Vehicle wraps for body protection purpose

If it has an S on the front you can talk about it here.
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leslishambly
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2019 4:01 pm

I want some cool and attractive wraps on my car but I do not know about the quality of these wraps and either they are waterproof or not. I contact with truck wraps NYC to get information and they suggest me that wraps are excellent specially for cars and trucks etc normally for protection and advertisement purposes. Any suggestions?
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redmed
Posts: 492
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:56 pm
Location: Michigan

I put some 3m clear wrap on the front of my Kiz as soon as I brought it home from the dealer nine years ago. It has served it's purpose protecting the paint from chips. It is also much easier to remove dead baked bugs from the 3m than from the paint. I also removed some 3m wrap from a friends car after it was on two years. It came off with no problems.
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SamirD
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I have also considered wrapping the car. Wraps are much more common than they once were so I wouldn't hesitate to think about it.
stockton08
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2021 1:33 am

Were you able to put on wraps on your vehicle?
TyraNoah
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:43 pm

Thought i should share.

Benefits of Vehicle Wraps vs. Paint Jobs

Why wrap your car when you can also go to a repair shop to get a new coat of paint on the vehicle? Both wrapping or repainting your car are excellent options — it ultimately depends on what you'd like your result to be and what your goals are.
1. Cost

The first factor to consider when you weigh the respective benefits of paint jobs and wraps is cost. For a high-quality paint job, you could end up paying a four-figure sum. Granted, the best paint job that money could buy might make your vehicle look as good as new, even if the vehicle is old and worn. However, if the vehicle is in the twilight of its working life, a high-quality paint job would probably not be worth the investment. The only possible exception would be if the vehicle is a classic model that you plan to keep as a display piece.

A vehicle wrap is usually the more affordable option when it comes to high-quality body coats. A wrap will cover the body panels of your vehicle in the same manner as a paint coat. The difference is that a wrap can be removed with no damage to the underlying surface. While the wrap is on, the body will be shielded from rain, snow, hail and debris. Whether your car is new or old, a body wrap could give it a luster and uniqueness that could far outshine a paint job, and for a fraction of the price.

If you only plan to use your car for a few more years, a body wrap would be the more economical choice than a new paint job. With a fancy wrap, your older vehicle would have a striking appearance that could make it more fun to drive for the remainder of its active life.
2. Maintenance

The tasks involved with the maintenance of your vehicle body will differ if you choose a wrap over a paint job. While a paint job will last between five to seven years if you keep it properly maintained, a wrap requires less maintenance and is easier to replace.

With a paint job, you will need to clean and polish the vehicle periodically. This maintenance is the only way you can protect the paint and prevent harmful dirty buildup that could otherwise cake onto the surface and erode the paint in spots. If cracks form in the paint, the underlying metal could be exposed to rainwater and rock salt, the leading causes of rust and corrosion. If rust takes hold, it could gradually spread and eat holes through the metal in some of the more concentrated areas.

With a vehicle wrap, you would only need to clean the surface occasionally to prevent dirt buildup. The surface would not require waxing because vinyl has its own smoothness and luster. If the vinyl becomes damaged in any area, you could simply have the vinyl on that panel of the body replaced. Therefore, any potential maintenance costs for a vehicle wrap would be rare, isolated and economical. By contrast, the cost to fix multiple more significant dings or paint abrasion spots would be significantly higher because you typically need to repaint an entire section or panel if touch-up paint is not an option.
3. Resale Value

If the time comes to sell your car, a vinyl wrap could affect the vehicle’s resale value. However, the benefits can be direct or indirect, depending on the design of the wrap and whether you choose to leave it on the car when you put the vehicle back on the market.

Each car owner has their own ideas about what type of pattern or color would look good on a vehicle. People tend to be more in agreement when it comes to neutral colors and designs. If the vinyl wrap is to your taste and features a cool galaxy-themed wrap, it'll look awesome — but it might not be readily marketable, regardless of its color or shine.

A vinyl wrap can easily be removed from the body of a vehicle with no damage, streaks or leftover residue on the paint job. In this sense, an out-of-this-world vinyl wrap could boost the resale value of your car, as long as you remove the vinyl before you sell the vehicle. The upside to a vinyl wrap is the preservation of the underlying surface. If the wrap is on the vehicle for several years prior to its resale, the paint job underneath could be in much better condition than it otherwise would be if you left it exposed during those years.

If you never wrap the car and the paint job is several years old when you sell the vehicle, the paint could easily be damaged by that time. You could have the vehicle repainted to boost its value, but doing so might swallow any money that you would make from selling the car. You might need to mark the vehicle down if you try to sell it with a damaged paint job — or, you could apply a neutral satin vinyl wrap that would appeal to a broader buyer audience.
4. Completion Time

A paint job takes considerably longer to complete than a vinyl wrap. If you take your car into a shop to have the body repainted, you might need to leave the vehicle there for about a week and use public transportation or other alternatives in the meantime.

The reason it takes so long to complete a paint job is the series of steps involved. To paint a car, you must tape around the windows and then sand the body. The body must then be given a primer coat and allowed time to dry before the main coat can be applied. Each of these steps could consume a full day, depending on how busy the auto shop might be in a given week.

The steps involved in a vehicle wrap are a lot simpler, as you only need to clean the surface in advance of the vinyl application. From there, the vinyl is carefully applied to the dimensions and contours of each panel on the vehicle. The process can be completed in two to three days, if not the same day. If you need to use your car nearly every day and cannot afford to part with it for a week, a vinyl wrap would be the more practical option, especially when you consider all the other benefits.
5. Availability of Service

Auto repair shops perform paint jobs regularly — such as when a car is damaged and then repaired, or when a customer wants to commit to a new color for a long time. Vinyl wraps, by contrast, have not been around for nearly as long and are not currently offered at many auto shops.

Granted, paint jobs should only be handled by professionals — whereas DIY enthusiasts can perform vehicle warps.

If you attempt to do a paint job yourself with no prior experience, you could easily mess up in some area and leave unpainted spots, streaks or hairs in the paint. Once you do make a mistake, you would generally need to start the entire paint job over again. Moreover, the cost of vehicle paint supplies can be high and space-prohibitive for anyone who does not own the proper tools and access to a paint booth.

Vinyl wraps are easier for DIY applications. Once you purchase the vinyl pattern of your choice, you can apply the wrap yourself. You will need to carefully follow instructions to bond the vinyl to the body of a vehicle. If an application goes awry and a piece of vinyl looks folded or wrinkly, you can easily do it over. Thankfully, vinyl-application mishaps only require the replacement of the affected panels and not the whole vehicle.Benefits of Vehicle Wraps vs. Paint Jobs

Why wrap your car when you can also go to a repair shop to get a new coat of paint on the vehicle? Both wrapping or repainting your car are excellent options — it ultimately depends on what you'd like your result to be and what your goals are.
1. Cost

The first factor to consider when you weigh the respective benefits of paint jobs and wraps is cost. For a high-quality paint job, you could end up paying a four-figure sum. Granted, the best paint job that money could buy might make your vehicle look as good as new, even if the vehicle is old and worn. However, if the vehicle is in the twilight of its working life, a high-quality paint job would probably not be worth the investment. The only possible exception would be if the vehicle is a classic model that you plan to keep as a display piece.

A vehicle wrap is usually the more affordable option when it comes to high-quality body coats. A wrap will cover the body panels of your vehicle in the same manner as a paint coat. The difference is that a wrap can be removed with no damage to the underlying surface. While the wrap is on, the body will be shielded from rain, snow, hail and debris. Whether your car is new or old, a body wrap could give it a luster and uniqueness that could far outshine a paint job, and for a fraction of the price.

If you only plan to use your car for a few more years, a body wrap would be the more economical choice than a new paint job. With a fancy wrap, your older vehicle would have a striking appearance that could make it more fun to drive for the remainder of its active life.
2. Maintenance

The tasks involved with the maintenance of your vehicle body will differ if you choose a wrap over a paint job. While a paint job will last between five to seven years if you keep it properly maintained, a wrap requires less maintenance and is easier to replace.

With a paint job, you will need to clean and polish the vehicle periodically. This maintenance is the only way you can protect the paint and prevent harmful dirty buildup that could otherwise cake onto the surface and erode the paint in spots. If cracks form in the paint, the underlying metal could be exposed to rainwater and rock salt, the leading causes of rust and corrosion. If rust takes hold, it could gradually spread and eat holes through the metal in some of the more concentrated areas.

With a vehicle wrap, you would only need to clean the surface occasionally to prevent dirt buildup. The surface would not require waxing because vinyl has its own smoothness and luster. If the vinyl becomes damaged in any area, you could simply have the vinyl on that panel of the body replaced. Therefore, any potential maintenance costs for a vehicle wrap would be rare, isolated and economical. By contrast, the cost to fix multiple more significant dings or paint abrasion spots would be significantly higher because you typically need to repaint an entire section or panel if touch-up paint is not an option.
3. Resale Value

If the time comes to sell your car, a vinyl wrap could affect the vehicle’s resale value. However, the benefits can be direct or indirect, depending on the design of the wrap and whether you choose to leave it on the car when you put the vehicle back on the market.

Each car owner has their own ideas about what type of pattern or color would look good on a vehicle. People tend to be more in agreement when it comes to neutral colors and designs. If the vinyl wrap is to your taste and features a cool galaxy-themed wrap, it'll look awesome — but it might not be readily marketable, regardless of its color or shine.

A vinyl wrap can easily be removed from the body of a vehicle with no damage, streaks or leftover residue on the paint job. In this sense, an out-of-this-world vinyl wrap could boost the resale value of your car, as long as you remove the vinyl before you sell the vehicle. The upside to a vinyl wrap is the preservation of the underlying surface. If the wrap is on the vehicle for several years prior to its resale, the paint job underneath could be in much better condition than it otherwise would be if you left it exposed during those years.

If you never wrap the car and the paint job is several years old when you sell the vehicle, the paint could easily be damaged by that time. You could have the vehicle repainted to boost its value, but doing so might swallow any money that you would make from selling the car. You might need to mark the vehicle down if you try to sell it with a damaged paint job — or, you could apply a neutral satin vinyl wrap that would appeal to a broader buyer audience.
4. Completion Time

A paint job takes considerably longer to complete than a vinyl wrap. If you take your car into a shop to have the body repainted, you might need to leave the vehicle there for about a week and use public transportation or other alternatives in the meantime.

The reason it takes so long to complete a paint job is the series of steps involved. To paint a car, you must tape around the windows and then sand the body. The body must then be given a primer coat and allowed time to dry before the main coat can be applied. Each of these steps could consume a full day, depending on how busy the auto shop might be in a given week.

The steps involved in a vehicle wrap are a lot simpler, as you only need to clean the surface in advance of the vinyl application. From there, the vinyl is carefully applied to the dimensions and contours of each panel on the vehicle. The process can be completed in two to three days, if not the same day. If you need to use your car nearly every day and cannot afford to part with it for a week, a vinyl wrap would be the more practical option, especially when you consider all the other benefits.
5. Availability of Service

Auto repair shops perform paint jobs regularly — such as when a car is damaged and then repaired, or when a customer wants to commit to a new color for a long time. Vinyl wraps, by contrast, have not been around for nearly as long and are not currently offered at many auto shops.

Granted, paint jobs should only be handled by professionals — whereas DIY enthusiasts can perform vehicle warps.

If you attempt to do a paint job yourself with no prior experience, you could easily mess up in some area and leave unpainted spots, streaks or hairs in the paint. Once you do make a mistake, you would generally need to start the entire paint job over again. Moreover, the cost of vehicle paint supplies can be high and space-prohibitive for anyone who does not own the proper tools and access to a paint booth.

Vinyl wraps are easier for DIY applications. Once you purchase the vinyl pattern of your choice, you can apply the wrap yourself. You will need to carefully follow instructions to bond the vinyl to the body of a vehicle. If an application goes awry and a piece of vinyl looks folded or wrinkly, you can easily do it over. Thankfully, vinyl-application mishaps only require the replacement of the affected panels and not the whole vehicle.
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