DIY car wrapping - anyone done it?

[JOEPRO]

I have.never wrapped or had a wrapped car before. One of my current projects - a 1994 Mercedes C124 Coupe will need a full repaint after I complete the rust repairs.

The car is red but I'd like to ideally colour change to black eventually.

The sanding and prep work is easy enough for me. Obviously the expensive/ hard part is the purchase of the paint and getting someone to apply the final coats.

Wrap could be a good option and if the car is prepped and painted with a sealer before hand may even protect it from rust better than paint?

Have any members wrapped your own car before?

 

[DanZac]

Me and the Mrs did the roof and bonnet on a 206 a few years ago, which we still see driving around occasionally and still looks OK.

Used 3m wrap (so not the cheap stuff), and took our time with it. It's much easier with 2 people as one can hold it up as you smooth it down.

Easy enough to do though.

 

[dave h 2]

3M wrap warrantied for 8 years vertical or 3 years vertical at least it doesn't wick water underneath like 70's vinyl roofs did.

 

[julianthegypsy]

I might be forty years out of date, but back in the day I thought it was all the prepping that took time and therefore money, and blowing the paint on was relatively quick and inexpensive? That was in the days of cellulose of course...

 

[JOEPRO]

I might be forty years out of date, but back in the day I thought it was all the prepping that took time and therefore money, and blowing the paint on was relatively quick and inexpensive? That was in the days of cellulose of course...

2k autokotive paint to buy is probably around £500. (Quality paints not cheap) Then cheap local labour where I tow car to his booth ready to paint is still about £1k for full car repaint and buff after.

 

[ajlelectronics]

2k autokotive paint to buy is probably around £500. (Quality paints not cheap) Then cheap local labour where I tow car to his booth ready to paint is still about £1k for full car repaint and buff after.

You can buy "commercial" 2K from places like https://www.jawel.co.uk/ at far lower prices. It is perfectly good paint available in any colour, but may not be batch repeatable for shade. They also do 5l kits of standard colours like Diamond White as well as fancy stuff like metalflakes in a small range of colours.

 

[Bullet2012]

I imagine that the difficult parts are finishing the edges and around door handle recesses etc

 

[JOEPRO]

The car in question is a straight forward enough shape for wrapping (having no experience in wrapping I can speak freely on the subject )



Boot spoiler coming off too, never liked it.

 

[ajlelectronics]

The car in question is a straight forward enough shape for wrapping (having no experience in wrapping I can speak freely on the subject )

View attachment 489406

Boot spoiler coming off too, never liked it.

The trouble is that wrapping always looks exactly what it is and doesn't last. Personal opinion of course but I would rather use 1k paint in my driveway instead. I might not go as far as my Grandfather who used a brush and Dulux paint on his though!

 

[ajlelectronics]

Complete kit, any colour £125... https://www.jawel.co.uk/shop/product/2k-car-paint-kit-5-litre-kit/

 

[JOEPRO]

Complete kit, any colour £125... https://www.jawel.co.uk/shop/product/2k-car-paint-kit-5-litre-kit/

Thanks for that- that does seem like a bargain. This car is a solid colour so one stage 2k paint would be OK. Bodyshops may still lacquer over it but I don't think it's strictly required.

At that price it's cheap enough for me to try repainting the car in my garage to let it away for a couple of years before a full bare metal repaint and colour change. I also intend to do an engine swap in this car. I have a 2.3 supercharged engine that is bolt in or maybe a V8. But for now it just needs presentable and back on the road as others projects have to take priority.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Thanks for that- that does seem like a bargain. This car is a solid colour so one stage 2k paint would be OK. Bodyshops may still lacquer over it but I don't think it's strictly required.

At that price it's cheap enough for me to try repainting the car in my garage to let it away for a couple of years before a full bare metal repaint and colour change. I also intend to do an engine swap in this car. I have a 2.3 supercharged engine that is bolt in or maybe a V8. But for now it just needs presentable and back on the road as others projects have to take priority.

I have used their paints and not had an issue with it. Solid colour would not be lacquered, it would be a waste of time. However, why not go for a metallic and give it some sparkle?

 

[JOEPRO]

I have used their paints and not had an issue with it. Solid colour would not be lacquered, it would be a waste of time. However, why not go for a metallic and give it some sparkle?

Metallic is normally a 1k base followed by 2k clear so in this case the original solid colour will suit my DIY repaint plans better I think

 

[marlinspike]

I've only seen it done on shows. I think Flipping Bangers did it on a car, a Toyota Sera maybe. It seems like a tricky job to do properly and not that cheap. It's not a look I like personally and doesn't look good when it gets a scratch or starts lifting. Would it put off prospective buyers down the line?

 

[JOEPRO]

Would it put off prospective buyers down the line?

Car won't be sold until I'm 6 ft under which is hopefully another 40+.years away I collect MBs.

 

[mr haynes]

Scotch pad and pick your favourite solid

 

[keithski122]

I'm going to attempt to do my scooter when things warm up as I hate the matt grey paint, I'm not expecting good results. From doing small part on the interior of my car I'm expecting to get dirt under the wrap and peeling edges, also there is a lot of shape to get it to wrap around.

 

[atomant48]

The car in question is a straight forward enough shape for wrapping (having no experience in wrapping I can speak freely on the subject )

View attachment 489406

Boot spoiler coming off too, never liked it.

Cool car and leave the spoiler its cool too.

 

[Smallfry]

The car in question is a straight forward enough shape for wrapping (having no experience in wrapping I can speak freely on the subject )

View attachment 489406

Boot spoiler coming off too, never liked it.

Can offer nothing on film wrapping, other that I tried some window tint film on one of my vans, which ended up with me getting very, very, angry. Ended up with me screwing it up in a ball and throwing it across the garden.

Agree about the spoiler, doesn't need need it and looks wrong. Merc wheels always look a rather bland to me, so could do with them changed too. The only ones I ever liked were, ISTR five spoke dished ones, back in the eighties. Couldn't tell you what model though.

 

[Keithmac]

Complete kit, any colour £125... https://www.jawel.co.uk/shop/product/2k-car-paint-kit-5-litre-kit/

Do you know if these contain isocyanates?.