Madstad painted - fail?

[nemesis98]

Well I did it - painted the bottom part of my Madstad windshield to help eliminate the glowing edges and reflection I was getting - and it didn't work.
First off, I used Plasti-Dip because I felt if I screwed up, I could peel it off and be back to normal. Yea, it peels off alright.
When I pulled the tape off, expecting a nice clean line, the paint peeled off too. Damn. Not bad, but not perfect.
Looks good from the front though, I think. Might peel it all off and re-paint with Fusion paint for plastics.

Second, it didn't eliminate the glowing refection I was getting, just diffused it some.
It did eliminate the glowing edges though, so that's a good thing.

I was experimenting covering the top part of the headlight itself - and that does the trick. Would love a sort of 'sun visor' to block the light going up, but that would defeat the Madstad system of over/under air.
Thinking about painting black the top part of the headlight to block the light. When I taped over it, it helped eliminate the reflection glow, and did not interfere with the headlight function or where it shines down road.
Thoughts??

 

[wozza]

Just for your info - when using Plasti-Dip, you peel of the masking tape when it's still wet and not when it's dried.

 

[Beemerphile]

Convert to a projector style HID headlight and solve the reflection problem while doubling your light output.

 

[CMGuy]

Well, looks good in the pix. Too bad it doesn't solve the problem. How about peeling the plasti-dip off the windshield & just the top of the headlight in plasti-dip. Wouldn't even have to be black, I'd think, to achieve the desired result.

Convert to a projector style HID headlight and solve the reflection problem while doubling your light output.

I have noticed the projector headlights on my car have a very sharp cut-off on top. Is there a direct replacement bulb which does the trick? (Perhaps covered in another thread that I'm not recalling?)

 

[ziggie]

Isn't there a cover you could put on top of the speedo? like a hood or shield.

 

[Beemerphile]

I have noticed the projector headlights on my car have a very sharp cut-off on top. Is there a direct replacement bulb which does the trick? (Perhaps covered in another thread that I'm not recalling?)

The bulb replacements are not projectors. I have had bulb replacements and do not recommend them. The cutoff somes from either the reflector or the projector, not the bulb. In fact, one of the problems with the HID bulb replacements is that the focus height is different and it messes up the pattern that was intended from the reflector.

 

[L.B.S.]

Since PlastiDip is designed for just such a thing, (to be easily peeled off) I would increase the height of your paint line on the windshield a fair ways, and see how far up you can go, without bothering either your aesthetics or sightline through the shield.

As another potential experiment, you could always put on a strip of Limo window tint film on the inside to the height you need. You can get that for cheap in a range of tints, you can see through it as it's not opaque, and the cling film type is easily repositionable. (I have had the stuff inside one of my helmet visors, to add additional sun block to the stock dark visor for nearly ten years now, it's awesome)

 

[nemesis98]

Just for your info - when using Plasti-Dip, you peel of the masking tape when it's still wet and not when it's dried.

How does that work if spraying on multiple layers? You have to wait for the first layer to dry before the next one goes on...so back to peeling tape off when dry, right?

 

[nemesis98]

Well, looks good in the pix. Too bad it doesn't solve the problem. How about peeling the plasti-dip off the windshield & just the top of the headlight in plasti-dip. Wouldn't even have to be black, I'd think, to achieve the desired result.

That's what I was thinking - painting the top of the headlight black to block the light seeping upwards. I will leave (or re-paint) the black on the windshield, because it helps with the glowing edges I was getting, and I think it looks cool too

 

[Beemerphile]

Can you score it lightly at the tape edge with an exact knife to create a tear line?

 

[draco_1967]

Check out some of the diptourcar how-to videos. They guy explains the best methods for masking with plastidip.

Sent from a Speak & Spell wired to a record player, a saw blade, a fork, and an umbrella.

 

[nemesis98]

Can you score it lightly at the tape edge with an exact knife to create a tear line?

Exactly what I did - didn't come out perfect, but it worked

 

[Jay Fridays]

How does that work if spraying on multiple layers? You have to wait for the first layer to dry before the next one goes on...so back to peeling tape off when dry, right?

Tape, paint, immediately peel tape, dry.

Tape, paint, immediately peel tape, dry

Repeat as desired

 

[wozza]

How does that work if spraying on multiple layers? You have to wait for the first layer to dry before the next one goes on...so back to peeling tape off when dry, right?

If you are spraying a flat surface and you only want part of that surface in covered in plasti-dip and you use masking tape. The tape has to be removed and then re-applied each time in order to spray on the next layer. I know it sounds a pain, but I've done it a few times with great success.