I've been looking at wraping my '90 iroc as an alternative to painting. So far all I've been able to find suggest applying wrap only to factory oem paint which my car has but is in need of some repair,ie. clearcoat, a few dings etc. Also have fiberglass hood spoiler etc.
I know the body issues will need to be fixed but then those areas won't be factory. So my ?'s are
1. what issues will I have applying the wrap to repaired areas if any?
2. Issues applying wrap to fiberglass?
Any tips or other pointers on this issue would be great.

 

Not sure if this will help you but this is an excellent DIY write up.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...ajor-pics.html

 

Don't do it. Wrap is meant for cars that are brand new or flawless. The owners do it because they want to change the color of the vehicle without repainting the car. Some cars are actually worth more in their original colors. I.e. Corvette, Lambo, Ferrari. You would be much better served to repair dents and repaint. Chances are you have some rust starting to deal with.

 

I looked at that Corvette thread, and its a hell of alot of work too!! Doesnt float my boat for $600 - $800. The guy did a great job with it, but its just...fake...

 

Black car with red jambs....classy. Those visible seams really make it stand out. Looks great. /sarcasm

 

Thanks lonesomeloser, that was a very informative read, answers a lot of the ?'s I had. I'll be watching closely to see the outcome of this project as I understand he will be removing the wrap this winter, will be interesting to see. Would be interested in knowing the steps taken in prepping that "primed bumper" for wrap as well. Like I said, all the info I can gather is for factory fresh oem paint.

Tibo; just weighing my options. Paint or wrap all body issues will need to be dealt with before either is done. My car is black and a custom wrap might hide slight imperfections where as with paint especially black not only shows but seems to be magnified.

MYFIRSTZ; Yes, a load of work but not a buttwad of $'s. I'm not scared of the work, thinking it would buy some time to save up the $'s for the ultra slick paint job I think the car deserves. This is not my dd so time is not an issue, just looking at ways to enjoy my ride until I can afford that ultra slick paint job

haps; Yea, I'm not a fan of the two-tone look on that car either lol, to each his own I guess. If I do wrap it will be black, maybe with some custom print. Like I said before just weighing my options.

 

we have race cars wrapped all the time. Normally takes em 2 hours max. Other than good exacto knifes, couple diff squeeges, and a heat gun bout all the tools that are used. Granted now these cats do this all the time and there are usually 2 guys.
As stated though no matter how precise you are there are still little areas around window beds and such that arent wrapped. Course the avg joe watchin on tv cant tell.
It sticks fine to paint or primer. the noses and tails are fiberglass.
when done with it, just let the car sit out in the sun and get warm and it peels off with no residue or mess and right back to the paint or primer if that the way it was.

 

My camaro has been done.
The problem you have with our cars is the shape.
We have too many corners where as modern cars are smooth with no tight corners.
The other issue i had was i couldnt get a sheet of vinyl big enough to cover both rear quarter panel and the roof in one hit !
I have a join seam at the top of the quarters covered with a black stripe that line up with the drip rail

 

The worst bits were the ground effects and bumpers.
Go for the best 3M film you can get.
I saw their new stuff at Sema this year and it is much much better now.
My car was done over a year ago now and the materials are getting better all the time

 

Thanks for the info CAMAROBEAV. Would love to pick your brain a little more about this. Got any pics? Especially interested in areas with seams. You could email me if posting here is a problem.
I've been looking at 3M in 40 and 60 foot rolls which are running $500 to $700, not sure if that is their premium brand or not but it's quite a bit less than the 3 to 4k it's gonna take for a paint job.

 

If a shop quotes $4,000 (provided your car is not a rust bucket or full of dents) feel free to laugh in their face and leave. $4,000 would get you a thirdgen in good shape, we're talking minimal to no rust or dents. I had an 86 firebird and my quote was $1500-2000 for a color change. If you are in high school or college and need a paint job dent repair then go to a Maaco shop and have the whole thing done for dirt cheap. IF you end up keeping the car you can always have it redone down the road. I repainted mine myself for around $800 for decent DuPont paints.