Haters come n' hate.... Vinyl wrap... so's I can go back to OBP when I get sick of it.... I've got the CF wrap for the grille waiting in the wings
WHy is there a faceless person in pic 2 in biking shorts? I think it looks good but I wouldnt be surprised if some of the paint came up with the vinyl when you do decide to take it off. Just preparing you because I have seen it before on full body wraps.
Hard to say really, trying to confirm a source for the vinyl as I got a deal on the roll I used. And this is the latest version of the 3m control tack adhesive, so it should be good for pull up..... but of course time will tell.
It looks awesome, did you do it all yourself. If so I'd like to take a look at it I'm considering doing my new car in a flat white
Looks sick. The vinyl wrap won't pull up paint if you use a heat gun to soften the glue before pulling up. It's a SLOW process and takes about as long as it took to put it on if you remove it the right way. FLAT/Matte black looks so sick on the hatch STi. And from the pics, you did a superb job. Least you don't have to worry about rock chips on the paint.
So if I've always wanted a white car, but not willing to repaint my silver car... would this be an option? And hmmm... matte white... I'm just kinda enthralled that maybe all of the imperfections on my car could possibly get covered up with something that is 100% removeable... how long do these vinyl overlays last? and how do they age? Interested...
They last a long time if your car is under shade. If it's out in the sun all the time over time the vinyl will crack and dry out but that's like 3-5 years. BUT some of the newer products I've worked with are thicker, more pliable, and better so they should last forever. Just use quality vinyl 3M makes some for that purpose and lasts a LONG time if taken care of. The main thing is to make darn sure all surfaces are SQUEAKY clean and you need to 'wrap' the vinyl so it has to be clean under the edges too.
So how does this work with dings on the body... for instance on the top of my trunk, I have a couple of small dimple dings that you can see pretty easily with the glossy paint job... will they typically show better/worse with matte white? Man, I love white... trying to find some pics of matte white 2005 stis...
As far as I know, full car wraps can be in the 1000s from a reputable installer. I think even J's Graphics on NASIOC is up there.
We just did this to my roof on Saturday – can't imagine doing a whole car on my own. But dayum, it's sexy.
I am on a hiatus from waxing too, but that's just because I am lazy. Flat black looks sexy. Good Job!
Will get pics of the door handle area later. I pulled the handles so the door area under them is smooth. Door jambs just have the 1/4" tuck so it's not perfeclty clean when you open the doors. The vinyl wrap is not meant as a replacement for a quality paint job as there will be imperfections in the wrap just due to the limitations of the material and the contours of the vehicle- but it is a fantastic alternative. As far as dents/dings.... still visible I'm sorry to say. paint chips in the hood are not though. Retail pricing I found anywhere from ~1200 for just the labor to ~2800 out the door from the guys wrapping the Lambos and Ferraris. Matte white is available as is matte gray in the 3M material I used; but it is all hard to find stocked anywhere. I'm going to give updates as to how the "radically stretched" areas fare as the car is in the sun over the next few weeks. I'd be willing to bet the front bumper vents will need some further attention once all is said and done. I would be willing to discuss doing wraps for folks if it is beneficial to both parties.
Sorry to bump an old thread but I was curious where you can get the vinyl wrap from? I'm looking to wrap mine in a flat yellow.
I got it third (maybe fourth) hand from a wrap company up in NJ as they had a remnant off a roll they used on a Maserati.....