My RXBB8 project is looking pretty tired after six years, and I've decided it's time to say goodbye and restore my 2004 Mazda RX-8 to its original factory blue. Removing a Plasti-Dip project involved several different distinct steps.

Large Surface Removal

The easiest part is the headline feature of Plasti-Dip: we can peel it off automotive paint. When applied thick enough, large sheets can be peeled off intact. My first full-car Plasti-Dip project only had three coats and it was annoying to remove. RXBB8 had six coats of white plus up to three additional coats for either orange, silver, or black. The hood was easiest to peel on account of its thick layer of Plasti-Dip, followed by the roof and trunk. Those were all horizontal surfaces where I was comfortable applying thick coats. I was afraid of drips on vertical surfaces, so doors and fenders didn't get as thick of a coat and were correspondingly more difficult to peel off intact.

Ever heard "the first 90% of a project takes 10% of the time"? Removing Plasti-Dip is like that. My car was 90% back to its original blue very quickly, but removing the rest will take a lot more effort.

Edge Cleanup

As large surfaces were removed, they tend to leave fragments of their edges behind. I probably didn't spray the edges as thickly as the middle, causing them to break apart and be left behind. And since they were already reluctant to leave, taking them off becomes time-consuming. Each of these two fragments took about as much time to cleanup as peeling majority of the bumper.

Overspray Cleanup

Beyond edge pieces lie overspray, super thin bits of Plasti-Dip that is not thick enough to become a peelable layer. Now I need to turn to chemical removal with solvents that can remove Plasti-Dip without damaging the underlying paint. (Or at least, not damage it too much.) I used Xylene, which was the recommended cleanup solvent six years ago, but there might be a better choice now.

In this picture I temporarily removed the rear window so I could reach all of the overspray underneath window edges. Some overspray is accessible without removing any parts, like the doorsill visible through this window.

Detail Cleanup

And finally, I have to pull out the box of Q-Tips so I can remove Plast-Dip that has worked their way into tiny little details. Overspray and detail cleanup is tedious, and I have to take frequent breaks because Xylene fumes are unpleasant even when working in a well-ventilated space.

The problem with detail cleanup is that it feels like a never-ending process. I tackle the most visible things first and when that is done, I take a step back to look for the next most visible area to clean. As I make progress, the "next most visible" area becomes harder and harder to clean. I don't think I'm going to be able to get absolutely everything, and I have to be resigned to my car having little crooks and crannies of white and orange.

Cleanup in the real world gets messy and possibly never-ending. Fortunately, cleaning up this project in the digital world is a lot more definitive.