After I got the car, I decided I wanted the rims to be black. I didn't want to plastidip because it's matte and looks rubbery and cheap. I did some researching online, and decided that I should use a product called Autodip. It's like PlastiDip, but it's supposed to be vinyl based and give a gloss finish when applied.
I bought one can for each wheel, which was the recommended amount. For complex wheel designs, they recommend buying an extra can. I bought six cans, and after I applied it there wasn't a gloss finish, even though I bought gloss black. It didn't look like PlastiDip though; it was more of a "forged" shiny matte. Hard to explain. I thought it looked cool, so I left it on.
Fast forward a few months (I applied in August), and I'm realizing that because it's not glossy, or for whatever reason, this stuff picks up dirt, grime, brake dust, and even small rocks. Usually the rocks come out, but because of the finish it's hard to scrub it off. Over time, more and more dust got caked in, and I decided it was time to remove it. Last Wednesday I came home to a tear in the Autodip on one of the spokes, so I figured then was the perfect time to remove it; I'd be able to get it off fast and clean the wheels up.
Of course that's not how it went.
This stuff was sticking to the wheels so hard it was almost like actual paint. Some peeled off like it was supposed to, only to rip and tear if I pulled it in the wrong direction. I don't think I got any pieces off that were larger than like 2 square inches. Now that was on the FACE of the wheel. In between the spokes, it was apparently applied so thin, it's solidified on the wheels. I've tried the "thin plastidip" removal tricks, like Goo Gone, WD-40, pressure washing, and nothing happens to it. My center caps are the worst. I practically had to break my thumbnail in order to scrape one 3 square inch plastic center cap of this crud. Finally, after three hours of scraping, my front left wheel was complete (except for the inside of the rim).
I've scraped it off two wheels, and the other two have some in the spokes still. I've contacted them and I'm hoping to get some sort of compensation to have the wheels sanded and powder coated because of the scratching all over the wheels. If anything, I hope to get my $100 worth of plastic paint back. I would not recommend this at all.
Well hey, live and learn. Don't cheap out on parts
