Vinyl car wrap - worth doing?

m33r4

Bought a red coloured VW Golf. The roof of the car has faded considerably. I have G3 cut it but the results are disappointing. Next option (cheaply) would be a vinyl wrap. I am contemplating a black carbon fibre roof wrap with matching wing mirrors.

Anyone with experience of this car enhancement please?
How good does it look, how resilient is it to the elements?
How long does it last?
Does it peel off leaving unsightly paintwork?
Plus any other input would be welcomed.

PS: I have seen pics of an R8 wrapped in chrome vinyl and that looked amazing:T

Gloomendoom

Are you sure the R8 wasn't painted with chrome paint?

I know of somebody vinyl wrapped the roof of KIA Sportage in plain black. It looked very good and he never mentioned any problems with it.

At my work we have had a F3 racing car and a Lotus 7 clone totally wrapped. They look good from a few feet away. Up close, on the panels with a lot of double curvature, you can tell it's a wrap.

m33r4

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Are you sure the R8 wasn't painted with chrome paint?....

http://www.totally-dynamic.co.uk/blog/2012/08/audi-r8-chrome-car-wrap/

whitewing

Out of interest, how much does it cost?

m33r4

whitewing wrote: »

Out of interest, how much does it cost?

A company in Mansfield quoted me £175 for the roof of the car in carbon fibre (black).

m33r4

I am getting so lured in by the whole matt black thing after seeing Peter Andre's car:
http://www.totally-dynamic.co.uk/blog/2011/10/peter-andres-car-wrapped-matte-black/

julie2710

I had a Smart convertible a while back which I had wrapped. It was originally dark blue metallic and I had it wrapped cream and pink with logos on. The wrapping was brilliant. I got a company in Hertfordshire to do it. From what I remember it was about £800 for the whole car but this included bespoke printing on the wrap.

It even survived a slight accident which is more than the paint work would have done!

When it was time to sell the car and peel off the wrap I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how well it came off. The paintwork underneath was left shiny and new as well. Plus there were no little annoying stone chips it might otherwise have had.

I'm sure there are some companies that are better at wrapping than others but I would say for me it was definitely a positive experience!

Gloomendoom

m33r4 wrote: »

I am getting so lured in by the whole matt black thing after seeing Peter Andre's car:
http://www.totally-dynamic.co.uk/blog/2011/10/peter-andres-car-wrapped-matte-black/

I'd go for carbon. In my youth I had a car with a matt black roof and it was like a fr!gging oven in the summer.

Gloomendoom

A member of another forum I also belong to wraps cars for a living. Apparently, he is quite good at it...

Horizon81

Isnt there a chance of paint/lacquer peeling off if it's applied to an older car? Or is the thinking generally once it's been wrapped it stays wrapped?

jobdone1

I wonder if insurance company's see it as a mod, Might be something worth checking. Better being insured than not.