For any auto enthusiast, their car is a key part of their lives.
Any car owner wants their vehicle to look good, and maintaining the color of your vehicle’s coat is a key part of this.
There are lots of different products available to cover scratches, prevent damage, and maintain the shine of your vehicle’s paintwork.
Plasti dip is one of these products, and it is a brand that you likely will have heard of. But what exactly is plasti dip?
And once used, how long will it last on your vehicle? If you want the answers to these questions and more, read on.
What is Plasti Dip and how does it work?
As we’ve already mentioned, Plasti dip is a product that works on the paint coat of your vehicle. A common misconception is that Plasti dip is the name of a product, but this is not true.
Plasti Dip is the name of a manufacturer that produces a variety of different products for the paintwork of your vehicle. Plasti Dip manufactures a variety of products for modification and customization of your vehicle, producing their formula in over 50 different colors including a make your own color option.
We know that Plasti Dip is a product that can be used to customize the paintwork of your car, in a variety of different spray options. The formula itself is an air-dried rubber coat, and Plasti Dip was one of the first companies to manufacture this.
According to their history, Plasti Dip was the original company to manufacture this peelable and durable PVC paint coating for vehicles.
Plasti Dip primarily works to protect the paint-coated parts of your vehicle from moisture, abrasion, corrosion, and acids. Despite coming in a spray bottle, Plasti Dip forms a stretchy and flexible material which is designed to provide a comfortable grip.
It is designed to withstand the impact of extreme weather conditions and is proven not to crack in extreme temperatures from -30 degrees up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Even though it is designed to be durable and withstand damage when you decide you want to remove the Plasti Dip it can be easily peeled off of most surfaces with no trace it was there. So now that we’ve established exactly what Plasti Dip is, let’s take a look at how long it lasts.
How long does Plasti Dip last?
A coat of Plasti Dip can be a quick and easy way to transform the color of your vehicle or add your own customizations to its design at a reduced cost.
Whether you’re just looking to restore the paintwork in a problem area of your car’s color, or you want a complete change, you’ll want to know how long the Plasti Dip will last before you complete the transformation.
The last thing you want is for the paint to start chipping away when you least expect it.
But the fact is, there’s no clear answer to how long Plasti Dip lasts. There are a variety of different factors that impact the lifetime of the coating which makes it impossible to give one straight answer.
But on average, if applied correctly, Plasti Dip should last for 3 years without any urgent touch-ups needed. The key to this life lies in the application process of the Plasti Dip.
This includes spraying the paint from the specified distance, preparing the area before you start spraying, and following the instructions provided down to the letter.
Another factor that impacts the lifetime of the Plasti Dip is the area in which you are applying it. More than likely, you will want to apply the Plasti Dip to the chassis of your vehicle.
This is where the majority of paintwork lies, and it makes up the majority of the vehicle so the application of Plasti Dip here will last the standard 3 years.
However, you may also be tempted to apply Plasti Dip to the wheels or hubcaps of your vehicle. Of all the areas of your car, the wheels are exposed to the most damage.
They are the part of the vehicle that is exposed to snow and ice, and gravel and dirt, so it’s unsurprising that Plasti Dip will not last as long when applied here.
Despite being able to resist the heat generated through fiction, the level of exposure the tires encounter means Plasti Dip will only last approximately 18 months to 2 years when applied to the tires.
Signs your Plasti Dip is wearing
As Plasti Dip is not a part that is essential to the operation of your engine, you will not receive any notifications that the paint coating is wearing. Instead, you will be able to see that the Plasti Dip is wearing and needs repairing easily with your own eyes.
Just as the standard paintwork of your vehicle sustains damage through wear and tear, and dirt from the road, the Plasti Dip coating of your vehicle will also likely sustain the same damage.
Despite its 3 year lifetime, loose pieces of gravel from the road’s surface can chip at the Plasti Dip coating of your vehicle. As the years pass by since you applied the Plasti Dip coat, you will probably start to see chips and tears appear within the stretchy coating. This is a common sign that your Plasti Dip needs replacing.
As we’ve already mentioned, the key to longevity in your Plasti Dip’s lifetime is the application process. The layer of paint you apply must be thick enough to last. This can be a difficult process, especially when you are first using the product.
On your first application of Plasti Dip, you may observe tears in the paint coating long before you’re supposed to. This is likely because the coat you applied was not thick enough.
If you want to avoid this, the company actually recommends applying up to 5 coats of the paint to increase the durability of the coat.
Summary
So in short, a Plasti Dip paint coating will usually last around 3 years if applied to the body of your vehicle, and up to 2 years if applied to the car’s wheels.
The first, and most common, signs of wear will be tearing or chipping to the paint’s coating, and to avoid this you should apply multiple coats to increase the durability of the Plasti Dip.
