How to Make a Glow in the Dark Car Vehicle Antenna

I was having a tough time finding my white car occasionally. I wanted to remedy that situation by having an antenna that was unique and stood out in a crowd. I settled on a Glow option as it would be a lighter color than other vehicles and “of course” glows in the dark!

MATERIALS How to Make a Glow in the Dark Car Vehicle Antenna

• Dupli-Color adhesion promoter
• Dupli-color sandable primer
• White Plasti Dip
• Clear Plasti Dip
• Ultra Blue Glow-in-the-dark Powder

STEPS Step 1: Prep the Antenna

I started by simply unscrewing and removing the antenna from the vehicle so I could work on it. First, I lightly sanded the antenna so I could prep it for the adhesion promoter. Then washed it with dish soap to remove any loose particles from sanding, and degreased it.

Step 2: Apply Adhesion Promoter

Since I had no idea what kind of plastic I was coating I did not want to leave this to chance. I applied three coats of Dupli-Color adhesion promoter to the antenna to guarantee that whatever paint I applied on the antenna would stick. The directions recommend to wait ten minutes between coats.

Step 3: Apply the Primer

Next, I laid down a light coat of white automotive primer to create a white base coat. (See video) I kept it light since the I did not want there to be any chance of it cracking. The main purpose of the primer was for the white base color and to improve the adhesion of the plastiDip.

Step 4: Apply the White Plasti Dip

Once the primer had a chance to set but not fully dry (about 30 minutes) I began to lay down the first of the three coats of Plasti Dip. I waited about 20 minutes in between the coats for the material to flash before I applied the next coat. (“Flash” means some of the solvent in the paint has had time to evaporate, you can tell this when the paint changes from glossy to a satin finish)

Step 5: Apply the Glow Powder

After the third and last white Plasti Dip coat, I immediately started to sprinkle on the Ultra Blue Glow in the dark powder (see video). I then sprayed a coat of clear Plasti Dip on top of the powder and repeated the process with another coat of glow powder. I did this three times until I felt there was sufficient glow in the dark material on the antenna.

Step 4: Apply the Clear Plasti Dip

I then let that dry about an hour and applied two more coats of clear plasti Dip to seal the powder and make the antenna smooth again. I let it dry for 24 hours before I re-attached it back onto my car.

That’s it. It glows at dusk, maybe last for 2-3 hours, but is easy to recharge with the headlight of your car, or cell phone flash. Pretty sweet driving around with a glow in the dark whip tail on your car. Nobody else has one! At least for now. Good luck to everyone that tries the mod. Have fun.

Read How to Make a Glow in the Dark Car Vehicle Antenna at SolidSmack.

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