Parnelli

All--

Am kicking around the idea of getting my 993 Turbo 'wrapped' (Riviera Blue in color, of course). It would be done only by a professional.

What are the pro's and con's of doing this? How difficult exactly is to install and to do and remove? Will it harm my paint?

Any and all suggestions, comments, info, etc is appreciated.

Thanks!

tcsracing1

typically it was was hard to find a quality product that looked as good as paint other then the matte finish.

If you can first find the product, you will then need to buy the whole roll which will be $$ as you are only doing one car and the roll can generally do multiple cars.

the man hours to do a quality job run as high as 100 hours from what we have seen here on rennlist.

It is a really cool idea however as it saves your original paint and gives you the color you want.

If i could have my C4S wrapped in rivi blue with a quality install for realistic money id do it.

Ynot

Like you, I am thinking about wrapping my car in rivi blue too but most wraps are matte which isn't what I want. Then I see this intense blue which sparkles and had me thinking about it again.

goofballdeluxe

Pros: way cheaper than a new paint job. Looks great when done right. Lasts many years, if cared for properly.

Cons: Still a few thousand bucks for a good job. Won't last as long as a good paint job. Finding the color/good installer you want could pose a challenge if you don't live near a major city.

Knight

Pros - It will protect your paint similar to a clear bra. Typically these products are easier to wrap vs a clear bra too, but keep in mind an experienced installer is a must. I heard the curvature and details on a 993 makes the job much more challenging vs a modern pcar such as a 997. Look at the curvature on our front fenders already to wrap in one piece.

The controversy over whether it will peel your paint upon removal is still in debate, but if you have original oem paint or a quality refinish cured it should be fine. The adhesion is not as harsh vs a clear bra, from what I've been told by installers.

Cons - Cost of course. 100 labour hours no problem IMO due to all the fine details. Bumpers, all seals etc must be removed just to ensure full wrap around the edges. Some parts cannot be wrapped too due to the shape, such as door handles, mirrors, turbo s ducts and the TT spoiler, these will need to be removed painted. So if your particular about OEM paint that's a possible setback.

Locally we are fortunate here to have a top notch installer who has wrapped lots of high end cars.

Overall it's still cheaper than a proper respray cause honestly to do a proper full respray including inside jams etc that is easily $10K at minimum IMO.

Kika

There is an orange Maserati around my neighborhood that obviously has a wrap. I don't say that in meaning it looks bad, in fact I think it looks downright awesome. It is a matte finish, which probably is not to everyone's liking.

Whether it is considered cheap or expensive I think depends on your needs. If you want to change the color permanently, it is probably better to go with a nice paint job and be done with it. Wrapping offers you a shorter term solution, flexibility to change colors.

I am guess the wrap itself also offers some inherent protection from chips, nicks and scratches that paint won't.

What is the condition of your current paint? I would tend to lean more towards wrapping it the better the current paint is, just to protect it. Original paint on a 993 turbo has got to be a good re-sale point.

Parnelli

My paint is in excellent condition. I did have the hood and front fenders re-sprayed due to rock chips about 2 years ago. It was done at a Porsche dealership's own internal body shop so the quality is very good.

Parnelli

Funny, this is the EXACT picture that got me thinking about wraps!
I saw it on a SixSpeed forum. I would definitely consider that color if it looks better in "wrap" form than Rivi Blue does. Would it??

pirahna

Pros: If your current paint is in very good condition then it is worth significantly more money with all original paint. A wrap can give you the color change you are looking for without sacrificing that paint. Riviera blue looks awesome.

Cons: It is expensive, less than a top notch paint job but still several thousand dollars for a quality job. Some items will still need to be painted so you no longer have 100% original paint.

eeterp

Go for it! You can always remove it and go back to original paint down the road.

aarrow

I'm pretty sure I plucked this picture from RL. Perhaps someone has more info on it?

996

^^ this is my C4S. The vinyl wrap was done couple months ago. I always want a Riviera Blue 993 and I've thought about respray my car. But since the org. paint condition is still in great shape (car has only 35K mile), even all body shop ask me to vinyl wrap instead to paint. I've pick Avery light blue vinyl. It is almost 100% match with Riviera Blue. 3M intense blue is abit darker. I've painted my rear spoiler, mirrors, door handles and Turbo S duct in Riviera Blue paint code. So far I'm glad I did the wrap, most people can't tell is a wrap at PCA event when I parked beside other 993.

Pro: You can change any color you want and don't worry about resell value. A good detail vinyl wrap job is about half the price of color change paint job. Color vinyl are design to be removable, so it can reverse when needed. A protection of OEM paint. I've attended 3 PCA driving event and find zero stone chip yet.

Con: Still a $4-6K job, Limited color choice, Vinyl will never glossy like fresh polish paint.

Enough talk, more pics!

p993enthusiast

very nice!

Parnelli

996-- YOUR car looks amazing! How long did that take to do. Is it a problem having to paint certain parts of the car such as mirrors and spoiler if and when you bring it back to it's original color?

mgianzero

Pardon my ignorance but ...

1). How do you care for a wrap? Do you use wax, protectants, polish or just plain wash?
2). How are the engine bay and door jams done? The stickers still show.
3). How long do these wraps last due to UV damage, wear and tear?