So a friend and I have the necessary equipment to do a Plasti-Dip coating on - whatever. We had a gentlemen who offered to be the 'test' subject but backed out at the last minute. We want to try our hand at the trend so to speak. We're looking for one or two 914s in "good" to "excellent" exterior condition - the stuff won't stick to rust, but will stick to solid paint or gel-coat (fiberglass/CF).

For the cost of materials and a few pesos (or beer + red meat) we would like the opportunity to do your car. We're also looking for feedback on rates to charge for potential clients. The teener group would be a great way to get feedback.

Some info about "dip your car" or "plasti-dip"
http://www.dipyourcar.com/
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL871EB30BCEF4B3F3

Unlike other coatings it won't damage paint. Especially important for older lacquer or enamel-based paint jobs.

Again, we're looking to get into this and are hoping to do a few cars to 'showcase'. We'll be doing my buddy's 911 cabriolet once he gets the material. I'll also be doing my Cayman in white + black and hopefully soon a buddy's GSX-R in two-tone black/white + clear and my 2010 Vulcan. We need portfolio material!

Shoot me a PM here or e-mail through the board. We're looking for locals to SoCal/OC, maybe as far as LA/Riverside but we're not sure yet.

Will the 'mule' need to be stripped-down to just the bare shell? ... or will a rolling chassis be OK?

Decent paint is always good. This stuff is an exterior or top-coating. It doesn't adhere to dirt or rust, but will stick well to a clean/smooth surface. The "mule" car would need to be washed. I have plenty of the "adhesion promoter" (basically denatured alcohol) to help prep the surface.

3 gallons will coat a normal sized coupe. If you wished to be the test I can point you in the direction of where to buy and the color selections. If you want some complex color combinations things get more involved. I'm not the greatest at free-handing so templates or stencils will be needed. I would recommend clear on top if going with a multi-color look.

I've seen some really simple and also really cool stuff done. If you wanted, say, white with black "PORSCHE" lettering, I'm sure we could accommodate something like that. A more complex job in-line with Martini-Porsche decals and striping might be out of the question (for now).

what about bare metal?

Watch the video's, You would only need to mask Targa top, you don't even have to mask the tail lights.

I'd say no to bare metal, you would at least have to epoxy prime the car.

This is a fair weather treatment, it would not last a Canadian winter, but then you wouldn't want to drive your 914 in the winter anyways.

Agreed, not best on bare metal. At the least, a full coat of primer (fully cured). If you don't put something that seals or treats + seals the bare metal ugly rust will start to grow under whatever you put on.

I've watched about 20 youtubes on plastidip and these come to mind.

Is it always a flat finish? Are color selections limited? How do you get rid of the orange peal finish? How long does it last? What does it do to the original finish? How does it hold up at 80mph?

Most of all? Why not just use paint?

I'm on the fence with this one, but leaning towards not doing something like this.

Here's what I know so far:

1. It's not always a flat finish. The 'matte' colors are more popular but there is a 'glossy' clear version available.

2. Color selections aren't nearly as wide as real paint. You would have to find a color you liked.

3. Hopefully with consistent, smooth coats there won't be an "orange peel" effect. That typically is done on cars where the base coats don't get any smoothing or color-sanding done in-between thicker coats.

4. The coating lasts anywhere from 1-2 years, possibly longer with proper care.

5. It holds up well 80+ mph.

This is an alternative to Vinyl wrapping a car as most adhesives on the vinyl will eat through/damage the clear coat on your car, or eat into the top coat of paint. It allows for full color-changes or patterns/stenciled jobs to be done. Because it adheres to the paint (but does not penetrate it) you do not have to worry about damaging the exterior of your car/truck/motorcycle. Depending on how many coats/how thick you want to go, it adds a layer of protection to the paint to prevent rocks/chips/sand-blasting (over time).

And why go with this instead of a full paint job? To do a full paint job you must strip, prep, prime, prep, shoot a few coats, color-sand, shoot a few more, color-sand (rinse and repeat to completion). This is a straight spray-on coating not requiring hours upon hours of prep. It also costs significantly less than a complete repaint.

So... Brandon... You're driving a Cayman now? Got a good paying job? Good going kid!

Standard colors from the Plasti-Dip site

Click to view attachment


And their new fluorescent colors, for riced-Hondas wheels
Click to view attachment

Thanks Elliot Long time no chat. Had to sell my Carrera to get it, but no regrets. It's like a 914, but much faster and with one of the best suspension setups I've ever felt on a P-car. Chances are because it's not a 911 it will be considered a NARP in 10 years' time anyways.



I think the NEON green would be great with some contrasting black. Maybe the orange and white for cup-car colors. I dunno Blend up Yellow + Red for orange, choose the lighter blue and you can get GULF-PORSCHE colors