Vehicle wraps - anybody done it? Options

[patssle]

I saw a 928 today that was wrapped with a solid red color instead of painted - I'm sold. It looks fantastic. 10 feet away - you cannot tell it's a wrap. 5 feet away - if you're not looking it can pass as paint. He paid $3k for it. That's a bit cheaper than a paint job - and they removed no trim or anything. Remarkable.

Has anybody had their 914 wrapped instead of painted? How did it go - any issues?

[Millerwelds]

I did my entire car in white wrap. There is a company out of Oregon I found online that sells partial rolls (I'd have to dig for receipts to find the company and the exact product used). I did the whole car for about $300. I did the entire thing in my garage one panel at a time. From 10 feet you can not tell. Up close you can see the seams around the front turn signals and the windshield frame. Overall I am very pleased with it. I wash it with soap and water and I have run it through the car wash a handful of times. It is rated for ten years and I keep the car garaged. I do use it as my daily driver so it sits in the sun all day everyday. I had never worked with the material before and just decided to go for it. I did a panel or two each weekend so it took me a like two months to get it done. So far it is holding up well. Some tips:

Use adhesive in recessed areas like the door handle pockets and around the fender lips. This will help it stick and keep it from lifting. I have a few areas lifting and most people would think it was rust bubbles under the paint.

Prep the car as if you were doing a paint job. Any paint dings, deep scratches, etc will be visible through the vinyl. I used denatured alcohol to clean each panel before install.

I used a heat gun but a torch can work as well. It is interesting to work with as when you mess up you can pull it back up, heat it with the gun and it will morph back to a clean sheet.

The hardest area for me was the rear 1/4 panels with multi directional shapes. I screwed up one twice and had to toss the material. Because of that I had to buy more. If I did not have to do that I think I could have done it for under $200. The rear decklid actually has enough of a compound curve that it is a little difficult as well.

There are a lot of videos on Youtube that give good guidance. Pro shops would wrap the car in one whole sheet in one sitting so not all videos apply.

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[Mike Bellis]

Wow, looks great. I've been think of doing this too.

[moparrob]

That would be really cool with a carbon fiber wrap of the hood and sail panels...

[mepstein]

That looks great. Great way to make a dd look nice.

[oldschool]

I just saw a BMW on the 605fwy with a carb/hood.

[euro911]

That looks amazing. Is there a wide array of colors to choose from?

Please share your source if you find the receipt (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[Millerwelds]

I found the product I used. It is Orojet 3951ra

"2 mil cast, glossy white 10 year premium high performance vinyl with repositionable & removable, permanent solvent adhesive. Designed specifically to conform to irregular surfaces such as vehicle wraps and other fleet applications. 80# PE-coated silicone paper featuring advanced air-release technology to facilitate quicker, easier application. For best results on vehicle wraps, use with ORAGUARD 290 cast overlaminate film. $.99 per sq ft."

The base White is intended to be printed on for graphics in which case then you need an overlay to protect the ink. I used it just by itself.

[CptTripps]

I had a thread on this somewhere a few weeks ago.

I bought a bunch of samples and had 3M send me the sample kit too.

Stuff is pretty awesome. 3M-1080 ScotchPrint is great. I got samples of the Oracal too. Amazon has 1'x5' pieces pretty cheap.

[euro911]

60 inches x 150 ft ... $700 + shipping (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) US Cutter

[patssle]

That looks great. Great way to make a dd look nice.

It really is a perfect solution for a DD. You can really only tell it's a wrap when you're a couple feet away from the car. And since it's not a show car - the only person looking at your car that closely is you!

Thanks for the pics Millerwelds - it looks great and is a perfect example of how good a wrap can look. The only concern I've heard for color-wraps is fading - but white should be good for a long time. BTW - do you work for Miller?

[Millerwelds]

BTW - do you work for Miller?

I used to work in a welding supply company and we sold a lot of Miller products. Now days I sell Real Estate.

[Nine_14]

Carbon Style sample

[R8CERX]

WWWD?

(What Would Woodruff Do? ....for those not aware of the meaning...)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[DRPHIL914]

http://www.alsacorp.com/#

I ran across this stuff a few years ago, and always thought it would be cool to do a car in the chrome wrap-

[7TPorsh]

Carbon Style sample

Love how people add 20 pounds of vinyl to make the car look lighter. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

[7TPorsh]

This is the only Woodruff I know. Anyone live in LA the last 40 years has seen this guy at one time or another...self proclaimed celebrity.

A male version of Angelynne...sort of.

[R8CERX]

This is the only Woodruff I know. Anyone live in LA the last 40 years has seen this guy at one time or another...self proclaimed celebrity.

A male version of Angelynne...sort of.

It sure fits the profile of our beloved and sick Woodruff...... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif)

Did he take the car shown to Tejas?
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[7TPorsh]

WHo needs a wrap when you can do this!

[Van914]

I saw a Cayman this weekend. I talked to the owner and he loves it. He says one word of warning. Get a Pro to install and do not let them use razor blades to cut. It will leave scratches. He says his installer used a string method to cut.

Van914