Vinyl for a car wrap?

Here's the scenario. The ms3 is black. I want it to be blue. I've been doing some research, and I think I can wrap it myself. It won't be a professional level job, but those are multiple thousands of dollars, and this is GRM after all. What I need to know is- how do I figure how much SF in vinyl do I need? I can get the stuff I want in either 40ft rolls, or 80ft rolls. they're 5 feet wide- so either 200 s/f or 400 s/f.... Do i really need to go out and measure the car? Or is there a place someone knows of that has this stuff already calculated?

I think plastidip will be more cost effective. It comes in colors other than black.

Go out and take some rough measurments. Remember that seams are tough to hide, so you want material that is wide enough to cover the hood and such.

When you apply, spray some water down and it will make your life a little easier. Then you just squeegee the water out when your happy.

And don't forget a heat gun to help with complex curves.

I'm considering doing a full wrap on the Miata for the winter to help protect the 16-year-old red paint than I just worked so hard to recover.

Yeah +1 for plastidip, it's probably easier too.

Ask the place selling you the vinyl. Chances are they have a pattern for your car in order to do advertising wraps. At the very least, they can give you a rough idea.

You could also assume the car is a rectangular solid and figure how much vinyl that would take to cover. Say, a car that's 4' high, 13' long and 7' wide would take 135 square feet to cover five of the six sides. It's not going to be super-accurate, but it should let you tell the difference between 200 and 400 square feet.

Soapy water and a heat gun along with a totally dust-free car.

Plastidip has been considered- however, it's really hard to get it to lay right over that big an area- and while it does come in multiple colors- it does not come in 3m Matte Blue Metallic.....

Also- for sure on the squeegee thing and the heat gun- I have some vinyl buddies that were pointing that out.

This color is my goal.

Keith Tanner wrote: Ask the place selling you the vinyl. Chances are they have a pattern for your car in order to do advertising wraps. At the very least, they can give you a rough idea. You could also assume the car is a rectangular solid and figure how much vinyl that would take to cover. Say, a car that's 4' high, 13' long and 7' wide would take 135 square feet to cover five of the six sides. It's not going to be super-accurate, but it should let you tell the difference between 200 and 400 square feet. Soapy water and a heat gun along with a totally dust-free car.

Car will be clayed before application, and possibly waxed... gotta protect the paint, yo.

Wow that looks awesome.

If you can, get vehicle wrap specific vinyl. The adhesive is different and allows you to reposition it easily until you squeegee it down. Look up 3M ControlTac for an explanation, but other brands use similar tech. It also stretches easier for compound curves.

Add a couple drops of dish detergent or baby shampoo to the water for application. But don't go overboard or it will never stick.

The pros use a wide flame propane torch instead of a heat gun, but it's an acquired skill.

mndsm wrote: Plastidip has been considered- however, it's really hard to get it to lay right over that big an area- and while it does come in multiple colors- it does not come in 3m Matte Blue Metallic..... Also- for sure on the squeegee thing and the heat gun- I have some vinyl buddies that were pointing that out. This color is my goal.

I had a cover for my old Nokia 5190 that was that exact color and sheen. It looked awesome I dig.

ultraclyde wrote: If you can, get vehicle wrap specific vinyl. The adhesive is different and allows you to reposition it easily until you squeegee it down. Look up 3M ControlTac for an explanation, but other brands use similar tech. It also stretches easier for compound curves. Add a couple drops of dish detergent or baby shampoo to the water for application. But don't go overboard or it will never stick. The pros use a wide flame propane torch instead of a heat gun, but it's an acquired skill.

Yeah, this is 3m stuff, I wanna say it's either di-noc or control-trac, I verified that for sure.

plati-dipped

https://www.dipyourcar.com/pages.php?pageid=48

Where are you getting it and what's it cost. I think I want to wrap the mg when it is done.

Plasti-dip is just too short-lived for my taste. What does it look like when it's getting haggard? I picture it looking like a Canadian teenager's skin after laying out in the Florida sun on spring break. The fact that dipyourcar refers to 8-12 months as "an extreme length of time" in their FAQ doesn't fill me with happiness.

nocones wrote: Where are you getting it and what's it cost. I think I want to wrap the mg when it is done.

Haven't finalized the place, but they seem to be all about the same price- about 600$ for an 80ft rollx5ft wide. This stuff is more expensive due to the finish.

mndsm wrote: Plastidip has been considered- however, it's really hard to get it to lay right over that big an area- and while it does come in multiple colors- it does not come in 3m Matte Blue Metallic..... Also- for sure on the squeegee thing and the heat gun- I have some vinyl buddies that were pointing that out. This color is my goal.

damn that is a sexxxy color.

Can I put that on my wife?

I would be a little afraid to plastidip a car with nice paint unless i tried it on something else first. I saw a forum post were someone said it doesn't really come off nicely, im not sure how true that is though.

cwh wrote: Can I put that on my wife?

Here is one place even though it seems a little pricier than what the OP is talking about.

http://www.metrorestyling.com/3M-1080-Scotchprint-Matte-Metallic-Blue-Vinyl-p/matte1080m227.htm

We wrap the Super Late Model. Its is kind of amazing how much you can pull, tug, yank etc and still have it lay down nice and smooth. I think doing an actual steel car would be easy, compared to wrapping a fender while two other people hang on to it...

Lotsa colors, and a 5 foot wide sheet means there are no big seams unless you screw it up. Looks pretty good from a distance.

Yeah, I'm not looking for a show car- looking for somewhat lower maitenance, plus, let's face it, i'm bored.

http://autovinylsolutions.com/3m_matte_metallic_blue According to these guys, I can wrap an SUV (I'm thinking smaller, not Suburban) for 620$. My car is smaller than an SUV.... though I do share the roof space....

Check into the maintenance of that satin finish before you start saying "lower" maintenance.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention, though. You might see a car in the FM stable in that color soon.

I will, but if it's anything like BMW's matte finishes, hose the sumbitch off and we're good to go. My wheels on the other hand, are a whole other story... details on that trainwreck to follow, once I figure out the right mix of borax, and how much humbrol I need.......

Also, don't wrap Elvis. Nancy, sure. But Elvis is too pretty as is.