Previously....

I wrapped half my car, read here:An Old 1990 BMW 325i Part 3.

Vinyl wrapping is starting to get old real quick. Having a car, but not being able to drive it is like buying dessert and then watching someone else eat it. In your head, you just say "what the fuck!" It's not even a question, it's an exclamation!

After many weeks of working on the car for just a few hours a night, I finally found a large block of time and managed to finish a bulk majority of the larger panels which leaves us with the finer detailing work.

On average, each panel took about 2 hours from sizing the sheet to application and trimming off the excess. I feel like a turtle could out live the pace I'm working at. I'm sure with a larger working space, extra pair of hands or some professional tips, it could have been done in under an hour. I'm estimating the detailing work to take half as much time, but I could be wrong. Don't read this and expect professional opinion, this is my first time and probably only time I'll do this!

While applying the vinyl, I noticed that the Vivvid brand film I purchased has glue lines that can be seen ever so slightly when standing at the correct angle. It's a bit of a bothersome thing to the eye so I emailed Vivvid about it and recieved no response from them. I was upset at first, but you honestly hardly notice. Another thing about Vivvid is that their film is significantly thicker than other brands, which is great for durability and toughness, but a bit more difficult to apply because of the effort needed to stretch the material over the panels.

See the video above about how I applied it! The film is very forgiving to work with and even if you completely mess up with a giant air bubble, you don't need to beat the bubble out (or you'll just end up with wrinkles). You should slowly tap the bubble with light but sharp pressure. Slowly, the breathable pores in the vinyl will release the air. If you use a squeegee and force it out quickly, then you end up stretching the material around the bubble of air as the pressure builds up from the squeegee stroke rather than slowly tap it out.

Here's an FAQ for the basics from first hand newbie experience

Q: Can you apply and reapply it?

A: Yes, as long as you don't apply hard pressure the vinyl can be lifted and repositioned. But in order to do this without degrading the adhesive, you must wash your car thoroughly, and work in a clean environment. You also need to to wear gloves to prevent your hand's oil from passing through. I cleaned the car with alochol before each application, and I did not have the most sterile environment, so time will tell if it will still stick long term.

Q: How durable is the material?

A: The material isn't self healing for puncture, but it is self healing in regards to being stretch beyond 10% with the application of heat. It can do this for several cycles before the vinyl blisters, but 10% is still plenty to provide you with room to tug around tight corners. When applying heat, you should do so carefully unless you want to melt the thing into a goop.

Q: How do you deal with the drastic difference in colors

A: You don't. You will always be able to tell a car is wrapped because you can't get to every nook and cranny. The trick here is to pick a color that is similar to your current paint job, or spend extra time removing bodywork, trim and gaskets to hide your seams.

Q: What is the surface preparation like?

A: See my previous video. As long as the paint if in good condition and you've done a thorough cleaning of the car's body to remove wax, dirt, grime an dust, then there isn't much to it. But if you have an old car like mine, you should sand it to remove any paint that's lost its adhesion and begin to flake off.

Q: What are the benefits of Vinyl?

A: There are several benefits from different viewpoints. For a budget minded DIY'er, it's not incredibly difficult, so you can give your project car a fresh look without having to paint. From a car owner who leased or financed the car, you don't compromise the original paint job since your car's paint is in good shape already. It's a matter of peel on and peel off when you return or sell the car.

If you enjoyed this, then be sure to stay tuned for my upcoming blogs!