O.T. Who has wrapped their own car?

[Dumpy]

Several trucks ago I got tboned and just kept the money. Bought a used bed for $400 and my father in law swamped it out. Was same color except had a striped on bottom. A coworker husband worked at a place that did wraps. It was going to be $1500 just to a stripe on bottom. I thought about diy but never got to it. Not sure you said how much of the car you are wrapping but I would start small and do the hood if you can.

How much is diy going to run you compared to pro?

Considerably cheaper. But like all professional services, supplies are but a small part of the cost. Car paint is relatively cheap, but all of the other steps involved make up much of the cost.

I am probably going to wrap a few more goalie sticks and slightly larger items and determine whether or not this isn’t something I want to tackle. I have decided that I really don’t want to wrap the entire car, anyway.

 

[Lazmo]

Sorry, but I had no idea that wrapping a car was a thing.

What's wrong with the paint?

If that's your focus, well, there's obviously not much else going on. It's just a car.

Is it like tatts on a human?

 

[swarfrat]

Wraps are cheaper and less permanent than paint if graphics are involved.

Even though I don't think it would work well in real life, I'm surprised we haven't seen wraps as getaway car disguise in movies yet. Rob the bank, get away, peel off the wrap.

 

[Lazmo]

Wraps are cheaper and less permanent than paint if graphics are involved.

Even though I don't think it would work well in real life, I'm surprised we haven't seen wraps as getaway car disguise in movies yet. Rob the bank, get away, peel off the wrap.

Have seen that in a movie where they washed off the fake water based paint, then got away.

 

[swarfrat]

Yeah, but Hollywood is all about rehashing old ideas in new form.

 

[Lazmo]

Yeah, but Hollywood is all about rehashing old ideas in new form.

Hollywood is so completely predictable, that even hearing the music from another room (because I cannot stand to watch that drivel) will trumpet what is about to happen. Just totally pathetic. Give me something original, from almost anywhere else in the world to watch. At least I won't be able to predict the outcome when the obvious outcome clincher clue is doled up between 8 to 12 minutes into the tripe.

 

[Dumpy]

Wraps are cheaper and less permanent than paint if graphics are involved.

Even though I don't think it would work well in real life, I'm surprised we haven't seen wraps as getaway car disguise in movies yet. Rob the bank, get away, peel off the wrap.

If it came off super-easy…

But hide the car for a few hours, it could be (and likely has been) done.

 

[Dumpy]

Sorry, but I had no idea that wrapping a car was a thing.

What's wrong with the paint?

If that's your focus, well, there's obviously not much else going on. It's just a car.

Is it like tatts on a human?

I just want to change it up a bit. Gets boring staring at the same old car.

 

[Lazmo]

I just want to change it up a bit. Gets boring staring at the same old car.

Ha ha, so you make your guitars look old, and your car to look new...

 

[Dumpy]

Ha ha, so you make your guitars look old, and your car to look new...

Makes perfect sense to me

There is a patina movement on cars, but a 2017 hardly qualifies for patina LOL

 

[Fess]

There is always the Chia Pet option

 

[cruddola]

I just paid off my 2017 Kia Niro. Not an exotic by any means. It’s in decent shape, but I just want to change it up as I will own it for awhile. New wheels and tires are in the process, but I think a wrap would complete it, but I don’t want to pay $2K for something IF I could do it myself and I am decently handy.

Any recommendations? Hints? Pitfalls?

Maybe if it was a Cube.

 

[Polska]

No offense, honestly, but I wouldn't base my decision to wrap a car on how well I was able to wrap a goalie stick.

 

[Dumpy]

No offense, honestly, but I wouldn't base my decision to wrap a car on how well I was able to wrap a goalie stick.

Quite a few bends in small spaces.

 

[Pat A Flafla]

Makes perfect sense to me

There is a patina movement on cars, but a 2017 hardly qualifies for patina LOL

I'd take the patina off my cars, but it'd change the tone.

 

[Kevin77]

I just paid off my 2017 Kia Niro. Not an exotic by any means. It’s in decent shape, but I just want to change it up as I will own it for awhile. New wheels and tires are in the process, but I think a wrap would complete it, but I don’t want to pay $2K for something IF I could do it myself and I am decently handy.

Any recommendations? Hints? Pitfalls?

Hey Dumpy, We wrap vehicles. It would be a challenge on your own, for the first time. Experience is the key. Youtube helps. $2000 is about 2/3 of what it is worth. Not dissing anyone, but be careful. Premium material is worth it. Removability is important. Super clean surface is vital, especially the edges that are hard to clean and that the material will wrap around. If it's hard to clean, it will be hard to guarantee good adhesion. final trim out is key to a good looking job.

 

[Dumpy]

Hey Dumpy, We wrap vehicles. It would be a challenge on your own, for the first time. Experience is the key. Youtube helps. $2000 is about 2/3 of what it is worth. Not dissing anyone, but be careful. Premium material is worth it. Removability is important. Super clean surface is vital, especially the edges that are hard to clean and that the material will wrap around. If it's hard to clean, it will be hard to guarantee good adhesion. final trim out is key to a good looking job.

Thanks for that.

I don’t want it to sound like I am devaluing anyone’s profession. I do understand that there are skillsets gained through experience. I am slowly learning all sorts of little things when wrapping my sticks. I have built many failed carbon fibre projects, then built keepers, so I know there is a learning curve for everything. Yes, I know a stick is different in many ways. Now that I see that I am literally one of the few on this forum that has attempted this in the shade tree mechanic skill level, I am now more determined than ever to give it a go! Thanks for the tips, Kevin.

 

[JDA]

"I wrapped it around a telephone pole once"
(no I never did it was more "a farm fence" got in the way..."

 

[Treviso1]

I've had many sports cars wrapped...not something I would want to take on myself.

 

[FatBoy46]

I just paid off my 2017 Kia Niro. Not an exotic by any means. It’s in decent shape, but I just want to change it up as I will own it for awhile. New wheels and tires are in the process, but I think a wrap would complete it, but I don’t want to pay $2K for something IF I could do it myself and I am decently handy.

Any recommendations? Hints? Pitfalls?

From what I have seen, the first timer eill need at least 2x as much wrap to allow for “errors”. Unless your Kia is all flat surfaces, save your $$ and pay for it.