Anyone Plastidip their Grill?

[_04runner_]

I have a White 04' limited, I was thinking about either plastidipping the rims or the grill (or maybe both). I'm not crazy about plastidipping the rims because I think they are fairly attractive stock. But I figure plastidipping the grill might look nice. If anyone has done it or if you have opinions drop em' below!

 

[85RedRunner]

Plasti dip looks so terrible. Paint it.

 

[TeamLord]

We have never dealt with plastidip. Some of the trucks on here look great with it, some don't. Does it hold up better than paint? What's the benefit?

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

Disclaimer: I'm a loathsome, offensive brute.

In the name of cleanliness, I don't think a black grille would look good on a white 4th gen 4Runner. Sounds tacky. If you had badly faded cladding or something, there's something to plastidip. Maybe if the grille is offset by other black items, like a black steel bumper, it would fit better. Otherwise, it looks like a void from afar... a lack of style, if you will. Hence why black wheels can be so overrated, almost any ugly wheel looks better in black because you can't see them until you're close. I have black wheels on one of my trucks because it's harder to notice there's only 3 matching wheels that way.

Plastidipping random items reminds me of something you'd find on a ricer's Honda, they often like changing the color of the gas door for whatever reason. Black hoods should die a horrible death. Cue whatever loser says "If they like it then that's all that matters."

Sick gas door, bro... There's better things to use plastidip for, IMO. Black badges on a white 4Runner would be a good use.

 

[shanep4db]

My '04 Limited is Plasti-Dipped. I think it looks pretty good and it's held up really well so far. ~6 months.

 

[wadle5]

I did it to my grille, badges, and door handles. just didn't like how the chrome looked on Navy blue. I did this probably after a few months of owning it, and I can say it still has held up great. While some say it is for looks, it also does serve a purpose for people who want to maybe protect the underlying finish from sun fading/rock chips, etc. I also after installing my lightbar did some on my hood to reduce the glare from the output of the light bar.


Pictures are in my build thread if interested

 

[Animal52]

It all depends on where you live in terms of how it holds up. I live in NY. So during the winter, it doesn't hold up well (salt, snow, grime and dirt, etc.) During the summer months is holds up well. Especially on the areas that are farther from the road. Wheels for example would Crack and chip faster.
The amount of coats you apply also play a part. First coat should always be very light, as if you barely applied it at all. From the second coat on, it should cover it well. And there is no such thing as too many coats. A minimum of 4 or 5 coats is recommended, I went with 8 coats on the wheels of my last car. Held up well during the summer. Not so much in the winter.

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[Animal52]

With that said, I'd recommend powder coating. More expensive and you can't undo it, but looks better, last longer and adds protection to those parts

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[blakem5]

I plasti dipped my badges and wanted to try the grill, I have the dark blue 4th gen and it looked okay. But I just peeled the dip off the grill and left it on the embalms and it looks so much better now. If you do not have 3m on the front it is easy to take off, but i have it and it took a hour longer than it needed to be.

 

[ThorInc]

I did the original grille on my 3rd gen two years ago with at least 5 coats.......still holding up. One caveat, certain types of rustproofing, if left on the plastidip for any length of time can and will cause it to lift. I have used it on my winter rims going on 2 1/2 years without issue.

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[JeRunnerMo]

Not white but you get the idea. Plastidip with some metalizer.

 

[Mistaken]

Plasti Dip, when applied correctly, looks great. Most people ask where I got the black emblems or what shop painted them. As with most things, taking your time and doing it right is all the difference.

 

[sam.basye]

I know it isn't a 4th gen, but I sprayed my wheels and grill with Plasti Dip - Anthracite Gray Metallic with Clear Plasti Dip on top. The Toyota emblem is sprayed black with spray paint.

I'm surprised how durable the wheel coating has held up.

Been on for about 9 months.

 

[PWD4R]

To anyone that thinks plastidip looks bad then you either don't like flat colors or the color scheme or you've seen bad jobs. Most people just put about 3-4 coats on it and call it good when it's not. It takes practice and you need about 6-7 coats and it's very durable. That will also help it peel off in one chunk when you're done with it. It's not permanent but can be if you like it and it's done correctly. Obviously your first plastidip job shouldn't be huge areas but you'll learn and get much better. It's like priming and painting: it takes practice to make it even.

 

[Mistaken]

I know it isn't a 4th gen, but I sprayed my wheels and grill with Plasti Dip - Anthracite Gray Metallic with Clear Plasti Dip on top. The Toyota emblem is sprayed black with spray paint.

I'm surprised how durable the wheel coating has held up.

Been on for about 9 months.

Looks good!

To anyone that thinks plastidip looks bad then you either don't like flat colors or the color scheme or you've seen bad jobs. Most people just put about 3-4 coats on it and call it good when it's not. It takes practice and you need about 6-7 coats and it's very durable. That will also help it peel off in one chunk when you're done with it. It's not permanent but can be if you like it and it's done correctly. Obviously your first plastidip job shouldn't be huge areas but you'll learn and get much better. It's like priming and painting: it takes practice to make it even.

Word. I had a buddy who started to dip his emblems on his car, got scared and decided to peel it off after 2 coats or so... took him about 2 hours and he was super mad. I told him if he just finished it and did the 6+ coats I told him, he could have peeled it off in a clean swoop. Lesson learned: don't get scared.

 

[MaYheM97]

Plastidip is cool if you wanna do it as a temp thing. I went ahead and painted after I peeled off the plastidip. Cool thing with it is that you can try it out and if you dont like it, then just remove it.