As the title says, I’m thinking of vinyl wrapping my hard top and windscreen hoop gloss black. I’ve put some pretty big stickers on cars before, But never one that covers the whole panel. I’m wondering what pitfalls I might find?
Has anyone out there gone the DIY route with this stuff?
Will I be able to stretch a single sheet over the whole hard top in one piece or will I need to have a join to get around the heavy double curve that leads to the bottom of the rear window?
Anyone know how the door window weather strips are attached to the hard top?
How well does this stuff deal with sharp radius’s (Ie, Will it stay stuck around the front edge of the hard top)?
Will it be possible to get it neatly around the rear window without having to remove it’s bonded in rubber “Cover strip”?
Would it just be better to put my hand in my pocket and get a pro to do it? If so, Any recommendations of places reasonably local to Bristol?
Can anybody see any other problems I might have missed?
right first thing don’t do it on your own you will need help! It’s not that hard but then it’s not that easy…if you are going to do the hardtop and the windscreen surround do the window surround first, as it is a smaller area to learn how to use the wrap…take your time…thats the most important part.
There are lots of videos on you-tube so start watching…
I was thinking about having the whole car wrapped but mine’s got so many little dings in it that I’d need to prep and paint most of the panels before getting it done anyway, so if I’m doing that I might as well just paint it the colour I’m after in the first place.
From the little that I have attempted you need to make sure that it will have a certain amount of “stretch” in it to get around compound curves.
Have a look at this website for materials etc. www.woolies-trim.co.uk from what I remember they have vinyl of both sorts IE non stretch and stretchable, and adhesives…
I think you might have gotten the wrong end of the stick there Poll, When I’m talking about vinyl wrapping I mean with a smooth glossy sticky back plastic material (Similar to the stuff vinyl stickers are made from but a slightly different type of plastic) used as an alternative to respraying a panel when you want to change it’s colour. I’m not on about the fake convertible style leather grain vinyl roofs that were popular in the 70’s (Though as fashion tends to go in cycles, isn’t it about time for a vinyl roof revival? Look at Ford for example, The current Ford RS range is available in modern interpretations of eye watering colours we last saw in the 70’s on the MK2 RS2000’s. How about a “Focus Ghia” with optional black vinyl roof? Even the new shape Fiestas and Mondeos could possibly get away with it).
(PS, Remind you other half to bring the “Best in region” trophy back next month… I’ve already got a place set out ready on the book shelf for it this year. )
but that’s old age does for you
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