Plastidip is a completely removable rubberised coating that can be applied to car bodies or wheels to protect them and give them a whole new look. Plastidip will also:

• Reduce water ingress
• Drastically change the appearance of your car
• Cost very little, compared to traditional painting
• Repair easily
• Can be applied with basic, cheap tools – suitable for all skill levels

First step, prepare the area you’re working in. Clean it, brush it down. If you’re indoors, great! But you can apply Plastidip outside no problem. We decided to go halfway in between, in a budget outdoor gazebo – as it was the middle of winter. Applying in cold weather will slow down the curing process, but seemed to have no adverse effects to our application

We used a strong traffic film remover to wash, scrub and really clean the Land Rover all over. You need to get into the nooks and crannies as Plastidip cannot stick to dirt, just like any paint. Leave the bodywork to dry fully, or dry using an air compressor.

You don’t have to do much masking with Plastidip, unlike conventional painting, however, a little masking is essential. Cover your brakes, wheels and transmission with dust sheets. We masked off the windscreen to cut down on clean-up time. You need to decide exactly what you want covering, if you don’t want it covering and it’s difficult to access that location to peel it off, mask it. This will also save on dip material. Also, make sure to block off the intercooler and radiator. We used a sheet of cardboard pushed up the inside of the front panel.

It is possible to spray Plastidip with a conventional spray set-up, however, for ease of application, we used an electric airless sprayer. You’ll often see the Plastidip team using these guns and so they come highly recommended. A Wagner W550 HVLP spray gun like this can be had for around £55, not too heavy an investment.

Here we’re laying down a mist coat first. This first layer needs to be light, with about 50% transparency. It allows the following layers to bond to the body and creates a tougher coating. When spraying, work methodically on each panel. Spraying panel per panel allows a quicker application, as one area can be drying whilst you’re painting another. Spray around 15cm away from the surface. A coat should be dry within 15-30 minutes, dependant on the weather and conditions.

You’ll want to build up around 4 – 5 layers or Plastidip, depending on the colour your applying and the original paint colour of the vehicle. In the end we applied 4 layers on our Defender. This is the perfect amount to get a strong, tough finish and still allow easy removal when you come to peeling off the Plastidip.

Whilst the last layer is curing, you can start clearing up the surrounding area. Make sure to look after your airless spray gun to make it last as long as possible. You can run the Xylene thinners through the gun to clear out internal components, then wipe down and store. Any drips or spillages can be cleaned with the thinners also.

Here comes the really fun part. Grab a razor blade or Stanley knife and make a very light score in the Plastidip, in an inconspicious area, just in case the dip material hasn’t fully flashed off. These score lines allow you to very simply peel off the material from anywhere you don’t want to remain the colour of the plastidip. In this case, we removed it from our windows, indicators, side lights, door handles and mirrors. If you’ve built up enough layers, it will peel off very easily. Again, thinners on a rag can clean off any overspray you may have that isn’t thick enough to peel.

Wait a few days before washing the vehicle to allow the dip material to fully cure and you’re done! No extra maintenance necessary.

Here you can see a close up of the finished coating. Looks very white and has a matte finish, though gloss top-coats are available.

Here’s an extreme close up of the final finish. Plastidip has a slightly rough texture.

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