I just bought my Firebird in February of this year. The guy I bought it from left it sitting outside, which in AZ is a recipe for disaster. Needless to say the paint is all faded and ready to be replaced. I was looking into shops to paint the car when i came across another alternative, plasti-dip and, vinyl wrapping. Has anybody plasti-dipped or vinyl wrapped their car or know someone who has? And if so how do you like it, and how does it compare to paint? TYIA

 

Where I work, they use vinyl wrap on all the trucks. Seems to go on pretty easily, but the guys that do it are pros. I asked them about it one day and they said it was real easy to work with.

I've plastidipped some parts and it goes on real easy. Supposedly you can peel it off, but I haven't tried that yet. I did Plastidip the lower bar on my truck's brush guard and it held up perfectly through 2 PA winters.

 

Thank you for your prompt response.

 

Paint > vinyl > plastidip. Nothing will compare to a nice paint job
But vinyl wrap would be a decent alternative. I have never personally applied any but have seen wrap still looking good after sitting outside for years. Plastidip would be ok if you only want to keep it on the car for a little while. It is easy to apply but removal can be a pain if you leave a thin spot. Plastidip is also ki d of difficult to clean and keep looking good. Another alternative is to put the car in a tinted epoxy primer. You will have the look of one solid color but prep will be easier when it comes time for paint.

 

I actually just ran into this same issue with an 87 I just purchased this weekend. Someone painted over a beautiful Firebird red paint job, with rattle can jobs, and it's now a very faded maroon color. Plasti-Dip is my only option I think, well, that's cost effective. From research and friends who have worked with it, it's a wonderful alternative, and given that Plasti-Dip can come in gloss finishes, it looks quite good.

Vinyl is a bit more expensive, but I'm sure the benefits make up for the cost. I'm curious to see how yours turns out whichever route you choose to take. I'm wanting to do mine next weekend.

For whatever reason, I got frisky, and just was messing around with the DA polisher, seeing what compound and polish would bring back. I basically taped down half the car, straight down the center, and did hood, fenders, door, glass, quarters, bumper, everything on half the car. The door, fender, quarter turned out way better than I expected it to. The hood is just completely gone.

Here's one picture where you can see where the bra was and how it looks after a compound and polish.



Here's what it looked like before I even touched it.



Also, link to album, so you can see what I'm working with. Should be public.

http://s215.photobucket.com/user/cti...?sort=3&page=1