Plasti-Dip Hood Vents

[Naz24]

So.... My friend has been plastidipping random parts on his 3-series these past few days. i'm now encouraged...

My top hood vents are fading, and look like crap!. I'm trying to figure out the correct way to tape these babies off to plasti dip them. Anyone who knows the vents, knows that they are pretty complicated, and there are slats not only on the top, but beneath the silver area (4.4 model)....

What would be the best approach? should i try and tape between each slat? or just put newspaper behind the slats and spray everything?

I'm considering doing gunmetal on the grill and vents... think it would be unique and look pretty cool

[relentlessone]

I did this when I replaced my 4.8is silver grills with 3.0 black grills. I didn't want to paint the hood vents permanently black just in case I ever wanted to switch back to silver.

What I did was remove the vents from the hood, and then remove the upper slats from the lower slats by prying apart all of the clips. It takes extra time, but it really wasn't that hard. You can also remove the windshield washer this way, so you really don't have to tape anything. The plasti-dip finish is a little rougher than I would like, but it has held up great. I'd take pics but my car is in the body shop at the moment.

[pezho405]

I just took all my grills out and sprayed them

[Naz24]

I heard the clips break when you try to remove them. Any tricks?

[pnoyako85]

Naz we should you how it was done at the LSP meet...just put newspaper on the otherside of the vent..tape about 1 apart from the vent ..meaning you will be spraying on the vent and on the part where the hood meets the tape.....let it dry put another coat till you meet the desired color let it dry for about 30mins....peel the tape off..plasti dip will come with the tape thats not attach to the vents..and youre done.

[relentlessone]

Originally Posted by Naz24

I heard the clips break when you try to remove them. Any tricks?

That may be true, but I didn't break any. I don't remember what the clips looked like exactly, but I know they aren't as brittle as the front grill clips. Really wish I had my car so I could look.

[pnoyako85]

dont take the vents out man...tape then spray your done

[Ricky Bobby]

just get titanium ones and replace them (assuming you'll be matching front titanium grills too!)

[DTMdan]

I was tossin around the idea of the gunmetal plastidip for my grill slats too... look forward to seeing how it looks.

[Cisc0]

The clips wont break if you do them one at a time. Use a small pick tool to push them away from the metal where they attach. 5 mins and they're out. Or tape up around the vents in the hood and lay a few sheets of newspaper inside the engine compartment. The good thing about Plasti-Dip is that it is easily reversible in seconds by just peeling off.