Man creates ‘world’s most expensive Cybertruck’ covered in real 24K gold

Bought a Cybertruck and are already bored of it?

Sick of not getting enough looks in your regular car?

Just curious to see how much it cost to plate a Cybertruck in 24K gold? All fair reasons for clicking here.

YouTuber JerryRigEverything (Zack Nelson) had been dreaming of being the first to cover a Cybertruck in gold. Relatable, right? But he put his dreams on hold when he saw the price tag of that much gold.

Lucky for him, the brand Ridge came in with the goods. Ridge provided Zack with the truck and the budget to achieve his dream. And his efforts did not disappoint.

How much did this shiny gold spectacle cost to create then? Zack says $60,000 worth of gold and 4 days of round the clock work from his team. But that’s just for the gold. Stay tuned for the value of the finished product.

If you’re thinking of gold plating your own Cybertruck (although I suppose this could also work on a Ford Fiesta?) then listen up.

3 steps to gold-plating a Cybertruck

First up, you have to prep. The team removed all the exterior trim pieces, side sensors and side mirrors as Zack explains “we need as much access to the bare stainless steel as possible”.

According to Zack, adding the gold was “extremely easy while at the same time extraordinarily difficult”. So buckle up as I attempt to talk through some science...

Step 1 – Electro cleaner

To gold plate the Cybertruck, the whole surface needs to be in water so that electricity can be conducted through it. The electro cleaner is made up of a sponge saturated with a kind of “concentrated dish soap” which is then rubbed onto the surface.

Step 2 – TriVal 24K acid gold strike

Sounds scary, and it probably is, as Zack whacks on his protective glasses to talk through this one.

The gold strike is an acid that etches the surface of the stainless steel and “deposits a very thin, almost non-visible flash of gold over the surface”. This is what the gold will cling to.

Step 3 – Add gold (purple goop)

OK, now for the fun bit. The 24K gold comes in the form of a purple gloop. That’s literally the only way I can describe it. It’s mixed with a little bit of cobalt which acts as a hardener and is hooked up to electricity just like the other steps to allow the gold to lay on top of the Cybertruck.

To ensure electricity is passed through to the Cybertruck, the team must also use a negative electrode in the form of copper strips, plated with gold and attached to a magnet. This is laid on the portion of the car that they’re plating. Electricity is then passed from the positive electrode (made from platinized titanium) through to the Cybertruck and the negative electrode.

Because a regular Cybertruck just isn't flashy enough (zacksjerryrig via Instagram)

But the truck wasn’t finished yet. Before reattaching the mirrors and the rest of the trim, Zack headed over to a luxury car garage to add a protective skin that will keep the gold undamaged for the next 10 years.

If you like watching oddly satisfying videos, you need to see the application of the protective film. It’s laid over the wet truck and slid into place, before the liquid is squeegeed out.

Finally, to level up this truck even more, the team added a FormulaOne Stratos nano ceramic window tint, blocking 99% of UVs and 97% of infrared heat from the sun and keeping this Cybertruck cool.

And just like that, the truck was covered in real gold, and all I’ll say is I wouldn’t say no to driving it. Then again, I do drive a very old Polo so I’m not picky.

The total

After four days of work, a team of professionals wrapping the car in protective gear and of course a 24K gold layer, what’s the total value of the truck now? Zack reckons he’s increased the value by at least $100,000. So if Cybertrucks weren't already boujiee enough for you, maybe you need a gold one.

Good news for anyone drooling over Zack's creation, too. Ridge are actually planning to give this Cybertruck away later this year. Yep, you could be driving around in a 24K gold plated Cybertruck. Not great if you’re trying to find parking in a dodgy area as it does not fly under the radar, but im sure there’s someone out there who can make it work. Keep an eye on Ridge’s socials for any giveaway announcements.