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vinyl wrapping a lotus 7
metro6r4 - 6/4/12 at 06:37 PM

hi im planning the colour scheme of the car and how i want it too look while i wait for the gearbox to be rebuilt and was wondering if anyone had any experiences of wrapping a 7 and impaticular the side pannels where the exhaust manifold comes out im hopping to have the car finished in bayside blue and gold

coozer - 6/4/12 at 07:00 PM

I quite fancy doing mine.. I want it to look like I've driven through a Union Jack and 200mph and its draped over the front and down the sides.. get the idea?

There was a Mk1 Escort in Classic Ford a while ago and it looked mint...

metro6r4 - 6/4/12 at 07:20 PM

that sounds quality i want to hace the main body of the car in the blue with the front and rear wings in gold to go with my anodiesed uprights and calipers

r1_pete - 6/4/12 at 07:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coozer
I quite fancy doing mine.. I want it to look like I've driven through a Union Jack and 200mph and its draped over the front and down the sides.. get the idea?

There was a Mk1 Escort in Classic Ford a while ago and it looked mint...


I used to take the wee out of my mates Triumph Daytona, telling him he'd left the teatowel draped over the front after he'd washed it...

[Edited on 6/4/12 by r1_pete]

RK - 6/4/12 at 10:40 PM

I have done mine, and although the side panels were easy (done prior to fitting on car), the rest was a PITA. Please do yourself a favour and have a design company come up with the design (you approve it of course), and a professional do the wrapping. Just believe me! If you look around, you should be able to find someone who will do a good job for not much. There is a lot less vinyl on a seven than a tin top or lorry.

Hammy360 - 7/4/12 at 12:24 AM

Ive done quite a lot of wrapping to my 7. As long as you get a good quality vinyl its not too bad. Practice on some smaller bits first and see if your up for it. Theres quite a bit on my blog I think http://hammyszero.blogspot.com

bj928 - 7/4/12 at 01:23 AM

quote:
Originally posted by coozer
I quite fancy doing mine.. I want it to look like I've driven through a Union Jack and 200mph and its draped over the front and down the sides.. get the idea?

There was a Mk1 Escort in Classic Ford a while ago and it looked mint...


something like this

MakeEverything - 7/4/12 at 08:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by RK
I have done mine, and although the side panels were easy (done prior to fitting on car), the rest was a PITA. Please do yourself a favour and have a design company come up with the design (you approve it of course), and a professional do the wrapping. Just believe me! If you look around, you should be able to find someone who will do a good job for not much. There is a lot less vinyl on a seven than a tin top or lorry.


To do it woot it sticking to itself, you need a sprayer with soapy water in it. Much like applying a vinyl sticker.

coozer - 7/4/12 at 10:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by bj928
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
I quite fancy doing mine.. I want it to look like I've driven through a Union Jack and 200mph and its draped over the front and down the sides.. get the idea?

There was a Mk1 Escort in Classic Ford a while ago and it looked mint...


something like this



No, not a whole cover, image a liquid union jack hanging and you drive through it..

Bit of searching .. and here it is..






[Edited on 7/4/12 by coozer]

RK - 7/4/12 at 12:46 PM

http://www.autosmug.com/Jaguar/XK8-Convertible-Austin-Powers

yeah, baby!


And to MakeEverything, who is trying to be helpful. Yes, since I've done my whole car, I kind of know that part, thank you.

[Edited on 7/4/12 by RK]

garybee - 11/4/12 at 12:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
quote:
Originally posted by RK
I have done mine, and although the side panels were easy (done prior to fitting on car), the rest was a PITA. Please do yourself a favour and have a design company come up with the design (you approve it of course), and a professional do the wrapping. Just believe me! If you look around, you should be able to find someone who will do a good job for not much. There is a lot less vinyl on a seven than a tin top or lorry.


To do it woot it sticking to itself, you need a sprayer with soapy water in it. Much like applying a vinyl sticker.


How do you get rid of the soap when it's on there? Is it just a case of rolling/rubbing the vinyl to get it to stick?

Steve Hignett - 11/4/12 at 12:42 PM

yes

Steve Hignett - 11/4/12 at 12:43 PM

Lotus Exige in wavy Union Jack

RK - 12/4/12 at 01:07 AM

Bring me my chariot of fire!

Not Anumber - 12/4/12 at 07:23 AM

I'm thinking of the same. Ive made a small fibreglas repair to the bonnet and rather than trying to match paint to the existing gelcoat it could be a good opportunity to vinyl wrap the bodywork.

Though 7esque cars have simple bodywork without compound curves so should be easier to wrap than most production cars they do have a unique challenge that could be a probem- heat.

I'm worried about the effects of heat where the exhasut is close to the body as Metro6r4 mentioned. Will the vinyl melt, burn, discolour in these areas ? Does anyone have specific experience of this ?

MakeEverything - 12/4/12 at 08:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by garybee
quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
quote:
Originally posted by RK
I have done mine, and although the side panels were easy (done prior to fitting on car), the rest was a PITA. Please do yourself a favour and have a design company come up with the design (you approve it of course), and a professional do the wrapping. Just believe me! If you look around, you should be able to find someone who will do a good job for not much. There is a lot less vinyl on a seven than a tin top or lorry.


To do it woot it sticking to itself, you need a sprayer with soapy water in it. Much like applying a vinyl sticker.


How do you get rid of the soap when it's on there? Is it just a case of rolling/rubbing the vinyl to get it to stick?


Yes. The soapy water is applied in a mist from the sprayer, so when you squirt the sticky side of the vinyl and the surface, they slide across eachother rather than sticking directly. Then, you use a squeegee to squeeze the water out from the centre once you have the vinyl in the right place.

The same principle applies to vinyl lettering (Applied with what is effectively a giant strip of masking tape), window tinting film and any stickers applied to a hard surface.

Not Anumber - 12/4/12 at 11:00 AM

Theres a fair amount of stuff on application techniques on the internet. More concerned about suitability of the material near unshielded exhaust parts ?

RK - 12/4/12 at 12:35 PM

Rivet some ally onto the area around the exhaust exit, and Bob's your uncle.