4Runner Black Emblems Vs. Plasti-dip – What’s Better?

5th Gen 4Runner Blackout Emblem Kit or Spraying your car with Plasti-dip?

Press on black emblems are the way to go, I was in a rather big debate if I should try and plasti-dip them; but thanks to Trail4Runner.com, they helped me make my final decision and to just put the black emblem kit on my car. There are a few different articles on the site for the blackout emblem kit. You can find the black on black emblem kit for the trail 4Runner with the black valance. Or, you can check out the 4Runner blackout emblem kit with the white valance on the SR5.

SR5

• The SR5 Kit (OEM TOYOTA): Check Price
• Aftermarket SR5 Version (not OEM quality): Check Price
• (2) SR5
• Front logo
• Rear logo
• Rear 4RUNNER

TRD OFF-ROAD

• The Off-Road Kit Here: Check Price
• (2) Off-Road
• (2) TRD
• Front logo
• Rear logo
• Rear 4RUNNER

To get an idea of what plasti-dip takes, check out the post on blacking out the factory rails. This will give you a much better overview of what it takes to plasti-dip something. It is not a very difficult mod. It is just a little more time consuming than the emblem kit and might require touch-up.

Back to the Emblems and Plasti-dip

The blackout emblem kit is by far the easiest install in the world. It took me max, five minutes to place them on the correct corresponding letters. I have had them on my car for a little while, they have handled a lot of different conditions.

It has been through some heat as well as some cold. They have been through a lot of mud hitting and splashing up against them and not a single problem. They are very reliable if installed properly. They have been through some pretty rigorous car washes that were done by machines, as well as me scrubbing them and I have not had a single problem with them at all. They make my car look a lot better and cooler in so many different ways.

Things to Consider with Plasti-dip & the Blackout Emblems

The thing that I am really scared about, is that I am going to lose one of them when I am driving and I am not going to have any way of knowing that I have lost it. I do not think that is a high possibility because of the adhesive on the emblems.

It is very good and like stated previously, they have not fallen off. Another thing I am worried about is that someone will know that they are just emblems and so they will come by and just take them off without me knowing.

Odds are that is not going to happen, just one of my worries. But one of the things that pushed me to get the emblems is that they are not going to need any touch-ups like the plasti-dipped emblems would need to be.

They have the possibility of getting scratched with anything that is flying up. It is the cheaper route to go at the very beginning, but it will take some more time to touch it up on a regular basis. Whether you plasti-dip them with the emblems still on the car with tape and newspaper around them, or taking the emblems off. It is going to require quite a bit of time in order to do that.

Why not just save the time today and in the future and buy the emblems and take five minutes to install them? It is seriously that easy.

4Runner Blackout Emblem Kit Pros

• Easy Install
• Weather resistant
• Made in the USA (nox lux)
• CNC Trimmed
• Durable 3M tape backing
• Good-looking matte finish

4Runner Blackout Emblem Kit Cons

• Pricy

Plasti-dip Emblem Pros

• Multiple color options
• Somewhat weather resistant

Plasti-dip Emblem Cons

• Fades over time
• Needs multiple applications
• Lengthy coating process
• Only lasts 3 years (if you are lucky)

What will you decide? Blackout Emblems or Plasti-dip?

It is a perfect and simple way to make your 4runner stand out from the rest. Just starting to get rid of the chrome and go to all black and white in order to make my car look as stylish as it possibly can.

And if you are trying to go for the look of your 4Runner to look like a stormtrooper, like some people do, then this is definitely the way to start getting the look that you desire.  A great 5-star rating.