Most notably, this:
More pics of the '16 EX @ http://car.autohome.com.cn/pic/series/873-1.html
In essence, it's a very subtle and cleaner variant of the stock RA diffuser. Thought I'd use that as inspiration for the plastidip/vinyl idea. Ok, enough guff - now onto the details.
Resources Used:
- 5 meters of 10mm wide D-shape Chrome Body Moulding. Around 3 meters was used for this project.
- 1 can of PlastiDip.
- About 2-4 hours of your time depending on how anal you are about having things symmetrical.
Step 0 - Clean your work area
Warm water wipe and remove any residue and dust. Wipe dry with a microfibre cloth. This step is essential if you want your stuff to stick. Don't be lazy.
Step 1 - Initial Masking
Did some very rough marking up of the approximate work area based on some photos of the Chinese Lancer. Here's some measurements for reference that I prepared earlier: http://i.imgur.com/PGswRCX.jpg. Note that the point is not to have it perfectly accurate, since the markup does not accurately reflect curvatures in the body panel; the measurements are used as a guide/reference for the next step.
40 minutes of masking later:
Step 2 - Moulding
Optional step, however this provides some nice contrast between the panel and the diffuser area.
30 minutes of moulding later:
Step 3 - Cleanup & Prep for Coating
Guidance masking tape removed. Also removed the chrome layer off the moulding by persistently peeling at the edges and stripping it off. This saves having to pay $30 for the matte black moulding online, versus the $20 chrome version available from SuperCheap.
Step 4 - Mask-off and PlastiDip area
Apply your Dip. Give minimum 10 minutes between coats; do not apply next coat until the previous coat is visibly dry in all areas on the diffuser. Repeat and apply for 4 coats. You may choose to apply less or more coats - whatever floats your boat.
Bonus chinese newspapers for entertainment between coats.
Step 5 - QA Check
Check your diffuser for any blemishes. You can spot repair these by popping with a toothpick (or anything sharp), pressing down to profile and spot-spraying with the PlastiDip. This only works well whilst your Dip is fresh. Attempting this on old Dip won't look nice.
When you're happy, remove the masking. Before anyone asks, the residual PlastiDip will come off the driveway with a pressure wash.
Final product:
Happy days
