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DIY Vinyl Car Wrappers: tell me more

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Old 09-27-2017, 02:44 PM
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5CHN3LL
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Default DIY Vinyl Car Wrappers: tell me more

I'd been toying with the idea of selling my 996 and getting a newer car - but of course I stupidly AXed the car last Sunday...and I'm firmly back in the "keep it 'til one of us dies" camp.

My paint...well, it looks like a car that was painted in 1998. Chips, pits, and even a couple of little dents.

I don't want to paint the car - I'm too cheap to put the money into a proper paint job, I don't want to apply a crappy paint job. So...vinyl wrap seems like maybe the ticket for protecting what's left as well as covering up the shameful bits.

If you've wrapped your car, tell me more. Best products? (3M, I'm assuming)? Best tips and tricks?

Thanks in advance...
Old 09-27-2017, 02:50 PM
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charlieaf92
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I've never done it, but I'm curious as well. If you move forward, I expect a thread documenting the process and your experience!
Old 09-27-2017, 02:53 PM
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Turbojamie
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Pay someone, all the video's online make it look easy its not. Compound curves etc, stretching vinyl to curve, cutting etc forget it.
Old 09-27-2017, 03:13 PM
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Paul Waterloo
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Here's a guy who did his own 951, you would find this interesting:

https://rennlist.com/forums/944-turb...hite-wrap.html
Old 09-27-2017, 03:41 PM
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AWDGuy
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Originally Posted by Turbojamie
Pay someone, all the video's online make it look easy its not. Compound curves etc, stretching vinyl to curve, cutting etc forget it.
Then he's in the area of a ****ty paint job price wise. I don't know how much it cost to wrap a car in your area but a full wrap job here from a pro can be close to $5000 (even more)
Old 09-27-2017, 03:45 PM
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Kalashnikov
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It is a very painful DIY process Dallas.

I've done this on my Acura many years ago. It was a mistake.

The stretching and heating the vinyl with heat gun to get it wrapped around curves is very difficult and takes ages if you are doing it alone. If you mess it up, then you have to replace the vinyl in that section. Cutting the vinyl and squeegeeing the car is also very time consuming and frustrating; trying to get a few air bubbles out with needle is also silly.

Worst thing that happened to me was that when I took the wrap off, most of the adhesive stayed on the car. I take it that massive AZ summer heat just melted it and adhesive was not designed for such extreme heat.
Old 09-27-2017, 03:49 PM
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AWDGuy
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Yeah...more on that adhesive.

I'm a detailer and I've gotten asked to fix paint on cars that had vinyl wraps removed. For the most part l, it comes off pretty clean but in some cases it will leave the adhesive and this will cost you hundreds to properly remove. I recently did a BMW 7 series that had clear coat damage from whomever pulled off the vinyl.
Old 09-27-2017, 03:56 PM
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thebowl
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Wow, does this sound like a horrible idea. I once put a mylar overlay on a pinball playfield. It came out OK, but it was basically a flat surface. I don't even want to think about what it would be like trying to do it to a Porsche without effing it up.
Old 09-27-2017, 03:58 PM
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TonyTwoBags
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You know what to do.


Gloss white. Match the vette. Do it.
Old 09-27-2017, 04:38 PM
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808Bill
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Leave it and just drive...
Old 09-27-2017, 06:08 PM
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Dr_Strangelove
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There's a guy on the 997 board who is almost done wrapping his cab. He mentioned he needed help on some of the trickier parts.

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...inyl-wrap.html
Old 09-27-2017, 07:57 PM
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RngTrtl
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My friend professionally installs this and believe you me, if you want it to look right you do not want to attempt this yourself. Training installers takes months of day in day out apprenticeship to get the skills required. Buy a POS roller of any car on cragslist for a couple hundred bones and then give it a try for a practice run and I think you'll see how difficult it is to do well.
Old 09-27-2017, 08:10 PM
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mrjonger
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How about a sponsor? I think the car has be less than 5 years old, but maybe they'll bend the rules for a Porsche.

http://www.wrapify.com/
Old 09-27-2017, 09:53 PM
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dupemaster
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Have you looked into plastidip? I just ordered a kit for $400. Supposedly you can do it in a weekend. I peeled the previous dip off in a couple days. It didn't seem to have any negative effect on the paint.
Old 09-27-2017, 11:11 PM
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derv88
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Originally Posted by dupemaster
Have you looked into plastidip? I just ordered a kit for $400. Supposedly you can do it in a weekend. I peeled the previous dip off in a couple days. It didn't seem to have any negative effect on the paint.
Curious about this option


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