Vinyl wrap instead of paint

i've thought about getting an anime girl wrap for a daily driver Model A with an electric motor conversion.
why? for the memes.
 
Most of the stainless steel Tesla pickups around here have been wrapped to look like they have been painted.
 
GPierce said:
Most of the stainless steel Tesla pickups around here have been wrapped to look like they have been painted.
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Do the Tesla pickup drivers in your area liberally offer "one finger salutes" the way they do where I reside?
 
Does anyone know of a heat shrink type vinyl wrap that would be appropriate for a small wood grain project? I have a pair of A400 repo ash trays I am considering using vinyl wrap.
 
The wife bought a Mazda in the spiffy Crystal Red (like the old hot rod candy apple red). Turns out it is one of the worst paints to maintain.
I have considering wrapping it in clear after reading the Rolls Royce article I posted. Also, I have a 4wd which gets what we call "bush pinstrip" on the paint here. 4wd tracks are very narrow and can get overgrown.
 
johnr9q@yahoo.com said:
rotowrench, I don't understand what you mean: "I'd be worried about the transition from the tops to the bottoms.working around the top material may be a bear to keep hidden edges"
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My concern is how well it would wrap and hold around the beads on the Fenders and then butting up to the top retainer strips. The hood and around the windshield on 28/29 cars might be another challenge but likely doable. A garaged car would hold up longer than a car out in the weather but most folks protect their babies pretty well.
 
You don't have to cover the entire car. For instance, just the doors. You can have a film made with the design of your choice. What would you like to see on your doors?
 
GPierce said:
Most of the stainless steel Tesla pickups around here have been wrapped to look like they have been painted.
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It seems those ugly Tesla Trucks would be easy and cheap to wrap since they are basically just a bunch of flat panels. As far as I’m concerned, nothing would make them look good. Beside, they don’t seem practical since they don’t have much carrying capacity.

I imagine a roadster or roadster pickup would also be easier to wrap than a coupe or sedan. With the prep required it’s probably cheaper to go with a single stage paint on a driver.

I have sone reproduction fenders in good shape that might be wrapped for a reasonable price.

The only problem with wrapping a Model A could be the pinstripes. I’m going to watch Paul Shinn’s video tomorrow to see if the issue will be addressed.

David Serrano
 
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I really don't see it being feasible on an A,unless it is done as an experiment,or to show potential clients how it can even be done on an old car,Or to show just how clear and crisp the graphics can be in the wrap.Or,maybe the best reason of all,I just want to.I feel that once the car is dissasembled,and the prep work done to the point needed to apply,you might as well spray the car.The only close up and personal good look at a vehicle was on a food truck that sets up here in the summers.The family owns seafood restaurents,and they set up a seasonal roadside truck on the highway here.It is a Grumman step van,and the details of the boats,rocky beaches,fish,old fishing shantys and old fisherman are just amazing.She could not have gotten all that painted for the cost of the wrap.
 
Hey David- Spoiler alert: We do not address the pinstripe in tomorrow's video. Just the solid panels. However, doing a pinstripe in film is EASY according to the shop owner. I also handed him a new MAFCA color book and asked how many of them he could match. He said he could match every color in the book, "easily".


California Travieso said:
It seems those ugly Tesla Trucks would be easy and cheap to wrap since they are basically just a bunch of flat panels. As far as I’m concerned, nothing would make them look good. Beside, they don’t seem practical since they don’t have much carrying capacity.

I imagine a roadster or roadster pickup would also be easier to wrap than a coupe or sedan. With the prep required it’s probably cheaper to go with a single stage paint on a driver.

I have sone reproduction fenders in good shape that might be wrapped for a reasonable price.

The only problem with wrapping a Model A could be the pinstripes. I’m going to watch Paul Shinn’s video tomorrow to see if the issue will be addressed.

David Serrano
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P.S. said:
Hey David- Spoiler alert: We do not address the pinstripe in tomorrow's video. Just the solid panels. However, doing a pinstripe in film is EASY according to the shop owner. I also handed him a new MAFCA color book and asked how many of them he could match. He said he could match every color in the book, "easily".
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Yes. The pinstripe would be the easiest part of the job. I've done brush pinstriping. Give me tape or film every time.

I covered a lot of model airplanes in my day. Japanese tissue, condenser paper, Monokote, Solarfilm, Oracote, etc. It takes a little bit of experience but eventually, you can do a beautiful job. Heat shrink/seal and the new plastics/colors are amazing...esp. since you can print anything that can be put in a computer image.

Excellent video, Paul. I had already thought I'd wrap my Coupe when it came down to getting new paint. Whether it is the "correct" color doesn't bother me, but...if the correct ones are available, I'd lean towards one of them. My "Brewster Green" is so dark that it is nearly black, you have to lean in and get the light just right to see any green in it.

Of course, unless the underlying paint is perfect, there is almost as much prep work as paint to get the wrap right. Surfaces need to be very smooth. Every imperfection will xfer thru the wrap, so no scratches, chips, lumps or bumps, etc. Mine would need a thorough going over to fill chips and scratches, block sanding, etc. Thankfully, I won't need to worry about it for 5-10 yrs...
 
I watched the video. I wonder how much it cost to wrap the bottom section of the coach on that A. Just wondering from the perspective of how much that work costs.

One thing for sure, that is a job to be performed by an experienced person, with a good helper or two. Kinda reminds me contact paper for kitchen cabinets.
 
I finally watched the video. That is exactly the same as putting film on my model airplanes. One thing that helps with the model airplane where there is solid wood underneath is to poke a bunch of pin holes through the balsa wood to let the trapped air out.
 
Gene F said:
I watched the video. I wonder how much it cost to wrap the bottom section of the coach on that A. Just wondering from the perspective of how much that work costs.

One thing for sure, that is a job to be performed by an experienced person, with a good helper or two. Kinda reminds me contact paper for kitchen cabinets.
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I was told it will cost $1,000 to do just the body, no fenders.
 
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