Hi all.

( mods im not advertising, merely trying to gauge the scooby communities reaction )
Im soon going to be starting my own business dipping whole cars and anything that can be sprayed. Or otherwise known as plasti dipping its very similar to wrapping but applied as a spray..but with the highest quality materials which are clearcoat safe and offer finishes ranging from matt to gloss to metalic and flips etc...is this something you folks would consider as subaru owners i love my rb5 and will be using it as my demonstrator so folks can get a good idea of whats possible....these products are gaining popularity now as its being eveloved from what was a cheap looking black to some impressive finishes. Any feedback would be great...ps. as I say mods..im taking no orders and offering no product as yet...hopefully ill be considered as a trader when I get on my feet. Thanks

Dan

 

What about a mud dip for people that want the 'Ive just done a rally stage' look

Good luck with whatever you decide mate.

 

A brown with a matte clear would easily be possible lol..

 

what about a hydrophobic/terraphobic dip for those of us who live in the muddy countryside and don't want to wash our cars every 12 hours

 

what sort of price would it be for a blobeye roughly

 

Right I have to be careful here because im not yet advertising as a trader on here but cost would be subject to change due to colour and finish required..some places would say they can do it for £400..I would be more like 600/650..the reason being is quite frankly, it would be done right...I'll only be using plastidip rubber spray rds..this is double the cost of the commonly used eu pre mix...the difference is night and day..the coverage of rds is far superior and doesnt use chemicals which can damage clearcoat..all applications will be 2/3 base coats and up to 7 colour coats and 2/3 of clear or matte clear..in total approximately 15 litres of product is used..this also allows it to be removed in big sheets rather than 2cm chunks....however if it was just a flat black that was wanted less product is required...whicb would be approximately ? £350 / 400

 

thanks for that,what do you do regarding dents etc to bodywork before it is applied?

 

It's a good idea and one I had myself but in all honesty anyone who
knows what plastidip is will do it themselves and those that don't know
what it is won't see the need/be a very hard sell.

Just my opinion from looking at it a year or two ago.

 

1st. Shreksta.... this is something I am thinking about... along side dipping I want to be able to offer hydro dipping, window tinting and paintless dent removal, the issue with the dent side of things however is its almost a full time job in its own right, so in all honesty I would probably out source that facility to a guy I have used a few times now if required before application...this would be the most logical way of doing things to begin with.
The reason being as any job order would have to be in advance to get the required colours in etc...this time allows for a booking to be made with the dent guy at the same time so it all ties in together nicely so no one is waiting around for any one else,

Raptor man. You have a very good point and its one I have thought a lot about as a confident diy'er I am happy to take on any job....but sometimes correct tools and simply having a roof over your head can kill all best intentions of doing a job yourself...I have no doubt that an OK home job can be done....But you can only get rds dip as a commercial business... this alone makes a world of difference between a diy job and a proper job.
As for those that don't know what it is.....that what advertising is for :-) A lot of Jap cars are getting on now and some people don't want to spend 2k plus on a colour change....I think £6/700 may well sway opinions.

Dan

 

one thing springs to mind.................stone chips etc,does it scratch when a stone hits it? if it does surely water would get underneath it and lift it off?

i was at pw-pro a few years back and they had a nissan gtr that had been wrapped and it looked awful as in places it was peeling,the stone chip marks looked terrible etc

 

I understand where you are coming from as I had all the same
thoughts too. I can buy RDS tomorrow and I am not a business.

Yes there is a market for it but that market already knows about dipping
as it is the boy racer market.

Whatever you decide good luck with it.

 

Hi shreksta.

The rubber dip is really quite durable and there are products available that act as a hardener/gloss enhancer and protector of the dip...Scratches and chips etc can be repaired using a thinner which re liquefies the dip.. This can then be smoothed and an additional coat can be applied. Dip once applied properly really doesn't go anywhere unless you really want it to... Its not indestructible but it tough. So in essence I suppose it is subject to the same hazards as paint...just easier to work with.

Raptorman. Thanks for the input...it's certainly a tricky business but something I feel is worth while.... Chavs love it no doubt, but the folks getting r8's, tvr's etc dipped...boy racers? maybe, boy racers with nice cars that look good? I think so

 

Any more input folks?

 

Can you enlighten the ignorant amongst us (i.e. me ) as to what, exactly, "dipping" is? I assume it is something to change the look of a car? And offer a comparison to wrapping and re-spraying please.

 

Hi. Yup dipping is using a rubberised spray that can be applied to a car much the same way as you would spray paint but when dry can be peeled off of the bodywork when so desired. Ie when selling the car or simply wanting a change of colour. The difference with dip and wrapping is that I have seen wraps peel up on the edges and certain colours fade quite quick. As we all know paint is paint and and damage especially in a custom colour can be pricey to get sorted due to blending with other panels etc..where dip comes into its own is that its much much cheaper than painting a car and offers the flexibility of many different types of finish and any colour you can think of and if it gets damaged it can be either re applied, fixed depending on severity or just simply peel the panel and re do it... much cheaper than paint. Its also cheaper than a wrap. Some people see dip as a cheap and nasty alternative to paint but the product really has evolved and sone impressive stuff is possible with it.. of course painting a car is the tried and tested method... but say 2.5-3k vs £650 is quite a difference. As soon as I get my rb5 demo sorted ill stick some pics up.
thanks

 

looking forward to comparison photos as I've been wanting to change my car colour for a while.

Can dipping produce pearl effects?

 

Absolutely. The range is massive you can go from a a flat colour, add a glossifier for gloss, metalizer for a metalic finish pearl can be added to any colour even good old flip chameleon colours can be produced ( if you dont own a tvr dont do this lol ) plus tinters are available too...you can really play with it to make a very unique colour.

 

i done it myself, flat colour ! someone local quoted me 400 quid to go from dark blue to yellow

wouldnt try do all the pearls and flips by myself tho

 

The thing is, are you not a bit late in deciding to do plasti dipping? Its been going around for a little while now and anyone can do it. All you need to spray with is an earlex type electric sprayer and the liquids.

 

i used a £34 quid black and decker spray gun, some pre mixed dip, masking tape and old newspaper ,

Done a few bits for friends now, Doing a track car when the weather gets better in black and yellow

Alot of people out their with no time tho happy pay someone to do it

 

Here lies the problem!

Plastidap is marketed as a DIY, cheap way of covering your car/wheels. Trying to make a business out of it would be tricky IMO. The average buyer for the product is looking to do things on the cheap, charging £650 for a job 'they could DIY' might fall on deaf ears. I'm not suggesting the average joe could do as good a job, but they might think they can?

Personally I think you'd make more money by doing 'dip your car' style videos like the chap on YouTube and selling the products. And maybe offer the dipping as a side line? Rather than solely relying on offering a dipping service.

I will say though, if you're handy with a spray gun you might be better off doing proper paint repairs and you could still plasti dip alongside.

 

Just done mine yesterday in alien colours

I think the business would be good for maybe 2 years max, by then you would grow your customer base and then I would assume move additional products in to sell

I do think it's just the start of a craze which will last a couple of years

Good product but once the likes of halfords ETc start selling DIY kits and it becomes common knowledge it will become harder to convince people to spend the 600 your expecting

 

The real problem is its already been a craze for the last couple of years and
like I said above, those that know about it will do it themselves as its very
easy to get a good finish.

Just my two pence worth having used the stuff myself.

 

Thanks for the input folks, it's all good reading. The plasti dipping is not planned to be the sole aspect, I'm wanting to offer hydro dipping ( yes been around for a while too ) and window tinting... and in general vehicle appearance, your blacked out headlights, trim change etc... the stuff that some people just are not confident in doing them selves....none of these things are particularly hard, but not everyone is happy doing these things to their own car. I don't feel that just because I'm not jumping on at the start of a craze, I can't make a go of it.. but thanks for the input, it is appreciated.

 

Depends on your current circumstances, if there is nothing holding you back, you don't know until you try.

 

If you have the money in the bank To last you for months that's ok
What's your break even on your premises ?
Do you have To borrow capital to buy equpment ?
Have you been self employed before ?
What would you require to take as a wage £10 -£20 per hour
What about holidays /days off say you were sick ?
How much experience have you in marketting ?
Do you know how much credit cards costs to the Buisness ?

How long would it last this plastic dipping
I think it's half way through its craze
Thease things are crazes what will you do long term ?
Your relying on the car enthusiast and boy racer market
Are you based in a big catchment area like Manchester /Birmingham /London/Glasgow or in the sleepy countryside of Cumbria ?
It's a numbers game
Are you well respected in car Circles like Locky the master if colour and design
Are you giving up a well paid job /career to try this ?
Do you have a family / morgage to support or are you living at home and don't need the money desperately ?

//////
Will you be cheaper then everyone else ?
Better then anyone else ?
If the answer is no then go no further
------


I think more money could be made in dent removable as garages will give your more income then car enthusiasts
Lots of money on alloy wheel repairs .
Lots of money could be made in interior repairs and leather repairs again garages are a constant supple of cash and the phone will never stop

( I have a mate who does leather and upholstery repairs £60 call out + vat and can do 8-10 jobs a day )

Garages will give you more long term income then car clubs and a few boy racers who will only have the job done ONCE not REPEAT Buisness

To be rich you have to plan long time not just surviving on fads which will disappear in a couple of years time as the market moves very quickly amd you have to be first in the game not follow


Hope this doesn't upset you but clear thinking is important and lots of these questions above is what I always ask when people ask advice from me

 

^^^^^^^best answer there.

 

there is more of a market for the supply of the actual plasti dip i think! i could only find 2 places that sell it in the form i wanted - no messing about just pour it in and go!

a few round the uk sell the spray tin but i wanted the actual dip to put in a HVLP gun