang, I also have a '13 Fusion and never liked the chrome grill slats running horizontally in the upper grill opening, so due to a lack of any good looking options for replacements (IMO), I decided to dip the slats

I started with 2-3 lighter coats to mitigate any runs and to make sure the coverage was even. Once I got the slats covered well and they dried to a tacky feel, I sprayed on 5 heavier coats repeating the same process. I'd let it dry for 20-30 minutes between coats.

I did that towards the beginning of 2014 and it looks just as good today as it did the first day that I dipped it. I've been super impressed with the way it's held up. That's been through a lot of rain, snow, heavy road salt, pressure washing at close distances, car washes, etc.

The key is, just make sure to do multiple layers with heavier coats. Also, the heavier/more you layer it, the easier it'll be to remove, if you ever decided to.

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[geokots]

Perfect, thanks for the tips.

 

[Khyber]

5 coats on my emblems here... first two light coats. heavyish 3rd coat... heavy 4th coat. decent coat on 5th coat. it's pretty thick...

last car I had it on for a year and 2 months before I traded it for the GT and plastidip still looked like day I did it.

Although my cars are garage kept.

I also do not take my cars through car washes (huge anti car wash person) and don't hit the dip with any high pressure.

 

[Suddueth13]

As they've said, having enough coats is key. Having enough coats also helps if you ever want to peel it to change colors or what have you.

 

[Skyline]

As everyone else has said - the more coats the longer and more durable it will last. I put 4 coats + 1 coat of glossifier on my wheels and they have lasted over a year without chipping. Anything less than 3-4 coats will be a pain to peel off too should you want a change.

 

[gabrielg1121]

Just did mine. Not sure how many coats but did enough where you feel its pretty thick. I would say did about 5-6 and let dry 20 min. If you tape the front emblem well its super easy. The back one was more difficult and there was a very small bit that didn't take on the tail so might have to do it again.

Also went for a car wash right afterwards that wasn't touch less and it held up perfectly fine.

Just some pics of examples of mine

 

[TonyN]

Like these guys are saying, all depends on the prep and spraying process. When done right, it can be quite durable. I did the wheels and grill on my '10 Fusion sport. After that, did several wheels, emblems on friends cars. Lasted for a year so far with no issues. Only thing I noticed is it will become more flat looking over time versus the matte appearance it has after being freshly done. But you can put the gloss coatings on to prevent that.

From my experience:
- clean and dry
- light first coat (should not fully cover what your spraying)
- medium second coat (should be completely covered)
- 3-4 more medium to heavy coats
- 40ish minutes in between all coats(dry to touch)

I even had a friend accidentally take the Fusion through a touchless car wash and the Plastidip was unharmed to my surprise.

 

[Juben]

Like these guys are saying, all depends on the prep and spraying process. When done right, it can be quite durable. I did the wheels and grill on my '10 Fusion sport. After that, did several wheels, emblems on friends cars. Lasted for a year so far with no issues. Only thing I noticed is it will become more flat looking over time versus the matte appearance it has after being freshly done. But you can put the gloss coatings on to prevent that.

From my experience:
- clean and dry
- light first coat (should not fully cover what your spraying)
- medium second coat (should be completely covered)
- 3-4 more medium to heavy coats
- 40ish minutes in between all coats(dry to touch)

I even had a friend accidentally take the Fusion through a touchless car wash and the Plastidip was unharmed to my surprise.

I spray my dip directly with a pressure washer all the time (on the Fusion) and I've had zero problems too.

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[TonyN]

The Fusion Sport wheels after a year.

 

[Jon|3.7]

I want to plastidip my deck lid v6 pony and would like suggestions on which spays to purchase preferably store bought and I purchased a black out pony gt grille and would like for it to match the gloss and not a matte finish,THANKS!

 

[CorryBasler]

Its only easy to peel if you want to take it off, it doesn't just come off from normal daily washing and wear.

You have to peel it on a corner just right to get it off most of the time if you applied it right. Its all in the application on how it will look and how easy it peels off.

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