So here it goes,
Running a 2008 Dakota SLT
My truck was recently in a wreck, whole rear end is being replaced.
Ordered all the parts, also ordered in fender flares, new exhaust, 2in leveling kit, and a few other parts.

I sent the front and rear bumpers and running boards to line X to get done, the plan now is to black plasti dip the rest of the truck.

I know you can just clean the truck and spray it on, but I'm wanting this to last quite some time, I was thinking of sand blasting the whole truck and starting fresh, but would I have to re prime the whole truck after or would plasti dip stick well to the steel?
Also could I sand blast the stock Dakota 18" rims to spray to those?

After its all done I plan to matte clear coat over the dip.

Any advice would be welcome.

 

If you're planning on clear coating it, I think you'd be better off with paint than Plasti-Dip. All you would need to do in order to prep for paint would be to sand the existing paint. You wouldn't want to sandblast it because it would be too rough.

 

plasti dip doesnt really protect that great. it chips pretty easy even with 7-10 coats.

Also, when I plasti-dipped my eclipse, it was more than a pain in the *** to wash. the wrong soap and your going to have a gray truck.

If I were to do it again, I would plasti dip, then get a decent enamel clear to go over top of it.

 

Yeah ill definitely be putting a coat over the dip when done, so because my new body panels are coming just primed, would it be beneficial to sand off the clear coat and scratch up the rest of the truck before doing this? First time vehicle painter I usually just stay under the hood.

 

I painted that eclipse over the factory paint and clear. I used some dawn dish soap to take all the wax off, and sprayed the dip right over. Plastidip is rubbery, and it sticks to just about anything. I wouldnt scuff up the panels out of fear of not sticking.

 

Plasti-dip was targeted for temporary protection rather than durability. Years ago, I worked in a sawmill and all the blades that were sharpened were dipped into a small barrel of Plasti-dip - this kept that edge from oxidizing and loosing some of it's sharpness, but it was also soft enough that you didn't need to remove it before using the blades (planer, saw, etc.) - the dip flew off on the start of the first cut without leaving much of a mark on the wood. I've seen some people use it to protect expensive rims from salt etc., and then blow it off with a pressure washer, so I can't think of how this could provide a good looking long time finish for a car. Also, I don't believe you'll be able to coat Plasti-dip with anything without destroying the look of the Plasti-dip. I would recommend trying it on a tin can or something you don't care about & see how the dip and a coating will react & how durable they will be.

 

There is a entire site for Plasti-Dipping Cars now (Site that sells kits for it), Even demos of them using High Pressure washer on them with not adverse affects.

But I thought the same thing, Im thinking of Plasti-Dipping or Using Bed liner on my entire truck if I can find another Bed, but only if it is not black aswell.

https://www.dipyourcar.com/

Video

 

don't sandblast..plastidip is supposed to be removable and temporary if need be. that way you can remove it and sell the truck as it was. plus if you just spray it on the paint, think of how much money you save

 

Just remember, the Beer budget stays the same.

The site I posted has a Kit, includes a electric sprayer aswell, for faster application, And I believe per-diluted plasti-dip for the sprayer.

 

Ok, here's what I don't understand. What exactly is the appeal of the Plasti-Dip over regular paint? I'm guessing it's the rubbery feel and the matte finish. But if you clear coat it, both of those are gone and you essentially have black paint. So why not just use matte black paint? I'm sure it would be more durable, too.