1987 IROC-Z done in Avery Cardinal Red and is going through a resto. Interior completely redone. Still waiting on the dashpad. This is my 3rd 3rdgen that I've wrapped and idk why I keep putting myself through this torture. I guess it's because the end result is satisfying. The black 91 Z28 was done in Vivvid Vinyl black satin aluminum a few years back. The extinct 92 RS (which i owned for 24 years) was done in 3m satin black.

1987 IROC-Z



IROC interior

1991 Z28

1992 RS

 

They all look great, especially the Z28. What's the benefit to a wrap compared to paint? how long does a wrap last?

 

Thanks, cost is the benefit if you do it yourself. Wrap jobs last just about as long as a regular paint job 5-7 years. Another benefit is if you scratch it just peel it off that section and lay down another piece. Prep work is exactly the same as a regular paint job. Smooth surface smooth results

 

I really like the Z-28! Looks great. It's nice that you can replace a piece if it gets scratched. How difficult is it to remove? Heat gun, and then just peel?
Kind of off-topic, but what wheels are those? Size, offset, tire size? Did you need adaptors/spacers to make them fit? Thank you.
DR.K.

 

Yes you use a heat gun and just peel it off. The wheels are XXR 531 18x9 front 38mm bs with 1"spacer 265/40 and rear are 18x11 305/35. Wheels have been redrilled by a local company to match bolt patterns.

 

Turned out really good, Dennis. She gotta be loving it so far. Can't wait to see it in person.

 

hell yeah man, cant wait for the next meet!

 

If you don't mind, how much did it cost in materials to complete the car with the wrap?

 

A 45ft roll costs between $300-$400 dollars depending on the manufacturer. Probably more for the style of vinyl. Then about $30 for a wrap kit that includes squeegees, gloves, blades, etc. to get you started.

 

Wow. Looks good. I wonder what black would look like compared to paint...

 

it's not gonna look super smooth and glossy like a high dollar paint job up close but from far away you wont be able to tell the difference. i've had people compliment me on the awesome paint job on the Iroc and then they're shocked when i tell them its not paint if that says anything.

 

They look real nice I got a couple questions from a fellow wrapper who has considered this.
Were you able to do the front and rear plastic in 1 piece? were you able to keep the material from lifting in those channels on the rear bumper cover? Primer 92? Did you wrap the mirrors? Did you have to do inset pieces on those air scoops in the GFX? If you did do some sections in pieces, I assume you did the headlight buckets separate, if so did you use knifeless tape to do the cuts?

It came out really nice but from the photos you won't be able to see the seems so just curious on how you got the vinyl to work around those problematic areas. I am familiar to hiding the seems on transition areas.

 

I tried to do the front and rear in one piece but it was almost impossible without overstretching and discoloring/distorting the vinyl. The channels in the rear bumper cover were done first as an inlay then the rear was done in 4 pieces since the curves were complex.Mirrors were wrapped in 3 pieces - top, bottom, and the inside facing the window. All cuts were made using knifeless tape. I didnt use insets on the side gfx of the 91 but i did use a satin inset on the front gfx to give it some contrast. Before wrapping them i spray painted black the openings of the gfx so you couldnt see the actual body color. The front headlight buckets were done separate and cut with knifeless tape. Front nose was done in 2 pieces with the overlap cut in the center where the emblem is. To keep all the edges from lifting up later on you have the heat it before making the cut.

 

That Knifeless tape is awesome!I did my headlight buckets in Oracal 970 gloss black wrap and cut with knifeless tape and it really does look like paint. I have a 91 and I did the blister scoops in 3m carbon fiber. I had to inset the recess "vent" area but you can't tell where the seem lies on the carbon fiber. I used the carbon fiber on some interior parts also. I have used the Avery wrap on some engine parts that are not expossed to excessive heat and a year later they are still holding up. My Daily Pickup I wrapped with 3m Black Rose Metallic.

Nice Job pwdbychevy, one of these days I may do the entire car.

 

Thanks man, post some pics of your work

 

I also wrapped the door handles and key lock. Of course I did those in pieces. I made the gloss black inserts on the scoops and wrapped them in the same black.

 

On the engine the TB plate is paint. The top of the plenum and the distributor cover both Avery wrap. The red lines on the Valve cover and fuel rails are also the Avery wrap. I pre cut those. I did some Carbon accents ob the interior and last is my daily.

 

That looks pretty damn good. Can't even tell the headlight buckets were wrapped. Awesome job!

 

That wrap color is really nice, it looks pretty close to the stock bright red. Does it match pretty good? And where did you get a roll? I'm looking at doing that same type of color on my 86 IROC-Z.

 

It's the nearest match that I found out of all the samples i got from different companies. The factory color is still slightly darker but close enough. I got the roll on ebay.

 

I saw something up a few posts when someone asked about the longevity of the wrap. Why do you say that it's similar to a paint job at 5-7 years? The vinyl might be good for 5-7 years, but a paint job can last a lifetime if maintained properly. My '82 Pace Car was repainted in 1989 and it still looks fantastic today.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/cama...-500-pace.html

 

5-7 years life span for a wrap job I'm assuming applies to a car that is used regularly. My question would be if a car that is garage kept and only driven during warmer months and out of any inclement weather, how much more longevity, if any, could one expect? (yes, I spoil my car, lol)

My thinking, even if a car only gets 5 years or so from a wrap, that's time it's owner can save for a quality paint job while enjoying a nice looking ride that is also better protected from the elements.

 

If garage kept then it will last longer than 7 years. The black 91z I wrapped in 2014 and the car is kept in the garage and still looks like i just wrapped it. The longevity of the wrap also depends on the wrap manufacturer. I found that anything made in china will only last a couple of years if that.

 

But again, if you keep that "painted" car in the garage, the paint will last even longer. You cannot compare wrap to paint in any way. And, unless you do the wrap yourself, the cost to the entire car is similar to an inexpensive job, or half of the cost of a good paint job. So, wrapping a car to be a hold over until you can afford a apint job makes no sense to me.

I have no issues with wrapping a car, and think that a wrap has it's place, but it isn't a replacement for a paint job.