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Originally Posted by hawgfanman
Where did you buy the vinyl? I looked back through but must have missed the post if you said where you got it. The paint on the hood and roof of my 98 are shot and I think that I might like to give this a try. Thanks!
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Thanks for the question. Since I started this portion of the project there have been a lot of questions that I will list below, most of them have been from Facebook and other social media, but I think that it will benefit folks that want to try this out. So here it goes...
1. I purchased everything on eBay
2. The brand I purchased is Vvivid vinyl - but I also suggest you look at 3M and Avery Dennison as well.
3. The color is Porsche GT3 blue, or sometimes it is labeled Smurf blue.
4. I used knifeless tape on all the seams, and all the major cuts as well. Check it out on YouTube!
Technical questions and methods for application.
1. I used latex gloves while laying down the vinyl. You don't want any oils from your hands on the adhesive, plus it helps minimize scratches on the top surface as well.
2. I simply used in a spray bottle some light soapy water to first clean the piece being applied to, and then I used it as a lubricant on the film surface.
3. Use a squeegee with a felt edge to apply the film. You can get these on eBay as well.
4. Use a good heat gun, I burned up 2 cheap ones from Harbor Freight.
5. You want to lay the wrap down on the surface of the part being covered face up and then remove the backing paper from the underside while keeping the film as much as possible unexposed. The reason for all of this is there is a lot of static when you pull the backing paper off, and any dust or fine particles will go to the film like a magnet. So be cautious when doing this step.
6. Get some samples of the film you would like to use and try it out on some small pieces first. This will give you a better understanding of how this material works and how to apply it.
7. Watch YouTube videos on how to apply this stuff. Some of the better channels are Avery Dennison, Danny Pate, and Arlon. All of these were invaluable to me. I learned so much from these channels that it made my job a lot easier. And when I ran into issues, and you will run into a lot of issues when laying down this wrap stuff, I went right to the computer and watched the pros do it. Most of the time I was able to go right back and duplicate their results.
8. One of the things I like best about doing wrap is that when I got frustrated (and you will get frustrated!) I could simply lay it down and walk away. You cannot do this with paint...
9. Be patient! This stuff can be burned easy, tear easy, and scratch easy if you don't watch yourself. I know because I did all 3! The best advice I can give you is to minimize any distractions, lock the shop door, put the tunes on, and just go at this at a slow pace. When you run into a problem, and again you will run into problems, slow down and think through it like you would any other technical item that pops up.
I hope this gives you some small help. Try it out I think that once you master some of the techniques you will find new ways to use this cool material. It's not for everyone, but it just might work for you...