[EatsRainbows]

Hey guys,

i'm planning on plasti-dipping my front upper and lower mesh grills which came with my car to make them completely black.

My question is, has anyone done this before?
Can someone maybe give me some tips on how to do this and where should i buy the plasti-dip from?
Thanks in advance

Here are some pictures of the mesh:

[dmatre]

Buy it at Home Depot.


Remove the grilles from the car to spray them.

I'd rough up the metal and spray a coat of primer first.

[EatsRainbows]

aight, thanks ! will buy the plasti-dip today and probably spray the grilles tomorrow.

about 2 cans should be enough?

[Turb0Surge]

Buy oem upper grilles. The chrome mesh upper grille looks like it belongs on a cadillac.

[EatsRainbows]

Originally Posted by Turb0Surge

Buy oem upper grilles. The chrome mesh upper grille looks like it belongs on a cadillac.

Well, that's your opinion and I can still do that if I dont like the outcome.

[ef11]

Originally Posted by Turb0Surge

Buy oem upper grilles. The chrome mesh upper grille looks like it belongs on a cadillac.

I'm going to have to agree with this...they look weird from up close to me. Maybe from farther away (a more normal look) it would look better.

Anyway, I have an M-Sport and wanted to paint the dull black grills gloss. Has anyone done this? I feel like it would look so much better.

[EatsRainbows]

thats how it looks from a bit further away

[Sethism]

Step 1. buy Dip.
Step 2. Remove grills
Step 3. Spray grilles with Dip
Step 4- reinstall grilles.

Some people act like plastidipping is some kind of delicate art. It's the easiest material to work with, ever. And even if you somehow manage to screw up, you just peel it off and try again.

[Turb0Surge]

Meh. Even from farther away it looks tacky. But again, that's just me.

[iBoost]

Originally Posted by dmatre

Buy it at Home Depot.


Remove the grilles from the car to spray them.

I'd rough up the metal and spray a coat of primer first.

this defeats the purpose of plasti dip lol

just clean them and spray away

[EatsRainbows]

Originally Posted by Sethism

Step 1. buy Dip.
Step 2. Remove grills
Step 3. Spray grilles with Dip
Step 4- reinstall grilles.

Some people act like plastidipping is some kind of delicate art. It's the easiest material to work with, ever. And even if you somehow manage to screw up, you just peel it off and try again.

sorry, but i've never worked with it and just wanted to see if you guys might have some tips for me..

will keep you updated. Will also make pics along the way.

laters.

[Ntn125]

Go with the liquid plasti-dip than spray! For those mesh grill, it will do a better job of covering and coating small openings. Pretty easy to do, just dip it and make sure you have all surfaces dipped and covered, then let it dry. Good luck!

[Greatdane84]

Good luck. Spray don't dip

Won't a dip possibly clog parts up? I just don't see that not being a disaster

[Sethism]

Originally Posted by Ntn125

Go with the liquid plasti-dip than spray! For those mesh grill, it will do a better job of covering and coating small openings. Pretty easy to do, just dip it and make sure you have all surfaces dipped and covered, then let it dry. Good luck!

You have never used dip, have you? Just give it a few good coats. The Dip does all the work.

[Ntn125]

Used both my friend, small openings like the OP mesh grill dip works better and does great job of coating around/between the wires with an even coat. Flat open surfaces, spray is the better. Either way, both are pretty easy to do.

[Meeni]

Whatever you do, do not spray plastidip on your radiator .

I did my grill, it is easy to do. There is a DIY in the according section that explains how to remove the grills without damage.

[EatsRainbows]

already bought the spray-can.. :/
how would you even dip such a large object? i think i should be fine with the spray.

[blacknbean]

i just did this last week with the oem lower grills. used about 3/4th of a can to give it 4 coats and then 1 coat on the back side incase i missed any spots. turned out great. i did remove the grills from the bumper before painting.

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[N0Chill 335i]

I sand down the metal with sand paper, then prime, then plastidip, then put a coat of black pearl, then put a few coats of clear coat on. I don't like the faded rubbery color of plastidip by itself. I've done this on my grills and diffuser on my previous 2 cars. Will probably do the same on my 335i once I pick it up on Wednesday.

[Ntn125]

Originally Posted by EatsRainbows

already bought the spray-can.. :/
how would you even dip such a large object? i think i should be fine with the spray.

I use a shallow tray for liquid plasti-dip. No worries, spray will work. Best to remove grills, clean, dry completely, then spray. Do it at room temp, cold temp tends to cause more tiny bubbles formations since its harder for it to smooth itself out. Couple of coats will do and also spray back side to help it from peeling off. Have fun, it's pretty easy and I'll bet you'll be happy with the results!

[alexwhittemore]

Originally Posted by DeMerrisK

I sand down the metal with sand paper, then prime, then plastidip, then put a coat of black pearl, then put a few coats of clear coat on. I don't like the faded rubbery color of plastidip by itself. I've done this on my grills and diffuser on my previous 2 cars. Will probably do the same on my 335i once I pick it up on Wednesday.

If you're just going to sandwich the plastidip between layers of permanent paint, what is the point of using it at all? You'll just make the top coats more prone to chipping.