I bought a sprayer specifically designed for Plastidip. I would imagine as long as you take time to calibrate your sprayer and get the density right on the dip, you would be fine.
However, I would email the support team at Dipyourcar.com for better answers. Their customer service is amazing and always answer promptly.
Additionally, tell them you have a Fiero you would like to Dip, and they can calculate how much dip you will need
I dont know if a regular spray gun will spray it...it looks awfully thick. The guy next door does whole cars as part of his business and he uses a Wagner Power Painter. Pretty sure you need a pressure cup type paintgun to do it.
I am trying to decide if I should use plasti dip or the duplicolor spray paint from the parts store. I have the hvlp spray gun kit from harbor freight that has the gun and compressor all together. I am only going to paint the upper part of the car, the black paint on the bottom of the car is good. I am not sure which product would be best for a diy job and someone without much experience in painting a car. The drawback to the plast dip is I guess its a temporary finish and colors are limited.
I am trying to decide if I should use plasti dip or the duplicolor spray paint from the parts store. I have the hvlp spray gun kit from harbor freight that has the gun and compressor all together. I am only going to paint the upper part of the car, the black paint on the bottom of the car is good. I am not sure which product would be best for a diy job and someone without much experience in painting a car. The drawback to the plast dip is I guess its a temporary finish and colors are limited.
There are tons of colors for plastidip, not as many as traditional paint, but there are still a lot of choices.
Its not necessarily "temporary," but it is removable. I have had plastidip on my daily driver for two years, it still looks brand new. Plastidip is rated for 7 years, and will stay on any surface for as long as you leave it on.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/543528248752500051 I love it! Both my cars are dipped and it's tougher and better than paint. Provided you like a matte finish. 87 GT Fast back. Much like the one above, but with different rims and blacked out markers and tail lights.
[This message has been edited by Fishogs 84 (edited 09-12-2014).]
I've Plasti dipped a few cars including my Fiero. I'd recommend to anyone that wants to try it!!! Easy to apply and take off. I used the Earls sprayer.
I have never seen a plasti dip car that looks good up close. Some of the guys at work dipped their cars and while it looks ok from a good distance, so does my damaged Fiero original paint...Once you get close you see everything that's wrong with it.
If anyone can show how to make it look great, I would consider trying it out until I am able to get a nice paint job.
I love it! Both my cars are dipped and it's tougher and better than paint.
I like the stuff too... but don't over state it. It is neither tougher nor better than real paint. It is simply another option, one that is relatively cheap and easy to remove/fix, while looking quite good, if done correctly.
---
Stop judging the best possible outcome with Plasti-dip by what your clueless neighbor did in the garage with six cans of black they bought at Home Depot, like any kind of sprayable coating, you can screw it up.
You still need to prep the surfaces, you still need to prevent runs, you still need to apply it fairly evenly... you can't just spray it over clear rot and expect magic. The stuff hides NOTHING, well, except color. It doesn't fill cracks or chips.
[This message has been edited by carbon (edited 09-15-2014).]
My other option is the duplicolor paint from the parts store. It's actually cheaper than the plasti-dip and I know for sure I can use my sprayer to apply it. Dip your car tells me I need a gallon of red and a galloon of gun metal grey as a primer coat which puts just the plasti-dip at over $130, not counting any other supplies like the pre dip spray they recommend. The duplicolor is only $25 per quart and it covers more area and so many coats aren't needed. Dip your car recommends 4 coats so I guess it takes a lot of product. I saw an Audi TT that was dipped while I was driving, it was a rust/orange color that I thought looked good from a distance. I probably should wait on my decision until I see a dipped car up close to see if I like it.
All the plastic dip cars ive seen are flat. I know they have a gloss clear, but never seen it on a car.
Your gun with its own compressor wont do a good paint job with regular paints. It will end up streaky with lots of dull spots.
The Duplicolor paint is lacquer automotive paint. Its pretty easy to spray and easily fixed if you screw it up. It dries in just a few minutes, so you can unmask and drive it an hour later, even in the rain. You cant put it on in the sun. You can definately get a show quality job with it with a little practice and elbow grease...it does need to be sanded and buffed after being sprayed. Another plus is its already premixed, so you only need to buy the cans of paint. It is pretty limited in colors though.
Duplicolor has a burnt orange color I was considering using. So Roger you don't think my Harbor Freight hvlp sprayer with the compressor that looks kinda like a vacuum cleaner will work okay with the duplicolor? I don't have a place to put a large compressor plus they are fairly pricey. Have you ever seen a plasti dip job close up that looked okay? t
No, I dont think it will do even a mediocre job. You need more pressure and volume than those can put out. They are barely better than using spray cans. They are fine for hobbyists and homw woodworking jobs. you cant even do a decent job with a 2hp compressor like you get at Sears or Home Depot. You really need something that puts out more than 12-15 cfms. More like 16-20 cfm is desirable. The ones ive seen next door look ok from 10 feet, but start to fall when you look closer.
Listen to Roger and save yourself some headaches and $$$. Being in Florida with the humidity, you would also probably need an air dryer on a good compressor to guarantee a good finish. It seems that in auto painting you actually get the finish you are willing to pay for. Very few short cuts, especially for non-professionals.
I was able to get my hands on the kind of setup Roger is talking about with an air dryer for $600 but it was pure luck. (Atlas Copco 80 Gal 20CFM oilless "medical grade compressor")
*EDIT I have found that it is usually cheaper to make a wise larger investment upfront if at all possible. Do what you have to do, then sell the equipment if you no longer need it. If you buy the cheaper stuff it is a pure expense because no one wants to give you anything for it used. Just my thoughts!
[This message has been edited by hcforde (edited 09-17-2014).]
Ik I'm a little late but I just thought I'd share my two cents. Over the summer I wanted to fix up the chipping stock paint job but didn't have the money to do it professionally. I spent a total of a little under $100 to repaint the hood and trunk, and put some racing stripes on just for fun. I used spray can Rustoleum acrylic enamel ($6 per can) and generic spray can black primer ($3 per can), some masking tape, some plastic garbage bags, and a bit of time and patience. It only cost more than fifty cuz I put the second and final coat on the hood when the tarp blew over on it and I had to start over... anyway it's not perfect when you're up close and critical since the gray stripe paint bled through the masking tape slightly but it's plenty good enough for a <$100 diy job.
You have to use the proper type tape for clean edges on stripes. Prob didnt help if you put it on very wet. Regular masking tape wont work for sharp lines at all. Doing 2 tones and stripes with dip, the guy next door says you have to use a razor blade to cut along the edge before pulling the tape or it peels at the edges.
