Wrapping vs spraying

sevenhills

I just watched a video online, wrapping seems to be replacing spraying, in some instances?

I have never had it done myself. I guess if you want a colour match it would be spraying?

I had thought about getting a Union Jack on my bonnet. Not sure how much it costs, I would guess wrapping would be cheaper because it's easier to apply?

facade

Wrapping (I can't help but think of that fablon that Woolworths used to sell on a roll) is much cheaper than a professional respray, but has a very short life- 3 to 5 years or so.

If you want a Union Jack bonnet, probably £200-£300. You will need to keep the car in a garage though, as it will be printed, and the ink fades in the sunlight.

When you tell your insurer you have had it done, they will clap their hands with glee, and little £ signs will light up in their eyes.

The main advantage of wrapping for road cars is it can be removed fairly easily.

I briefly considered it for my Suzuki- it has the advantage of acting as an anti-scratch film when greenlaning, but the cost is astronomical for a whole car, and the life is far too short to write the cost off over at a reasonable rate.

Iceweasel

I assume you won't be driving much in Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland.

sevenhills

facade said:

When you tell your insurer you have had it done, they will clap their hands with glee, and little £ signs will light up in their eyes.

A different coloured bonnet wouldn't be considered a modification, surely?

facade

sevenhills said:

facade said:

When you tell your insurer you have had it done, they will clap their hands with glee, and little £ signs will light up in their eyes.

A different coloured bonnet wouldn't be considered a modification, surely?

Depends on the insurer.

They could think it might become a vandalism target for people who object to our magnificent flag, as proclaimed by His Imperial Majesty George III.

cymruchris

sevenhills said:

facade said:

When you tell your insurer you have had it done, they will clap their hands with glee, and little £ signs will light up in their eyes.

A different coloured bonnet wouldn't be considered a modification, surely?

Anything different to how it came out of the factory could be classed as a modification. (Even if you changed the radio or the wheels) - different insurers look at things differently. If you don't tell them - they'll pull you up when you try to make a claim - but if you've told them and it's on record you're usually fine. (And in most cases it makes no difference to the premium).

As for wraps v spray - personally I don't think wraps are up to much. They fade, and if you damage the surface, you're not always going to get a perfect match if you get a panel re-wrapped. I'd stick with paint unless you're doing it for promo purposes (i.e. some big logo plastered over the car).

forgotmyname

sevenhills said:

A different coloured bonnet wouldn't be considered a modification, surely?

It's not just a different colour though, its a plastic stick on wrap.   Is it a modification?  Yes because your car did not
come from the factory with it fitted and if damaged and an insurance claim they cannot order an identical item from a dealer
so yes you need to inform your insurer.

Their answer maybe OK but we wont cover that if damaged we will only fit a standard bonnet. Or it maybe a we don't cover modified
cars no matter how much or little you modify it, or maybe they will cover it for an admin fee.

uknick

There is a long thread on Pistonheads where someone had their insurance voided after an accident because they hadn't mentioned a protective wrap put on the the front of the car when buying the insurance.  I think he claimed he was unaware of the wrap prior to the accident as it was fitted before he owned the car. The insurance company claimed it was an undocumented modification invalidating the insurance.

The poster went to the Ombudsman claiming the insurance should still be valid and eventually won his case.

I've no idea what this means for a change in colour wrap, but it does suggest check with your insurer before doing anything.

Ibrahim5

What a waste of money. A car isn't going to function any better with a Union Jack on its bonnet.

Nobbie1967

Ibrahim5 said:

What a waste of money. A car isn't going to function any better with a Union Jack on its bonnet.

I hope this doesn’t come as too much of a shock, but some people pay money to make things look different with no functional improvement. There’s a whole section of coloured paints in B&Q devoted to it. It’s a crazy world out there.

I think wraps can be a good solution if you have an older car with poor paint. Certainly cheaper than a full respray.

motorguy

To be honest, its my impression that to wrap a complete car well would cost nigh on as much as a full respray.

Which also begs the question - what car needs a full respray these days?  Other than for a personal choice colour change.