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Vinyl Wrap vs Paint
parkiboy - 4/8/12 at 03:41 PM

While since I can't drive my car as soon as I hoped I'm wanting to do some cosmetic changes in the meantime, while I'm waiting for my dvla inspection I'm wanting to do my front and rear arches black.

I'm trying to decide whether I should wrap the arches in black vinyl or paint them? What are the pros and cons of each?

Thanks

RK - 4/8/12 at 05:16 PM

Done both. Was fun painting the rear arches, but it went all gray one day, and looked crap. I vinyled them in fake DiNoc CF, which didn't look amazing either, but you can peel off and replace bits, which to most people are unnoticeable. Careful though: the paint can peel off with the vinyl.

Painting failed for one reason I can think of: the fibreglass resin or something bled through to the paint. Solution (theoretical): seal the fibreglass with clearcoat before painting. Paint looks better than the fake CF I used, but to most people (doesn't apply to women however, who don't understand what all the fuss is about with CF) it looks great.

Parting advice: get decent vinyl. It will be much cheaper than paint, and you can change it whenever you fancy it.

[Edited on 4/8/12 by RK]

parkiboy - 4/8/12 at 05:19 PM

im not going for carbon fibre i'm just wanting gloss black, i might give that a try first then, im guessing as well as being cheaper it will also be alot quicker to do.

RK - 4/8/12 at 05:22 PM

you can even do flat or matte black, which is cheapest of all, easiest to apply with cans, and clear coat afterwards. If it looks naff, you cover with appropriate stickers. The black looks like you mean business too.

johnemms - 4/8/12 at 06:03 PM

Its a bugger to work with.. do not use hot air unless its a compound curve.. get a friend to help - scream at.. watch out for dust... when you use the credit card/air bubble removal flatting thingybob .. watch in amazment as you leave scratch marks in the shiney plastic/vynil you have just spent dosh on and are now wondering how to remove said marks.. and.. this was only a test piece!! seriously - anyone know how to remove marks left behind from applicator and from simply looking or touching gloss black?? Also quality is dependant on price paid - mine was cheap cut off ebay...

(did my bonnet in gloss black as a quick fix to painting a very flexible aluminium bonnet)

parkiboy - 4/8/12 at 06:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by johnemms
Its a bugger to work with.. do not use hot air unless its a compound curve.. get a friend to help - scream at.. watch out for dust... when you use the credit card/air bubble removal flatting thingybob .. watch in amazment as you leave scratch marks in the shiney plastic/vynil you have just spent dosh on and are now wondering how to remove said marks.. and.. this was only a test piece!! seriously - anyone know how to remove marks left behind from applicator and from simply looking or touching gloss black?? Also quality is dependant on price paid - mine was cheap cut off ebay...

(did my bonnet in gloss black as a quick fix to painting a very flexible aluminium bonnet)


Is it that bad to work with? Actually thinking about it I know how much of a pig it is putting a screen protector in an iPhone without it bubbling!

bi22le - 4/8/12 at 07:00 PM

I have done both and prefer vinal.

Watch many YouTube clips and i am happy with my results.

Use lots of water on both sides and it wont bubble or scratch.

Buy the good stuff and use heat on complicated shapes.

I jave tried to paint many times and i dont have the knack but i seem to with vinal.

Slimy38 - 4/8/12 at 09:19 PM

I used matt white on my bike with a provided applicator (slightly softer and thicker than a credit card) and it didn't leave any marks. But I also used my hand for as much as possible. Sweat marks were about as much as I had to deal with, and a baby wipe sorted those out no problem.

I have also tried both paint and vinyl, and I got a much better finish from the vinyl. It's also far safer, compared to the 2k paint I was using.

As for water, I tried one panel wet and one dry. The dry one was so much easier to apply and the finish was much better. But then again it was all compound curves that had to be heated and stretched.

Considering the matt white is on a motorbike, which is probably the most inhospitable environment for a decorative surface, it has done really well. I'd have no problem using it on any part of a car.

Irony - 5/8/12 at 12:41 AM

A proper profession paint job will look better then a professional vinyl wrap. But then again vinyl will be cheaper and it is removable. I use vinyl everyday and I have wrapped a few vehicles. Don't buy crap vinyl because you'll get a crap finish. Buy proper wrapping vinyl. I use metamark or sometimes hexis for speciality finishes. If you want black then I personally would buy metamark gloss black MD7. For matt I'd use Hexis ultramatt black. Also a cloth covered applicator or furry applicator will help prevent scratches.