Introduction: Black Out for Your Car
Hate chrome? Me too! Black out the chrome safely & easily with plasti dip. you will need
-plasti dip spray in whatever color you want but we are "blacking out" so get the matte black at your home improvement store
- tweezers are handy but not necessary
- scrap sharp plastic is helpful
- painters tape or masking tape
- news paper or cardboard
side note: kids, if the car your wanting to plasti dip is your parents or not owned by you, ask permission. the dip is very easy to take off, but you still need permission.
-plasti dip spray in whatever color you want but we are "blacking out" so get the matte black at your home improvement store
- tweezers are handy but not necessary
- scrap sharp plastic is helpful
- painters tape or masking tape
- news paper or cardboard
side note: kids, if the car your wanting to plasti dip is your parents or not owned by you, ask permission. the dip is very easy to take off, but you still need permission.
Step 1: Clean the Area on the Car
clean and dry the area where you'll be working. You can clean the whole car or be lazy and just clean the spot and around the spot 6 inches. Make sure all dirt is off of the area and no dead bugs, you don't want any fossils or bumps. After said area is clean dry it with a lint free cloth or let it air dry.
Step 2: Prep Area for Blackening
I will show you two ways of taping off the area. the first way is the picture with the mini cooper symbol not the cooper letters. the first way is harder, more time consuming, and doesn't turn out as nice. you might as "why show me then?". I will show you because people have trouble with directions and think they will do it their own way, I'll take the fun out of it and show you its not your own way hahaha. taping completely around the symbol is time consuming and isn't easy at all. after spraying you will need to pull the tape away while style slightly wet and it is likely to mess it up. if you wait till its dry it will rip the edges and give you awful lines. so I'll skip to the second way.
the second way of prepping is to tape a box around the desired blacked out spot. the plasti dip is easy to use because it will peal right off if you don't like it or just cleaning up excess. so when you tape a box around it you want to leave an inch and a half to give you something to hold on to.
make sure you cover the surrounding area. I used cardboard but most people use news paper. tape off the corners and edges. the plasti dip will come off easily.... if there is enough to stick together. the cast off spray will be a little harder to clean off but its still removable with some rubbing.
the second way of prepping is to tape a box around the desired blacked out spot. the plasti dip is easy to use because it will peal right off if you don't like it or just cleaning up excess. so when you tape a box around it you want to leave an inch and a half to give you something to hold on to.
make sure you cover the surrounding area. I used cardboard but most people use news paper. tape off the corners and edges. the plasti dip will come off easily.... if there is enough to stick together. the cast off spray will be a little harder to clean off but its still removable with some rubbing.
Step 3: Spraying the Plasti Dip
I didn't get any pictures of me spraying the dip, that would have been difficult and might have messed up the process.
shake can to mix the dip inside. spray about 8 inches away and spray in sweeping paths stopping after each stroke. you don't want to sit in one spot too long because the dip will build up and run. it'll look bad so just don't. you will need 3 or 4 coats with 10 to 15 min of dry time in between coats. the first coat is going to be a light coat, you won't make it completely black with this coat. you'll just be getting about 50% coverage. second coat will be covering all of it. make sure you get along your tape edges so it will be easy to remove later. third and forth coats will be at different angles getting into the letters or the sides of the symbols. be sure to get a nice amount along the tape again.
shake can to mix the dip inside. spray about 8 inches away and spray in sweeping paths stopping after each stroke. you don't want to sit in one spot too long because the dip will build up and run. it'll look bad so just don't. you will need 3 or 4 coats with 10 to 15 min of dry time in between coats. the first coat is going to be a light coat, you won't make it completely black with this coat. you'll just be getting about 50% coverage. second coat will be covering all of it. make sure you get along your tape edges so it will be easy to remove later. third and forth coats will be at different angles getting into the letters or the sides of the symbols. be sure to get a nice amount along the tape again.
Step 4: Removing the Excess on the Edges and in the Holes.
don't freak out because of the excess. it'll come off nice and easy if you followed my instructions and built up along the tape. pull your tape off and it should give you some corners to grab if the extra dip doesn't just come off with the tape. be sure to pull softly away from the letter and lifting. more lift than away. if the dip doesn't give you an edge when u remove the tape you might need to let it dry more or you might have been to skimpy on the edges. shame on you. either way just roll it with your fingers and get an edge. be easy when pulling off the excess. a pair of tweezers and a piece of thin plastic will be handy to get in the tight spaces. you can use a flat head screw driver but you might scratch your car so I used plastic. you can scratch at the plasti dip inside the letters until you have an edge to grab with the tweezers. pull carefully so you don't mess up the edges of the letters or symbol and so you don't have to get a new spot to clamp on to with the tweezers if it rips off.
Step 5: Extra Notes and Finished Product
it is easier if you have lots of light and spray on thick. I will spray the rims later. give it plenty of time to dry. if you like a more shiny finish plasti dip makes a gloss you can spray on after. if you desire a different color you can find more colors online than you'll find at the home improvement store. this project took me an hour total time for both pieces.
Step 6: UPDATE: the Grille and Stripes!
The stripes
the stripes were worn out and fading, looking pretty rough up close. when covering up stripes or adding stripes its very important to pull your tape off WHILE THE LAST COAT IS WET. if you don't you'll have the stripe come up with the tape or leave pulled up edges. when covering up make sure you can see all of the old stripe so you'll be sure its covered completely when your tape comes off.
The Grille
first step, figure out if you want to put something behind your grille so you don't get plasti dip in the radiator or just take the grille off and spray it without having to tape. I recommend taking the grille off however you risk breaking the clips, up to you ( you know your own skill level). note- if you get plasti dip in the radiator your car might have trouble cooling down, also do not try to brush it off with your hands!!!!! I'll say it again- Don't brush it off with your hands, the metal on the radiator is razor sharp and you'll have cute little cuts that hurt, nobody wants to see you cry. be sure when re installing the grille that is is completely dry. I waited over night so I was certain.
Door handles
same as taping off a box around it and you can peel off excess. however making sure you get all angles of the handle is important. Also (see picture above) be sure to cover key holes! you risk having the dip go in the key hole and making the lock malfunction or troublesome. so what I did was folded up a piece and inserted it in the hole until I finished spraying the last coat. I pulled the tape out while still wet so it didn't pull up the edges.
the stripes were worn out and fading, looking pretty rough up close. when covering up stripes or adding stripes its very important to pull your tape off WHILE THE LAST COAT IS WET. if you don't you'll have the stripe come up with the tape or leave pulled up edges. when covering up make sure you can see all of the old stripe so you'll be sure its covered completely when your tape comes off.
The Grille
first step, figure out if you want to put something behind your grille so you don't get plasti dip in the radiator or just take the grille off and spray it without having to tape. I recommend taking the grille off however you risk breaking the clips, up to you ( you know your own skill level). note- if you get plasti dip in the radiator your car might have trouble cooling down, also do not try to brush it off with your hands!!!!! I'll say it again- Don't brush it off with your hands, the metal on the radiator is razor sharp and you'll have cute little cuts that hurt, nobody wants to see you cry. be sure when re installing the grille that is is completely dry. I waited over night so I was certain.
Door handles
same as taping off a box around it and you can peel off excess. however making sure you get all angles of the handle is important. Also (see picture above) be sure to cover key holes! you risk having the dip go in the key hole and making the lock malfunction or troublesome. so what I did was folded up a piece and inserted it in the hole until I finished spraying the last coat. I pulled the tape out while still wet so it didn't pull up the edges.