Plasti Dip vs Powdercoating Options

[M4ddoX]

The clear coat on my wheels have started to fad on the inside and I want to clean them up. I have seen all the videos of plasti coat and it looks good and I can replicate the colours I might want (either dark bronze or gunmetal) pretty easily and I can remove it if I dont like it but I want to see if anyone has experience with it. People have suggested to powder coat them but thats about 300-400 nzd (250-350 usd roughly). I have also heard peoples stories about powder coated wheels getting weaker in the baking process. Has anyone done either and could offer their experience with either or even suggest a better option.

[Kaiser]

PlastiDip I've heard different things about, but I suppose it's the better option if you aren't sure about color, considering it definitely won't last forever. But then again, if you do decide on which color you want and you're pretty confident about it, maybe it would be better to go with powder coating because it's more permanent.

My wheels are powder coated and before I got them done I asked a similar question. Overwhelmingly, it was suggested to go through with the powder coating. If you can pick a color that you think you'll be comfortable with for a long time and you don't plan on ditching your rims anytime soon, go for it. Anything you've read about powder coating ruining the structure of the wheels is BS from what I've found. A lot of people choose to get their wheels powder coated because it stands better against the elements and lasts longer than most other options; if there was such a risk of your rims falling apart I doubt it would be so popular. Get it done right and they'll turn out fine. I personally have had absolutely no issues with my wheels and I love them. So go for what you think would best suit your situation.

[Box]

Spray them with enamel paint, they actually make enamel just for wheels. Would look better and last longer than RiceyDip. I'd only powder-coat if it's a wheel and colour you're going to like for a long time.

[rentaspace]

If they're your only options then use the Powder Coat.

Plasti-Dip, as stated, is not permanent, and is for finding out what colour you like. I have only ever seen a few cars with dipped wheels that looked good (Timmyface).

If you cannot choose and keep a colour however, powder coating is not your best option.

[cyberblader1130]

If you want to stay with a color, powder coat them once and be done. If you want to test the looks, then you should plasti dip until you find a color you like and then powder coat. I've never heard of a rim weakening due to the powder coating process, they don't heat the wheels enough to change the molecules of the alloy.

[rentaspace]

If you want to stay with a color, powder coat them once and be done. If you want to test the looks, then you should plasti dip until you find a color you like and then powder coat. I've never heard of a rim weakening due to the powder coating process, they don't heat the wheels enough to change the molecules of the alloy.

The few cases I have heard of would of been manufacturing defects in the actual wheel. There is a shop around me that refuses to powdercoat wheels because this happened to them and the owner of the wheels tried to sue them for damages.
They won the battle in the end, but now they will not powdercoat rims... as a shame since they did a great job too...

[Kaiser]

If you want to stay with a color, powder coat them once and be done. If you want to test the looks, then you should plasti dip until you find a color you like and then powder coat. I've never heard of a rim weakening due to the powder coating process, they don't heat the wheels enough to change the molecules of the alloy.

The few cases I have heard of would of been manufacturing defects in the actual wheel. There is a shop around me that refuses to powdercoat wheels because this happened to them and the owner of the wheels tried to sue them for damages.
They won the battle in the end, but now they will not powdercoat rims... as a shame since they did a great job too...

That is a shame, indeed. I know I remember reading about powder coating and that was what made me afraid to do it. Every so often one person would make a statement like that, that it was dangerous to alloys - though nobody who said that ever actually came up with legitimate proof that it was a real risk. I agree that unless there was some other factor interfering with the wheels beforehand, there's no way powder coating would ruin them like that. From all the forums I've seen, the reviews on powder coated wheels (when done correctly) are overwhelmingly positive.

[ILoveMySilly97]

Just a FYI. Plastidip is a b*tch to take off. The previous owner of my bros Xxr Banana wheels had plastidipped them and he sat there peeling lil by lil because everytime he pulled a piece. Especially the area where its hard to reach with your fingers like where the lugs are. My bro eventually gave up and is going to take it into a shop and get powdered coated. If you were to go through with plastidio then I'd recommend you to apply multiple coats. The thicker it is. The easier it'll be to peel off.

[ILoveMySilly97]

Just a FYI. Plastidip is a b*tch to take off. The previous owner of my bros Xxr Banana wheels had plastidipped them and he sat there peeling lil by lil because everytime he pulled a piece. Especially the area where its hard to reach with your fingers like where the lugs are. My bro eventually gave up and is going to take it into a shop and get powdered coated. If you were to go through with plastidio then I'd recommend you to apply multiple coats. The thicker it is. The easier it'll be to peel off.

[cyberblader1130]

Just a FYI. Plastidip is a b*tch to take off. The previous owner of my bros Xxr Banana wheels had plastidipped them and he sat there peeling lil by lil because everytime he pulled a piece. Especially the area where its hard to reach with your fingers like where the lugs are. My bro eventually gave up and is going to take it into a shop and get powdered coated. If you were to go through with plastidio then I'd recommend you to apply multiple coats. The thicker it is. The easier it'll be to peel off.

Also, the more coats you apply the more curbrash you can cover up! I did 6-7 coats on my OEM alloys and it turned out pretty good.

[smkr3w]

Just a FYI. Plastidip is a b*tch to take off. The previous owner of my bros Xxr Banana wheels had plastidipped them and he sat there peeling lil by lil because everytime he pulled a piece. Especially the area where its hard to reach with your fingers like where the lugs are. My bro eventually gave up and is going to take it into a shop and get powdered coated. If you were to go through with plastidio then I'd recommend you to apply multiple coats. The thicker it is. The easier it'll be to peel off.

Yeah, the more coats the easier.

I used GooGone in the nooks and crannies of my wheels when I removed my dip.

However you can also buy "Dip Destroyer" now from dipyourcar.com which is a citrus based solvent (like GooGone) and works best.

[Box]

See if anyone near you carries DupliColor or Rustoleum wheel paint. Would make for an easy weekend project.

[Zake]

I plasti dipped my wheels on my mustang about 6 months ago and they still look as good as the day I sprayed. I would stay away from paint or powder coat for now. Plasti dip is easy to remove and it comes off all in one piece (if you spray it on correctly) and doesn't flake off like some people may think. only go for paint/powder coat if you are sure about the color. Like you said, powder coats expensive. While dip would cost 30 for the whole job (1 can per wheel) it only takes a couple hours and you can be back on the road hours after finishing.. - my 2 cents

[Galcobar]

See if anyone near you carries DupliColor or Rustoleum wheel paint. Would make for an easy weekend project.

I used DupliColor wheel enamels to refinish my wheels, would say they came out pretty well: http://www.celicatech.com/forums/showthrea...inishing-projec

[Box]

I hate when people post links to there, you have to be a member just to see anything.

[Galcobar]

The site was having issues with a lot of spammers and DDoS for a while, if I recall correctly.

[M4ddoX]

thanks for the input guys Im going to talk to the last 2 powdercoating places around and see how much they charge. The only problem with plasti dip in nz is its about $30 a can so to do a whole set of wheels is $120 and thats not including any metaliser or gloss. If i can find the powdercoating for under $300 I think ill stick to that otherwise I might experiment with some plasti dip colours and see how it looks. Ill let you guys know what I end up doing and ill post pics of before and after to see the difference it makes

[Galcobar]

Geez, refinishing with paint I think I spent C$50.