My First Vinyl Wrap, Benz, and Mod. Here we GO!

[Blackbradpitt]

So this is my first experience with wrapping. Which happens to be on my first Benz, and my first major mod. Before buying my C320, I really didn't know anything about fixing or modding cars. Always loved em, and knew what rides looked good to me. But I couldn't tell you where an intake or alternator was, besides under the hood. Hahaha. More of a tech dude, then a car guy. But after reading this site for the last few years and a whole lotta asking questions and help/advice from "Peydidy", I've been inspired to get into it and im really diggin it. Would like to get to know more people on here, get some advice, and share some ideas. Just tryin to do something new with the wife and our lil man and have a good time doing it. So thanks in advance for any help, advice, or just comments So right now, I'm in the middle of a matte black vinyl wrap of my ride. The idea was to do the whole car, but we'll see if I actually get there. I've finished the roof and trunk so far. Gotta admit I'm pretty happy with it. The roof was a breeze. With my wife helping me, along with my uncle (when he's sober). We took our time and were done in about 90 minutes. Came out great. Sorry not the greatest pics. Wasn't planning on really posting, I'll add better ones in the future. Next up the trunk.......

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[platinumsc]

I can see doing a roof or hood but I will never understand making a whole car look like it needs a paint job.

[Peydidy]

welcome to the forum chester!

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by platinumsc

I can see doing a roof or hood but I will never understand making a whole car look like it needs a paint job.

We all have our issues I guess. hahaha. It doesn't quite look like it needs a paint job to me, but i get what your saying. I just bought a new primered hood and put it on. About to wrap it. You can easily tell the difference. But yea they are similar. I've already done the trunk. But want to take a little better pics before posting. Hopefully I can do the hood today. Depends how good the NBA playoff game's our. They Bulls-Sixers wasnt very good

Anyone got any advice or hints on doing my hood later today?

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by Peydidy

welcome to the forum chester!

WORD!

[FrankW]

Welcome to the forum is what i would say, but you registered in 2010. Lol

Btw, Dont use the heat gun too much. Just make sure you cut the vinyl to size first. Only heat the area you really cant get flat with the squeegy.

Also for really curved area make sure you get a bottle of those 3M adhesive for the vinyl.

I hope you bought the 3m 1080 scotchprint vinyl because it would make your vinyl experience 100x easier compare to other brand.

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by FrankW

Welcome to the forum is what i would say, but you registered in 2010. Lol

Btw, Dont use the heat gun too much. Just make sure you cut the vinyl to size first. Only heat the area you really cant get flat with the squeegy.

Also for really curved area make sure you get a bottle of those 3M adhesive for the vinyl.

I hope you bought the 3m 1080 scotchprint vinyl because it would make your vinyl experience 100x easier compare to other brand.

Haha! Thanks. Like I said, i've been reading on here for a few years. Registered in 2010, but my first post was just this month. I guess you could say i've been stalking this site. haha

And it's been 3M all the way!

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by FrankW

Welcome to the forum is what i would say, but you registered in 2010. Lol

Btw, Dont use the heat gun too much. Just make sure you cut the vinyl to size first. Only heat the area you really cant get flat with the squeegy.

Also for really curved area make sure you get a bottle of those 3M adhesive for the vinyl.

I hope you bought the 3m 1080 scotchprint vinyl because it would make your vinyl experience 100x easier compare to other brand.

The only thing I havent used is the 3M Adhesive. Just did a dry install, and the roof was so easy. But as you'll see in a bit here, the trunk didnt go as smooth. So how well the adhesive help? I just went and bought some after you suggested it. It's the 3M 80 Adhesive. Plan on putting it on tomorrow. Was gonna do it today, but got caught up watching playoffs. haha.

[FrankW]

Just dap it around the curved area with the brush they give you. Dont need to use a whole lot. It is heat activated. The adhesive help a lot.

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by FrankW

Just dap it around the curved area with the brush they give you. Dont need to use a whole lot. It is heat activated. The adhesive help a lot.

Hmmmnm. Maybe i got the wrong one. It's a spray adhesive. 3M 80 Rubber and Vinyl Adhesive

[Blackbradpitt]

So here are the pics of my trunk wrap and where I got a reality check in vinyl wrapping. The roof was so easy I thought it'd be a breeze. Man was I wrong. Even had to throw away one attempt it started off so badly. This was the second. Used one piece, started on the back end of the trunk right above the trunk badge, got the top of the trunk down perfect, it was the back end that was a disaster. The wife and I did the best we could to save it, after uncle had a lil too much to drink was getting impatient and decided he was the heat gun man and melted a small piece. You can see it to the left of the trunk star. Alcohol and wrapping do not mix! We probably spent close to 3 hours at it. The majority of it trying to fix his screw ups. Which ended up in us having to cut it at the very bottom. I guess all in all its not terrible for only being the 2nd thing we've ever wrapped. Im sure with out the 3M wrap it'd be much worse. But def want to re-do it. Just need some advice on how first.

[JR91]

Looks pretty good...not a bad job
can you please tell me what that bronze looking thing is called ? & how can I change it to chrome or just black? You can clearly see it in your 3rd or 4th pic...I don't really like it on my car...

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by JR91

Looks pretty good...not a bad job
can you please tell me what that bronze looking thing is called ? & how can I change it to chrome or just black? You can clearly see it in your 3rd or 4th pic...I don't really like it on my car...

If I knew what it was called, I'd tell you. I'm prob the last person to ask. Haha. Plus I like, so haven't really looked into it. Sorry.

[maverik259]

did you wrap your sunroof? it looks like it in your pics but it may be the lighting...

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by maverik259

did you wrap your sunroof? it looks like it in your pics but it may be the lighting...

Yea, I just havent cut that part out. I do plan on doing it here today if I have time. But i kinda wanted to see if I could maybe cut some sort of design or emblem into it. Since I can just take it off and it'll be like normal if i dont like it. Just playin around

[FrankW]

Originally Posted by Blackbradpitt

Hmmmnm. Maybe i got the wrong one. It's a spray adhesive. 3M 80 Rubber and Vinyl Adhesive

one i got was a little glue-sized can and it is much easier to clean off compare to the spray can. the spray can stuff is much stronger and used for thick vinyl material.

[pww]

Hope you do the whole car, I'm planning on doing this over the summer, will be nice to have someone to bother with my questions

[Peydidy]

pww, have you considered doing a white wrap and then powder coating your LM reps a darker color? I think that would look clean

[Peydidy]

and are you planning on doing it your self or having someone do it for you?

[pww]

Originally Posted by Peydidy

pww, have you considered doing a white wrap and then powder coating your LM reps a darker color? I think that would look clean

I agree, FrankW's car does look clean but no I've been set on a silver/grey color for a while, and I'm probably gonna have the LM reps done in some fashion if I can't find a set of wheels I really like in the meantime. And I do plan on doing it myself, it's MUCH cheaper, and I will have a lot of time this summer to do it, so I can take a week of not having the car if it takes that.

[Peydidy]

Haha I completely forgot for a second that thats exactly what frank has! But yes his car is super clean anyways, you wouldn't necessarily need to not have your car for a few days, you could just do it a bit at a time and still drive your car around in the mean time, even though it would look weird having a few panels one color and a few another

[Blackbradpitt]

Ok so here it is. The reason I waited to cut out my sunroof from the vinyl wrap. I'm still kinda shocked it came out this well. it's a Batman logo, cut into it. Like I said in the video, its not cleaned up completely. I literally just finished it and it's 10pm. Plus the lighting in my garage sucks. But wanted to get this out for you guys to see as soon as possible.

http://youtu.be/DoN8wHYafQI?hd=1

I'll post sum pics in a minute here.

[Peydidy]

take some pictures tomorrow of how it looks during the day with sun light shinning threw, I wonder how that would look

[Blackbradpitt]

Originally Posted by Peydidy

take some pictures tomorrow of how it looks during the day with sun light shinning threw, I wonder how that would look

yea, i'll be doing that first thing in the morning. I'm curious how it's gonna look too. I just added a couple of them to my post, but kinda dark. Came out much better than i thought it would though.

[pww]

That's pretty awesome haha