vinyl wrap questions (luxury, vehicles, 2015, motorcycles)

[victimofGM]

I have a car bought new January 2015. I've thought about getting a vinyl wrap to help protect the paint from sun and rock damage. About how long does a good vinyl wrap last? About how much does it cost? I wouldn't want some crazy pattern nor advertising. I'd look into something more close to factory colors.

[Sherifftruman]

No idea about costs and whatnot, but I have a 2004 MINI Cooper S with a checkered top. The car itself has a white painted top and the black squares are vinyl. This was applied by the dealer prior to delivery in November 2003. Still looks pretty much perfect now after 100,000 miles.

[rbohm]

as with anything it depends on what level of quality of product used, how well it is cared for, who installed it, and what conditions it is used under. what works well in north carolina, might not work very well in tucson arizona.

[adr3naline]

They can last many years if installed and maintained correctly. For example, if you leave your car outside to bake in the sun, it's likely that the vinyl will fade over time or become discolored. Peeling isn't much of an issue anymore.

Cost depends on the vinyl choice, shop, and vehicle. You can buy DIY materials for a couple hundred bucks and do it yourself, but prepare for frustration. I've wrapped motorcycles and it requires a lot of patience, technique.

Shop charges are all over the place. I've seen them as cheap as $1000 (supplies + labor) or up to $4500 for luxury vehicles with chrome reflection.

[Rynldsbr]

Personally I don't think it is worth the expense with today's finishes.

Having used wraps on a variety of vehicles in fleets I can tell you the life of the wrap is dependent on the material and the installer. Good material (3M is the best I have found) will last without fading and is durable. Getting it put on by a trained and skilled installer will make all the difference in the world. Do not try to "cheap" this if you decide to do it.

Last year our fleet had ~400 vehicles with wraps on the hoods and roofs. Almost half failed because the installer was pulling them too tightly on the edges and the material was pulling away from the edges of the hoods and roof. Our supplier for the vehicles had to have a local company come out and replace all or some of the wraps on nearly 200 vehicles.

[Hemlock140]

I had a sign business for 16 years and did many wraps. Back when I last did it, about 2007, I would charge about $2,000 for plain solid color premium vinyl on a midsized vehicle, and the factory warranty on the material, if installed correctly on a perfectly clean surface was 8 years. Actual time varies by climate, however. Hot sun shortens the life drastically. Manufacturer warranty is based on lettering applied to a flat, vertical (sign) surface. When a car has a hood, roof and trunk in full sun all day it can start to fade, shrink, and lose edge adhesion in as little as 2-3 years in places like Arizona. The worst reason for doing this is the removal. Often people would be surprised that I would charge almost as much to take it off. Despite no material cost, the labor is much higher with having to peel a little at a time using a heat gun to soften it, then scrub off the remaining adhesive with denatured alcohol.

[POS VETT]

Did you know anything about clear bra?

[thejackalope]

You're going to make your car ugly and protect paint that you'll never see because it's under a wrap??

[lewdog_5]

Only wrap if you like the look of the wrap. Wrapping your car to protect the paint is silly if you don't like the look. The look definitely isn't very everyone. I still don't like most of it.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by POS VETT

Did you know anything about clear bra?

I made those for the local Mercedes dealer, and they sold it as a dealer installed option. It only protects the front hood/painted grill areas from stone chips and when done right is barely visible.