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Diamond Plate sideing.

Diamond Plate sideing.
I

ITSAJEEPTHING

Jeeper
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Location
Southgate, Mi.
Vehicle(s)
1977 Jeep CJ
I was thinking of putting some diamond plate sideing on my Jeep. Has anyone did this? If so, how bad did the sides rust, if any.
 
I have seen this done many times and the rust has never been a big enough problem to start any conversations but it depends on how you do it. if there is a gap between the diamond plate and your jeep it can hold dirt which hold water which causes rust. Also Diamond plate is aluminum and aluminum will oxidize over a year or so and will turn white over the years unless you keep polishing it. IF you do quality siding with painted black diamond plate it looks good and low maintenance IN MY OPENION but its your jeep so you might as well make it the way you wont it! deal with the rust or oxidation when it happens haha
 
One trick to reducing the likelihood of rust under the diamond plate is when installing it, seal the top side of the panel, but leave the lower side open to drain any water or dirt out.
I like the look of well thought out DP body panels. Some people don't and they will try to brow-beat you into not installing it. If you like the look, install it. Its your Jeep, after all!
 
like the man said, it's your jeep. I see DP and wonder what it is covering up. 1/8" Aluminum was never what I would call "armor".
You did ask for opinions.:cool:
 
that sound like it will work. put on the DP and seal the top and not the bottom and take some pics and post them up
 
mylittlecj5 did his DP where it looks like there was thought put into it and honestly I like the way he did it. But it can easily end up looking like someone just slapped a bunch of shiny DP all over their jeep but some people like that look. Jeeps are like a mans fingerprint, they are all different and its an expression of the owner so i try to encourage what the owner likes. I know some people would hate the way my jeep looks haha but its not their jeep. Thats the point in building your own jeep. The best advice is to take your time when you put on your DP and make it look like the way you wont it so your not disappointed. there will always be people that dont like what people do but im looking forward to the finished pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
kickitandholdit said:
mylittlecj5 did his DP where it looks like there was thought put into it and honestly I like the way he did it. But it can easily end up looking like someone just slapped a bunch of shiny DP all over their jeep but some people like that look. Jeeps are like a mans fingerprint, they are all different and its an expression of the owner so i try to encourage what the owner likes. I know some people would hate the way my jeep looks haha but its not their jeep. Thats the point in building your own jeep. The best advice is to take your time when you put on your DP and make it look like the way you wont it so your not disappointed. there will always be people that dont like what people do but im looking forward to the finished pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


Nah, you gots it wrong...I didn't put the DP on there, the PO did. Along with a bunch of other :dung: that eventually got taken off. My PO was trying to make a mall crawler and just threw $$ at it. I wanted to be able to use it for what it is, a Jeep. I left the little stuff on there that 1) doesn't matter performance-wise or 2) I liked the way it looked. You all have to figure out what is what! :laugh:

Heres another use for DP that got removed pretty quick.
74JeepCJ-5005.webp
anyone wanna guess what all this is for?
 
A few weeks ago I finished up installing my boatside sliders. When I removed the aluminum diamond plate I installed several years ago, there was absolutely no rust underneath. When I installed these, I used a good heavy bead of RTV all the way around. This kept everything out and it showed. It was also a b@stard to get them off.

I know it's been suggested here, but Dont seal up just the top! sand, dirt, water...will still get up inside (from below) and even though water drains off, there is abrasive actions by anything left behind going on between the body and the diamond plate. You simply dont want any debris up there at all.

Most cosmetic aluminum diamond plate has a thin plastic coating on it...one to keep them looking shiny, and two to prevent oxidization. There was no sign of oxidization on mine when I removed them after several years of use.
 
a DP cdplayer and tv in a jeep :laugh: everybody is different
The DP on your body looks good though id leave it on there
 
CJim7 said:
A few weeks ago I finished up installing my boatside sliders. When I removed the aluminum diamond plate I installed several years ago, there was absolutely no rust underneath. When I installed these, I used a good heavy bead of RTV all the way around. This kept everything out and it showed. It was also a b@stard to get them off.

I know it's been suggested here, but Dont seal up just the top! sand, dirt, water...will still get up inside (from below) and even though water drains off, there is abrasive actions by anything left behind going on between the body and the diamond plate. You simply dont want any debris up there at all.

Most cosmetic aluminum diamond plate has a thin plastic coating on it...one to keep them looking shiny, and two to prevent oxidization. There was no sign of oxidization on mine when I removed them after several years of use.
Click to expand...

:chug:
 
IOPort51 said:
I see DP and wonder what it is covering up. 1/8" Aluminum was never what I would call "armor".
Click to expand...

I made my own out of some Chevy stepside running boards for the pure reason of cosmetics. I had a few dings that needed covering up. I liked the way they looked at the time...and when I painted the CJ, I decided to leave them on, scuff them up, and paint over them.

DSCF4271.webp
 
kickitandholdit said:
a DP cdplayer and tv in a jeep :laugh: everybody is different
The DP on your body looks good though id leave it on there
Click to expand...

I wish I would have thought of that years ago...:cool:
 
Kickit, you got it! The whole system was hooked up and worked. The sound ported thru speakers on the wheel humps.My at-the-time 2 year old daughter thought it was great sport to be able to watch cartoons as we wheeled the Jeep!

Didn't figure it would last that long in the mud we played in all the time, so it got pulled out pretty quick. I still have the head unit waiting for a truck to call its new home.

Sorry for the hijack! LOL
 
IOPort51 said:
like the man said, it's your jeep. I see DP and wonder what it is covering up. 1/8" Aluminum was never what I would call "armor".
You did ask for opinions.:cool:
Click to expand...
you said it best once again IO. again if you like it go for it.
 
mylittlecj5 said:
Kickit, you got it! The whole system was hooked up and worked. The sound ported thru speakers on the wheel humps.My at-the-time 2 year old daughter thought it was great sport to be able to watch cartoons as we wheeled the Jeep!

Didn't figure it would last that long in the mud we played in all the time, so it got pulled out pretty quick. I still have the head unit waiting for a truck to call its new home.

Sorry for the hijack! LOL
Click to expand...

well the PO must have figured why watch the big ruts and mud holes your driving through when you can watch cartoons! :laugh:
 
CJim7 said:
I made my own out of some Chevy stepside running boards for the pure reason of cosmetics. I had a few dings that needed covering up. I liked the way they looked at the time...and when I painted the CJ, I decided to leave them on, scuff them up, and paint over them.

DSCF4271.webp
Click to expand...

I like the way you painted over the DP.. I like it like that the best I think.

BTW your paint job looks awesome.. have you ever lost it before? :laugh:
But seriously did you tape it off or just free hand? I like it. :chug:
I might half to copy you on me next jeep :D
 
Are you talking about like this
if you prep it right you shouldn't have any problem only thing is it's hard to cut and bend

002-1.webp

This is 1/4 inch aluminum diamond plate and its not cheap close to $200.a sheet you need almost 2 whole sheets if its done right with this cost theirs no room for error

it also has about 2000 carriage bolts

repair all panels like you would if not plating
prim it with etching primer than re coat with reg primer

scuff it spray a light coat of paint to fill pours in primer let dry scuff again apply a heavy coat of dura liner let dry 48 hrs
cut panels to fit apply a heavy bead of clear silicon all over panel about 2 inches from edge put panel in place use C clamps to hold it in place while drilling out holes for bolts an bolting
I used a plastic shower liner I bought at home depote to make the templates since the platting is not light $90.

if I were to charge someone to do this it would be over $1600. for material parts and labor

This has around 20 + hrs in it
 
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kickitandholdit said:
I like the way you painted over the DP.. I like it like that the best I think.

BTW your paint job looks awesome.. have you ever lost it before? :laugh:
But seriously did you tape it off or just free hand? I like it. :chug:
I might half to copy you on me next jeep :D
Click to expand...

I ran them unpainted for years, and when I decided to camo the Jeep, I debated just removing them, but knew there was some extra work if I did...so I just scuffed them with steel wool, primered, and applied the paint as I did the rest of the CJ.

I've never "lost" it, but I have a few pics somewhere where you cant even tell it's there unless you look really hard for it.. :D

I free-handed it starting with a light sand base, then the brown, then the dark brown. It's important to always start with the lightest color first and progress to the darkest when painting a camo scheme. I have a bunch of pics in one of the other threads just after I painted it. If you want, I can start another thread and throw them all in there if you cant find the other one (I cant remember which one it is).

Edit: By "freehand", I mean as much as you can control Krylon rattle cans ;)
 
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