Plasti Dip Chrome - Why Did They Give Us Chrome In The First Place!

[chris.doc85]

Has anyone been succesful with plasti dipping the chrome around the doors and windows?

I have had great success with the lower strips across the top of the door and it looks perfect and factory but ive been finding the rear quarter windows dont seem to work as well.... the coat and finish looks great but the plasti dip dosent seem to split aswell on this part due to the rubber seal on window being so tight against the glass and even trying to split with a stanley blade tugs at the rubber and ruins any good finish I have got.

Also the thin upper trim over the top of the doors went on great, peeled excess off without issue.
But due to the door lip at the top it seems to aggitate or damage the coating after a short period and then they just start peeling away.


I contact local body shop to price semi Matt black finish to be painted and he tells me even if he was to wet n dry the chrome down it wouldnt take to paint and bubble n peel over time :s surely this has to be wrong, ive seen so many on threads who have had this done and more than happy with the results.

One thread I seen reccomended anyone trying this upgrade to the chrome to use Duplic-Color chrome shadow paint - https://www.duplicolor.com/products/shadow/
If it does what is says on the tin then it could be a viable option instead of re-applying plasti dip regular.

Has anyone tried this stuff or anything similar? Or does anyone have a better method of doing upgrade without OEM parts to replace??

 

[A4_MaJiK]

Have you got any pictures of your plasti-dipped surrounds at all? Looking for similar solutions myself. Did come across some chrome 3M tape on eBay and that's about it.

 

[chris.doc85]

Yeah I seen that aswell, it's tempting me cause you then get to decide if you want Matt black or if carbon print could look the part? Seen a guy who done trim Matt black then carbon print on plastic pillar and corner piece, look subtle n very smart!

I'll get some pics taken tomorrow morning and get then up to show you the outcome, easy application and looks good, just dnt see it being a permanent solution.

 

[chris.doc85]

Took me pics this morning, just divers door lower sill to be done but the rest have been on for a week and you can see signs of wear from door seal and the rear quarter not plitting as it should between surfaces

 

[razza1]

Why not use vinyl wrap instead?

 

[T3nnant]

I was going to plasti dip mine but the rear windows are a ballache, for the exact reason you stated... the rubber is to tight to the window.
I bought some shadowline tape which is like electrical tape but thicker, probs 2inches wide, and I wrapped mine. looked good and still does from distance, but because there is nothing for it to stick to on the back of the trims, its started to lift so needs redone.

I also looked at taking them off and getting done properly, but that's a whole other challenge as a lot has to be removed.

The problem seems to be never ending, and its annoying. only thing I can think of is plasti dip but allow the paint to dry for 24-48 hours before even closing the doors as my grille (plasti dip) has hardened overtime.

 

[mattjarv]

I have had a bit of peel on my grille. It was perfect at first but just seemed to have bubbled in places. Is that also using the car too soon on a motorway (the next day) or maybe needing a heater on in the garage after spraying?

 

[ScottD3]

When you do the window rubbers, did you spray the dip on to the glass covering the rubber as well?

You want to remove the masking tape when the dip is still a bit taky, if you do it when its fully dry you will pull it off, when its still taky it will stick back down. Sort of healing.

Did you use a rattle can or spray gun?

 

[chris.doc85]

I used the Rattle can for mine. Ive not bought this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111453789...l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT#ht_999wt_1190 Great stuff, like T3nnant said its like electrical tape but thicker n better sticking.
Ive done all round one side of the car so far and it looks alot better than the rubber. Still had trouble with taking it round the curve on the rear quarter window so i cut it half way and then joined it up to a new length, dosent look to bad but again cause the rubber is so tight on the trim at this point you cant tuck it in behind the chrome so i will need to see how long it lasts.

Im going to look at doing the chrome round the grill on sunday if its dry, anyone got any tips on taking it round the curves as i dont want to have 4 joins in the corners, back window isnt to noticable but the grill i want to have a complete length.
Ive yet to get the Heat gun out, didnt need to resort to it for the windows as it went on so easily.

Any insight from experience would be appreciated. Ill upload pics of finished article soon as its completed.

Also got some 3M Carbon fiber vinyl to try on the Plastic pillar cover and back window corner piece, seen it done like that on a red rs4, looked smart. End of the day if it goes to boy racer ill just peel it off!

 

[T3nnant]

chris.doc85 I did the same as you have for the rear windows, I did a 90degreen join, cant tell at all only up close. problem imhaving is because you cant tuck in under the rubber, the water gets in and lifts it plus it wont stick underneath. but looks 100x better. as for the grille. I plasti dipped mine. just left it in place and put cardboard behind and sprayed it on the car.

 

[chris.doc85]

Trial an error i think, ive done the drivers side with tape and removed the plasti dip. Going to re-do the corner piece though, messed the corner up and its coming away a bit. Carbon fiber is looking mint though especially cause the whole panel comes off i was able to get wrap right in behind it and used hot air gun to manipulate the vinyl on the curves.

Anyone know how to remove the back door plastic corner piece?

 

[chris.doc85]

here are the pics......

 

[chris.doc85]

Tried to take off the plastic corner pieces as faded a bit and was going to wrap them carbon fiber aswell but took off plastic interior piece to see about fitting at back but I can't see anything to suggest I can remove it, please someone tell me I ain't going to have to remove door cards to get it off?!

 

[T3nnant]

which plastic piece, the chrome trim?

im led to believe you cant, apparently its riveted on

 

[chris.doc85]

Not the chrome, read up plenty in that and it seems to be near impossible without causing damage and a headache! Lol.
It's the black plastic triangle in the corner, want to get it off to properly wrap it with carbon fiber instead of cutting to the edges n hoping it dosent peel off

 

[T3nnant]

don't know if anyone knew...

I managed to do this other night, just by accident mind... happened while I was peeling the old tape off!. I haven't dared try the rest yuet but I imagine they are fitted like this.

 

[chris.doc85]

Nice one!! Is it worth a try?? I'm tempted to give it a go at the wkend, is the strip quite rigid or am I going to have to be careful not to bend it?

 

[T3nnant]

Nice one!! Is it worth a try?? I'm tempted to give it a go at the wkend, is the strip quite rigid or am I going to have to be careful not to bend it?

Well this came off pretty easy when I pulled the tape, and it snapped back in easy enough, just had to lift the rubber over it.
im not sure about the bits over the door, but I imagine the ones in the actual door are like this

 

[rawtor51]

I would just have it all vinyl wrapped, I tried plastidip, had it wrapped in the end.
Here's a pic of my A6.