G35 wheels w. plasti-dip, part 2

I bought a set of Infiniit G35 wheels off of Craigslist last year. The price was right, but the wheels were in pretty rough shape - lots of curb rash, numerous scrapes on the wheel face itself, and some stains in the corners that just refused to come clean. So I decided to try plasti-dip as a cheap way of making them look good. Here are some photos of my first attempt. Click on any individual photo for a larger version.



This was black plasti-dip with a little bit of silver metalizer added. I was trying for a gunmetal grey look. They looked pretty good at first, but I found that they just wouldn't come clean. I had apparently put on my coats of plasti-dip too light, leading to a lot of texture in the finish, and the dirt just stuck in all of those crevices. So this winter, I removed the old plasti-dip and tried again. This time, I went with black plasti-dip with glossifier. I tried to go heavier with my coats this time. It still didn't come out smooth, but now it looks a little more like an orange-peel than the really bumpy finish I had last time. The finish looks more satin than glossy. It looks good when clean. We'll see what happens after it's been dirty. Again, clicking on any photo will show you a larger version.

garsh said:

I bought a set of Infinit G35 wheels off of Craigslist last year. The price was right, but the wheels were in pretty rough shape - lots of curb rash, numerous scrapes on the wheel face itself, and some stains in the corners that just refused to come clean. So I decided to try plasti-dip as a cheap way of making them look good.

This was black plasti-dip with a little bit of silver metalizer added. I was trying for a gunmetal grey look. They looked pretty good at first, but I found that they just wouldn't come clean. I had apparently put on my coats of plasti-dip too light, leading to a lot of texture in the finish, and the dirt just stuck in all of those crevices. So this winter, I removed the old plasti-dip and tried again. This time, I went with black plasti-dip with glossifier. I tried to go heavier with my coats this time. It still didn't come out smooth, but now it looks a little more like an orange-peel than the really bumpy finish I had last time. The finish looks more satin than glossy. It looks good when clean. We'll see what happens after it's been dirty.

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It's a neat product. It's fairly forgiving, but texture does depend on technique. Too close gives runs and too far away allows the product to dry before hitting the surface, leaving a bumpy texture. Also temperature is important. Too hot will amplify the drying out problem (move closer), too cold will lead to sputtering coming out of the sprayer (more bumpies), which can be avoided by warming the product in hot water before spraying. Like you, I found the glossifier really helped. It's a thinner product and helps fill the surface irregularities, in addition to being a bit slicker and shinier. Some people apply wax, and dipyourcar.com sells a top-dressing to make it even more cleanable, but I never applied anything on top and didn't have a problem cleaning them with soapy water and a microfiber wash mitt.

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With the 2015 I thought the wheels were ok, so went a different direction to add some personalization with "dip": Didn't use the glossifier this time; was going more for a "plastic" look.

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Nubo said:

Also temperature is important. Too hot will amplify the drying out problem (move closer), too cold will lead to sputtering coming out of the sprayer (more bumpies), which can be avoided by warming the product in hot water before spraying.

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I tried keeping the cans in my house before using them, but I wonder if putting them in hot water would have been better. The spray didn't appear to be as fine as I had expected. They nice thing is, I can always try again.

What year G35 wheels are those? Are they 17"

Did you put the original Leaf TPMS in them?

Thanks!

msbriggs said:

What year G35 wheels are those? Are they 17"

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They are 17" wheels from a third-generation G35 (2002-2007). It's a staggered setup - the fronts are 7.5" wide, and the rears are 8" wide.

Did you put the original Leaf TPMS in them?

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No, I bought this aftermarket set, and programmed them using Leaf Spy Pro. They've been working great.