Cladding liner

[Knivx]

I've been looking into lining my cladding, hood insert, and that little piece above the isuzu emblem on the back door and possibly a permanent bra. I've looked at the Durabak brand and they say 1 gallon covers 60 square feet. Anyone out there done this and could give me a rough guess as to how much i'd need? Is there another brand that is better? I'd like this to withstand offroading and rocks scraping it and all that. How well does this stuff bond to the plastic? Or would i be better off taking all this to a rhino lining place in town? Any insight and wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

[Ascinder]

Do a search on gatorback coatings. I am about to do mine with it. Should be superior.

[CrnCnn]

Beau, when do you plan on doing this? I really want to paint my cladding but if you are gonna do it soon I will wait to see the results.

[Chopper]

I've also bought the Gatorback.....200 bucks....Haven't had the time to pull the cladding off to do it. I've seen it on an Avalanche tho...it looks great.

[CrnCnn]

200 bucks

Uh, I will keep with my plan then. Paint it is.

[Ascinder]

I should be ordering it within the week. I am occupied with winch mounting issues currently. It is somewhat spendy, but for the time it takes me to apply the cladding treatment every time I wash it or it rains(and streaks), it becomes cost effective very quickly for me.

[Chopper]

I should be ordering it within the week. I am occupied with winch mounting issues currently. It is somewhat spendy, but for the time it takes me to apply the cladding treatment every time I wash it or it rains(and streaks), it becomes cost effective very quickly for me.
Exactly, 3 washes a month...20-30mins. (and three bucks worth of product)extra each time....it doesn't take long to equal out. Wash and go, while retaining the original look sounds good to me.

[Knivx]

Well i looked at there site but from what i can tell and the impression it gives me is that this is more of just a thing to keep that black look. I really want something that will not scratch should a rock or other hard object be scraped along the side. Thats why my immediate thoughts turn to rhino lining type coatings. Or is this gator stuff like what i want?

[Ascinder]

No, it sounds like you are after Rhino lining/ Line-X.

Heres some examples:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=8635&highlight=lining

[Knivx]

Thats what i'm looking for exactly! Now if i were to do it myself (just the cladding and hood insert, not the entire vehicle) how much would i need...hmmm.....

[Triathlete]

Exactly, 3 washes a month...20-30mins. (and three bucks worth of product)extra each time....it doesn't take long to equal out. Wash and go, while retaining the original look sounds good to me.

Who washes their VX 3 times a month? Sick people you are! I'm lucky to wash mine every 3 months!


Knivx Rocks and junk

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Well i looked at there site but from what i can tell and the impression it gives me is that this is more of just a thing to keep that black look. I really want something that will not scratch should a rock or other hard object be scraped along the side. Thats why my immediate thoughts turn to rhino lining type coatings. Or is this gator stuff like what i want?

If I ever get around to doing mine (not enough scars yet) it will be Line-X unless something better comes along before that time. Be aware though...none of these products are going to not scratch if you are contacting rocks. They will help but ae not armour. Some body armour will be your best bet for that. Rock sliders, front and rear bumpers, skid plates and maybe some tube fenders might do the trick (along with good driver/spotter skills). In the end though if you want to play you have to be prepared for what ever may come out of it.
Ask Larry how I handled putting my VX on its side on the wall on Hells Gate. Didn't phase me in the least. I stayed calm and trusted my spotter to get me out of a sticky situation...my wife on the other hand didn't handle it so well when she saw the pictures!:bwgy:

[Triathlete]

Thats what i'm looking for exactly! Now if i were to do it myself (just the cladding and hood insert, not the entire vehicle) how much would i need...hmmm.....


I don't think you can buy Line-X for do it yourself use. I believe only "ceftified" shops can apply it (I could be wrong though). I think other here had it done and it ran around $400 for the cladding. The Line-X I like as it comes in a finer form. Rhino always looks to "lumpy" for my taste. The Rhino stuff can be bought for home use though.

[Knivx]

Yeah well i have an old samurai i've had since high school so that tends to be the rig i really abuse (just got back from bashing around at a friends little course) I plan on sliders for the vx definitely and will be trimming quite a bit off the front and back bottom part of the cladding. I already have a few scrapes in the cladding i just mainly want something so it won't scratch as easily. Tube fenders? Front and rear bumpers? For a VX? Where and how much and all that? I've only found the sliders at rocky-road.

[Triathlete]

Tube fenders? Front and rear bumpers? For a VX? Where and how much and all that?

Custom fab...depends on the shop/person. If you have a welder and tube bender only cost is the tube.
Also check out the Stric9 sliders for the VX. There are a few on here that have 'em...TucsonVX and Biju. They are really nice. They can be a bit hard to contact though since they work out of their garage and the web site is down. I am sure Biju can help with contact info. They will do mine when I get to it (hoping this year somme time) along with custom front/rear bumpers. They are local for me.

[Triathlete]

*** Off subject alert***
Those old sammy's rock. Did you happen to see the tin top they built up on Extreme 4x4. They dropped a VW Turbo Diesel in it with a veggy oil kit, exo'd, big axles and tires. It was pretty sweet!

[Knivx]

Yeah I saw it but wasn't fond of the very tall aproach they took with it. Loved the engine and all that but mine will be built a little lower for stability sake. Almost rolled it off way too many mountains already. Thanks for all the info!

[Chopper]

Ya ever see "Sick Toy", our old quater mile Samurai? 350/350 etc.

[Ascinder]

Here's another option I came across:

http://www.nonslipcoating.com/automotive.htm

Any thickness, abrasion resistant, and very easy to apply and repair.

[Mark Miller]

We do speedliner where I work, it can be sprayed in with your favorite color. :)
www.speedliner.com

[Knivx]

That liner that ascinder linked to is the one i was originally considering since i could do it myself, I just have no idea how much of the stuff i'd need. I'd like to if at all possible apply it myself so that i can save some monies. But almost just want to spring for a pro job so I don't have the hassle of it all. Not sure what I'll do yet, still not sure if i should get coloured (the right colour could look sweet but then again black goes with almost anything) so I'm apparently still a little ways out on this project. Thanks again for all the input and help!

[uncle_asa]

So, any success story with Gator Back?

[CoastieCosta567]

i feel kinda like a whale drowner now, man i suck. cuz i wash my car really almost 2 times a week. sorry shamu and flipper, but the VX really loves water.

[rowhard]

Hello Uncle Asa, I am leaning towards the Gator Back, just waiting for,... well just waiting I guess to get off my cackside and do it. Will keep you posted