[SteveCaz]

Since I have to replace false grill due to minor damage. Is it better to get bowtie painted Kinetic Blue or do vinyl. Body shop said they could do it. My concern is will it last.

 

[drdiesel1]

I think vinyl might be easier and probably last longer than paint. It could also be redone very easy on a DIY basis.

 

[Bazinga]

I would go with vinyl too, in case you ever want the original badge back and easy to redo if it fades and whatnot. Painting is more permanent and I don't know the longevity of aftermarket paints.

 

[Electro]

I'd go vinyl for an emblem because it's small, simple, much easier to do, and if you wanted to change it up later, you always could whilst being able to revert back to stock.

The longevity of the paint shouldn't be of too much worry once your painter knows what he's doing. So that "shouldn't" be a concern.

 

[LectricBill]

I had considered myself fairly skilled with my hands, having worked as a machinist for 7 years.

Yet I had nothing but frustration while trying to apply the vinyl overlays. I thought that trimming by placing an razor blade into the groove would have been easy, but the vinyl stretched and then showed underlying gold when it went back in place. I had bought enough vinyl for two tries on both bow ties.

Gave up and went to masking tape/carboard and rattle can flat black paint, 3 coats. Simple. I also like the fact that the pebbled texture of the original remains visible with the paint option.

I don't know how long it will last, but I've used the same stuff on a motorcycle and had it hold up for 4 years. I figure I can always re-do the paint, if need be in the future. So far (4 months), it looks the same as the day applied.

 

[fire_qc]

Yet I had nothing but frustration while trying to apply the vinyl overlays.

I understand. The tip, use heat gun, look what I got;

 

[Bazinga]

I think you need to get the vinyl to around 90 degrees to prevent it from returning to its original shape and start curling if over stretched.

 

[Pete Blair]

Another option similar to vinyl but also similar to paint is Plastidip. You spray it on like paint but you can also peel it off like vinyl. The advantage it has over paint is that it is not permanent thus if you changed your mind you could just peel it off. If the plastidip gets damaged you can peel and redo easily as well. The advantage it has over vinyl, easier to work with since it sprays on and it does not shrink like vinyl can.

I have not done it yet myself but I plan on doing it at some point. This youtube channel has a ton of videos on how to, they also sell kits of course.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsqsjtd902RLo8peD11olPw

 

[Electro]

Plasti-dipping would be by far the easiest possible option you could do as you really can't mess it up. Because of the ridge around the goldish color, peeling the dip around the outside will be extremely easy.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Plasti-dipping would be by far the easiest possible option you could do as you really can't mess it up. Because of the ridge around the goldish color, peeling the dip around the outside will be extremely easy.

So are you suggesting painting beyond the area you actually want and then trimming it with an exacto knife, as opposed to masking to the exact area you want?

 

[eops]

The longer you're on this forum the more you will discover how different someone can make the bowtie, so going vinyl gives you the option to switch when you see something like. Not as easy when you paid good money for paint.

 

[jimmyspeed]

So are you suggesting painting beyond the area you actually want and then trimming it with an exacto knife, as opposed to masking to the exact area you want?

Ya. Google/Youtube plasti-dip (plastic-dip) bowtie and you'll see what they mean.

 

[Delta Flyer]

I want to thank you guys, for the Plasti Dip suggestion. I just picked up a can of black, at WalMart, for $6. It couldn't have been any easier to apply, and I love the new look. Not including drying time, I think it took about 15 minutes. I'm still debating whether to remove it from the chrome area, or to leave it all black.

 

[borkbork]

so far i've plasti dipped the inside of the rear hatch, as it tends to get scraped up from things rattling around in there. it looks pretty good, too. i'm planning to do the bow ties in the very near future.

on my previous car i also dipped the wheels, it's a quick and easy way to cover up curb rash.

tip: put on a lot of thin coats. the thicker it is, the easier it is to peel off.

 

[Pete Blair]

I want to thank you guys, for the Plasti Dip suggestion. I just picked up a can of black, at WalMart, for $6. It couldn't have been any easier to apply, and I love the new look. Not including drying time, I think it took about 15 minutes. I'm still debating whether to remove it from the chrome area, or to leave it all black.

Yeah it is super easy to do and not permanent, so best of both worlds.

I like the look of the completely blacked out emblem. I am planning on doing all the chrome black with plasti-dip at some point.

 

[eops]

Tint film is another thing to consider which with our color of bowties will create a unique look. With chrome you get black chrome. In our case maybe a smoked gold?

 

[calpolyarc]

I want to paint our bowties the same blue as the 'EV' in the logo. Not sure if the plasti-dip light blue will match close enough. When people use paint is it just spray paint with a clear enamel spray over it?

 

[calpolyarc]

I didn't take a picture yet but I vinyl wrapped the chrome part of the bowtie and dipped the gold part (I actually used Rustoleum brand because they have a 'gloss' black, I don't like the matte finish from plasti-dip, but it's essentially the same peelable stuff). Plasti dipping - super easy. Vinyl - Difficult. I consider myself skilled with my hands... and can see how vinyl would be very easy on most pieces/shapes, however all of the inside and outside corners of the bowtie make it very tricky. Particularly the interior corners - there's a lot of material to pull into that crevice, and it wants to stretch and doesn't want to stick all the way back to the 90 degree corner, even with ample heat. I had to just take a step back and realize that nobody is going to be looking at it from 12" away, and for a car application it's good enough.

 

[calpolyarc]

Pics of my new badge.

 

[Jim Fallston Md.]

Looks Good.