Vinyl car wraps?????
#46
A wrap in Vancouver is now $3500 and if the doors and under the hood is done it could cost double that..so I've been told.
#47
I recently considered wrapping my C4S.. I would love to see some pictures of the doorframes kept un-wrapped and maybe someone can also post pics of their doorframes wrapped (to better judge if it is worth the extra 2k)
#48
Burning Brakes
Vinyl car wraps?????
Originally Posted by dw.metro
+1 for bright colored wraps. Mine is done with 3M Intense Blue and was wrapped a month ago. No regrets whatsoever. People now smile at my car.
#50
#52
How well does a vinyl wrap work at protecting the car on the track? That would justify the investment if I can keep the original paint in great shape while having some fun with livery/interesting colors.
#53
Rennlist Member
I had my Hood, Front and Rear Bumper done in black. However the front was damage during my 40k Service and had to be removed. I have been thinking about getting my entire car done in Mexico Blue.
But that will not happen until next year if at all.
But that will not happen until next year if at all.
#54
Rennlist Member
#55
How well did it protect the paint? Does vinyl work better than clear bra or about the same?
#56
Rennlist Member
when I removed the damaged front it left the paint in great shape just as it was prior to the install. Also the removal is real easy and does not leave any residue nor did it damage the clear coat.
I am not sure if the clear will be as good as the vinyl. I have not had clear on my car. So in that regard I can not help out.
#57
Rennlist Member
My wife wraps her minis as she likes purples and they are often unavailable. The surface finish quality is a lot lower than paint, but it's easy to remove if you get sick of it. Cost was $2000-2500 for a mini Cooper, so I would guess about $3k-4k is right for a 911. That included e.g. removing tail lights and badges to get seams right but not wrapping door and trunk interiors and the like. It starts looking meh after a few years so just plan to pull it off after 3-5 years and you'll probably be happy. It's like a clear bra for care, so be careful with pressure washers near the edges and rock chops or you'll possibly pull it up. You can clear bra on top of the vinyl (for front end rock chipping). Gloss finishes in vinyl are more satin and have a wavy finish that's hard to describe but is due to how Wraps are applied (often heat stretched if I understand the process). Matte colors are kind of fun if you like them. She's trying a matte purple this time around and will pick the car up this week.
#58
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
My wife wraps her minis as she likes purples and they are often unavailable. The surface finish quality is a lot lower than paint, but it's easy to remove if you get sick of it. Cost was $2000-2500 for a mini Cooper, so I would guess about $3k-4k is right for a 911. That included e.g. removing tail lights and badges to get seams right but not wrapping door and trunk interiors and the like. It starts looking meh after a few years so just plan to pull it off after 3-5 years and you'll probably be happy. It's like a clear bra for care, so be careful with pressure washers near the edges and rock chops or you'll possibly pull it up. You can clear bra on top of the vinyl (for front end rock chipping). Gloss finishes in vinyl are more satin and have a wavy finish that's hard to describe but is due to how Wraps are applied (often heat stretched if I understand the process). Matte colors are kind of fun if you like them. She's trying a matte purple this time around and will pick the car up this week.
#59
My wife wraps her minis as she likes purples and they are often unavailable. The surface finish quality is a lot lower than paint, but it's easy to remove if you get sick of it. Cost was $2000-2500 for a mini Cooper, so I would guess about $3k-4k is right for a 911. That included e.g. removing tail lights and badges to get seams right but not wrapping door and trunk interiors and the like. It starts looking meh after a few years so just plan to pull it off after 3-5 years and you'll probably be happy. It's like a clear bra for care, so be careful with pressure washers near the edges and rock chops or you'll possibly pull it up. You can clear bra on top of the vinyl (for front end rock chipping). Gloss finishes in vinyl are more satin and have a wavy finish that's hard to describe but is due to how Wraps are applied (often heat stretched if I understand the process). Matte colors are kind of fun if you like them. She's trying a matte purple this time around and will pick the car up this week.
I definitely want to do something to protect the front of my car when on the track. For some reason I do not like the idea of the clear bra alone; it seems that a wrap costs just as much and you can have a lot of fun with it. My car is white so I am tempted to do some type of livery on the front half of the car and do something simple to the back to keep costs reasonable. Perhaps even RS-style along the lower sills and then to protect the rear area.
#60
Rennlist Member
I uploaded pictures of her last one and the one that's being finished right now into this album:
https://rennlist.com/g/album/4573296
The car she just sold is the lighter purple one. She digitized a Disney paint sample and had the color printed. That process uses a wrap with a thin clear top coat that is somewhat fragile. The top coat peeled on the driver door in a 1" wide by 2" tall area. The front end had no issues as we had added clear bra to cover it, but it would have been damaged by rock chips otherwise.
The new car is using a 3M Matte Purple color. The Mini dealer has told us this spec color line is much more durable, and the samples look that way. Less options but better longevity, and she likes the matte purple quite well so it worked out all around. Once we pick up the car I can post further impressions.
I don't have any images that show the waviness I described, so I'll try with words. A great wax on a nice paint job gives the car depth. The wrap has extremely shallow depth that has variability across areas. It seems like the amount of stretching required to fit the wrap may influence it as it changes the thickness and higher order optical properties of the finish.
My wife really doesn't much care about that as long as the car is fun and looks good from five or ten feet. Wraps do that for her very well. A paint aficionado would need to skip it. If it's something for a few years though, it might be fun. Also, matte colors are difficult to do with paint but easy with a wrap if that's your thing.
I have a black 911 and don't like how much maintenance it takes to keep it looking great, so I'll think about having it wrapped in a year or two when we have some more free income. Sometimes change like that keeps a car feeling fresh and new.
From the short album linked above, here's the previous Mini:
And here's the in-work Mini:
https://rennlist.com/g/album/4573296
The car she just sold is the lighter purple one. She digitized a Disney paint sample and had the color printed. That process uses a wrap with a thin clear top coat that is somewhat fragile. The top coat peeled on the driver door in a 1" wide by 2" tall area. The front end had no issues as we had added clear bra to cover it, but it would have been damaged by rock chips otherwise.
The new car is using a 3M Matte Purple color. The Mini dealer has told us this spec color line is much more durable, and the samples look that way. Less options but better longevity, and she likes the matte purple quite well so it worked out all around. Once we pick up the car I can post further impressions.
I don't have any images that show the waviness I described, so I'll try with words. A great wax on a nice paint job gives the car depth. The wrap has extremely shallow depth that has variability across areas. It seems like the amount of stretching required to fit the wrap may influence it as it changes the thickness and higher order optical properties of the finish.
My wife really doesn't much care about that as long as the car is fun and looks good from five or ten feet. Wraps do that for her very well. A paint aficionado would need to skip it. If it's something for a few years though, it might be fun. Also, matte colors are difficult to do with paint but easy with a wrap if that's your thing.
I have a black 911 and don't like how much maintenance it takes to keep it looking great, so I'll think about having it wrapped in a year or two when we have some more free income. Sometimes change like that keeps a car feeling fresh and new.
From the short album linked above, here's the previous Mini:
And here's the in-work Mini: