Are you familiar with Plasti Dip? If you’re not, you need to check this stuff out. Basically, it’s a removable finish that you can leave on as long as you want, peel it off when you’re done and supposedly it leaves no residue and protects the paint. Even better, you can apply it yourself and lots of new colors are available all the time. While I’ve never used the product myself, I’ve seen lots of Porsche parts with Plasti Dip applied to them (badges, grilles, wheels, etc.). However, this is the first time I’ve ever seen an entire new Turbo S with Plasti Dip applied. Amazingly, it looks great! The video below is a bit boring in terms of production values, but the results speak for themselves. See for yourself below.
Can You Really Do This Yourself?
I was so intrigued by the video I gave the company a call and spoke to Fonzie himself (he’s the guy in the video above and it’s his personal Porsche) in order to ask a few questions. One of the biggest things we wanted to know was is it realistic to think that someone with no experience could do a professional looking job on a $150,000 Porsche? Fonzie’s response was a bit unexpected. Instead of a definitive “yes” or “absolutely”, he took the time to explain that one of the beauties of this product is the ability to make mistakes, peel it off and start again. In other words, even if you screw up there’s really no harm. Fonzie suggested, like anything, that the real work is in the preparation and practicing on a few objects other than your Porsche to get a better idea of the distance to hold the sprayer, the speed of the stroke, etc. etc. He emphasized that he routinely has young kids (teenagers) arriving at the shop to show off their work and it’s phenomenal. So, in other words, if your average teenager can do it, most Porsche owners should be able to follow the instructional videos on their site and do as good a job if not better. Again, most of the work is in the prep.
What’s It Cost And Does It Last
I was actually quite surprised at the affordability of this stuff. Total cost for the material and application equipment to do the Porsche featured in the video above was $600. $180 of that $600 was for the Pearl finish. So, if you wanted a matte finish you could realistically change the color of your Porsche every few months for as little as $400. Even better, if you’re not the DIY type, there’s a fairly good size network of pro installers and prices should range between $900 to $1300 for your typical 911 (depending on color/finish choice). Quite a savings as compared to a $3000 plus wrap job.
As for durability, Fonzie says if applied properly you can expect to easily get 2 to 3 years out of it. More importantly, if you want to change colors you can simply shoot a new application over the old and he has many customers who have stacked up to 4 or 5 colors on top of each other before starting from scratch. Not sure I would do that with my Porsche, but I can see it on other cars.
Would You Do It To Your Porsche?
Let me be clear, this isn’t meant to be a commercial or an endorsement for Plasti Dip. They aren’t a sponsor, we don’t know them, haven’t used their product, etc. etc. Instead, what I’m interested in is knowing if any of you would ever consider doing this to your entire Porsche vs. just your wheels or other parts?
Other Porsche Blog Posts You Should Read
Does Your Porsche Need A Bra?
How to Clean Your Porsche’s Clear Bra and Paint Protection Film
How To Properly Use a Polisher On Your Porsche To Remove Swirl Marks
How Window Tint is Installed on Porsches and Why You Should Leave it to the Professionals
How to Perform Paintless Dent Repair on Your Porsche
