First Vinyl Wrap completed, AMA!

[Ironsquid]

Originally Posted by Mersd

Great job!! Now I'm inspired. But why hexis and not 3m 1080. It's cheaper. Do you think 22 yards would be enough fore whole car minus roof. Also what tools do recommend for the job?
Thanks

Hexis was better quality in my opinion over 3M, sometimes price isn't always the deciding factor. Also Hexis had a better guarantee, and from the videos I watched for Hexis, it's really tough material. If you do the calculation Hexis is in yards and 3m is measured in feet, it's pretty close pricewise.

22 yards is enough though, we used about 55 feet, but we didn't do the hood, trunk or roof. Hood is roughly 5x5 and the trunk is about 4x5.

Heat gun, tempurature gun, thin utility knife, knifeless tape, linen-free glove, vinyl squeegie, nice indoor workarea, good lighting.

[Ironsquid]

Originally Posted by chadstyle

Another Floridian Rollin my wheels..

Seriously nice work with the vinyl!! You laid it down like a pro!! Now get some Eibach sportlines on there to get it sitting right.

Again, great job on the vinyl!!

We're getting some Fortune 500s in a couple weeks.

And thanks!

[Ponwh]

!! That looks amazing, wrap mine please

[Amalgamo]

Nice job, where did you get the vinyl from?

[86design]

the wrap looks great!!!! congrats!!! the color is to bright for my taste! but overall a great looking FRS sir

[Liquid Thinker]

As someone who does wraps for a living, I must say you did a nice job. I wanted to clear up a few things or offer my opinion on some things you touched on though in case others are thinking of doing the install.

Originally Posted by Ironsquid

Hexis was better quality in my opinion over 3M, sometimes price isn't always the deciding factor. Also Hexis had a better guarantee, and from the videos I watched for Hexis, it's really tough material.

Hexis, 3M, and Oracal all make very good vinyl. While they do have their small individual issues or differences they are pretty much equal.

The 10 year life that was quoted for Hexis is based on a vertical install in central European climate. They only list a recommended life of 2-3 years on wraps (depending on the vinyl and color) in their climate. Here in Florida we see year and a half two years max before they begin to show some signs of age on the hood, roof, and trunk. Which is pretty typical across the three major brands. From experience, good luck getting warranty coverage in Florida after about a year and a half from ANY manufacturer.

All 3 major brands install fairly similarly. Most of Oracal's films are thinner and they wrap complex shapes/curves easier but they will tear a bit easier if you tug on them to stretch them out. The same is true for virtually all carbon fiber vinyl, it likes to tear along the pattern when stretching it. Hexis has a tendency to pull away and lift off some plastics and such but they have very specific lift test instructions on their site to check your surface before ordering. 3M can be less tolerant of high and low temps when it comes to install. All these issues are incredibly minor but will give you an idea of the small differences.

As long as the vinyl is made by 3M, Hexis, or Oracal you should be fine. Just order from whoever makes the color or texture you want.

[Lemar58]

This looks so good damn. I wanna do this in a matte white or gloss on my raven

[Liquid Thinker]

Originally Posted by Lemar58

This looks so good damn. I wanna do this in a matte white or gloss on my raven

Covering a black car in white is lots of fun. You might also check out satin white, its a bit different so you will stand out and it looks really clean IMO.

[Shankenstein]

Vinyl people,

I got a price on Matte Finish 3M VentureShield (4'x50' roll = $800) from AVS. That's enough to cover the main body panels (not including hood, roof, trunk). The paint is Lava, so it should look like this:


My question is what finish should I use for the hood, roof and trunk?

I think the 1080 Scotchprint Carbon Fiber looks very good, but it's borderline unclassy (read: rice). Satin black is currently the top choice. Gloss black would pop nicely. Matte black would blend in well and still have contrast.

I need some opinions to help solidify a decision. My artsy side is admittedly deficient, so hopefully you guys can help keep me classy and unique.

[Adeets]

Anyone have any experience with professional plasti dipping a car? I've heard alot of goods, but haven't heard of any real negative side, weight is guessitmated at 3lbs total for the frs/BRZ for the entire car.

[wbradley]

I like. Others will hate, no doubt.

It screams, "Get outta my wayyy"!!!

[Shankenstein]

It's a fun project that can give you a temporary color change for cheap. Fine choice for alot of people. Cans, Wagner power sprayer, or HVLP gun all work well. Just depends on your setup and experience. Thin it out properly and apply plenty of PD and you'll be fine.

Negatives (since you asked): doesn't last long, time consuming to remove completely, requires a place to spray.

I'd prefer something longer-term, and vinyl wrapping is pretty fun (though I wouldn't want to do it for a living). The project time / $$ ratio (a parameter highly correlated to WAF) is pretty good too. Just requires patience and a clean car.

[Liquid Thinker]

Originally Posted by Shankenstein

Vinyl people,

I got a price on Matte Finish 3M VentureShield (4'x50' roll = $800) from AVS. That's enough to cover the main body panels (not including hood, roof, trunk).

That is not a bad price but installing VentureShield is a bit more complicated that regular vinyl wrap. The car must be spotless and you must insure that not even finger prints get on the surface while applying the film. Its a wet install and you must get the application fluid right to avoid clouding/silvering (though not as big an issue on matte). I would strongly suggest getting a sheet and trying to wrap a panel first before you invest $800.

I haven't wrapped an FRS or BRZ yet but looking at it I think its going to be hard to be seamless with a 48" roll. The rear quarter panel/side skirt/roof line area is a concern if you go with 48".

Unless you are really sold on the matte protective film, I would think about wrapping the whole car in matte vinyl (if you can find a color you like). Its easier and cheaper.

Originally Posted by Shankenstein;835494[B

My question is what finish should I use for the hood, roof and trunk?[/B]

I think the 1080 Scotchprint Carbon Fiber looks very good, but it's borderline unclassy (read: rice). Satin black is currently the top choice. Gloss black would pop nicely. Matte black would blend in well and still have contrast.

I need some opinions to help solidify a decision. My artsy side is admittedly deficient, so hopefully you guys can help keep me classy and unique.

I think mixing satin and matte is a mistake. I have never seen that turn out well they are bit too close and end up just looking mismatched instead of contrasting. I think the black (non-glossy) or maybe even the graphite carbon fiber would look nice, but carbon fiber is a love it or hate it type of thing.

[Ironsquid]

Here's a closeup with new Spyder Tails