Quote:
Originally Posted by MyBoyBlue
You'll be spending $600-$700 for the vinyl (more info below). Don't forget you'll need denatured alcohol to clean all of the surfaces, heat gun, very sharp blade, squeegee(s), and a heated garage that can hold at least 70 degrees at all times. If the temperature drops too low while wrapping the vehicle then the vinyl becomes as easy to work with as paper on a cold day ... you'll rip it easily.
Two experience people wrapping a sedan would take at least two full days or around 16 hours. That doesn't include prep time. To do it right you have to remove lights, some mirrors, some panels, door handles, moldings, etc.
Some shops will ask to have your vehicle for up to a week.
1 day to prep
3 days to wrap
1 day to sit
1 day to fix any issues that come up after sitting
1 day to re-install lights, mirrors, etc and return the vehicle to owner
Another reason to hire someone to do it is because of that "very sharp blade". They have experience cutting vinyl on a vehicle and if you're not careful you'll end up making one cut after another on your paint. If not the paint, you'll end up cutting some of the rubber on your vehicle.
Avery SW 900: 3.2 mil thick, "12 year outdoor durability", around $549 for a 25 yard roll.
Oracal 970ra: 4 mil thick, "10 year outdoor durability", ~ $595 for 25 yards.
3M 1080: 3.5 mil thick, "5 year outdoor durability", ~ $645 for 25 yards.
Don't think that the 3M is crap because they say only 5 years compared to the others ... the others are full of sh*t. The durability mostly depends on how you care for it just like paint. You'll get 5-7 years out of any of these manufacturers.
You will need around 22 yards (for a sedan) to wrap the whole car (with NO mistakes). At the price points they sell their rolls it would be cheaper just to bump it up to 25 yards; then you have some roof for error.
Send them an email anyways.
They sell vinyl too. Careful where you buy your vinyl. You get great discounts if you buy in massive bulk which is what some resellers do. The only problem is that vinyl has a shelf life and if not in the right storage space it can be ruined within a month (I've seen it). If you order off eBay or some small website its possible you'll get a crap product that has been sitting in Jim Bob's unheated garage or basement. It won't stick as well, won't conform as well, it won't last very long.
Maybe you can use their garage and have them keep an eye on you while working on a couple cars yourselves; in other words, they train you while working on your car.
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Thanks for some good info there. I don't think this project is as simple as many people think it is. Not if you want it done right anyway. Definitely not something I'd be willing to trust myself to do to my own car. But on the other hand I wouldn't wanna spend $2k on a wrap either.