drawde

If i get my car wrapped what needs to be done differently (more often, less often, etc) as far as car washes, details, etc..

Also, how does it stand up to rock chips and nicks? Would it be cheaper to repair vinyl or repair a regular painted bumper?

And for preexisting chips or nicks, would they have to be repaired prior anyway? or will they be hidden under the vinyl? I'm assuming they need to be repaired first or it won't be 100% flat?

bouavone

Check out plasti dip did my hood and mirrors and it looks great and it fills in all the pits. You can basically do your whole car like it. Check it out on YouTube to see what's it all about the cool thing is that it come off like vinyl.

blackc230benzo

I would clay bar your car and fix any major stone chips prior to installation. Once it's on, wash the car as usual. Since I did matte black, I use a california car duster and will use plexus to bring out a more satin look every couple weeks.

In terms of durability, the wrap has decreased and prevented stonechip damage all together depending on the size of the debris.
I was actually just in an accident and the vinyl actually saved the paint from driver side doors.

_AMG_

You should treat it just like any other matte paint/wrap.
Don't wax it and just wash it with soap and water.

Fung63

never wrapped any of my cars but am getting more interested in it. Was wondering how it holds up after a few years (is there a shelf life to it) and how does it fare in terms of longevity with snow and salt?

rage2

Don't want to retype, here's a post I made last year regarding every kind of wrap (I've tried 'em all)

https://mbworld.org/forums/4780429-post9.html

Here's my C63 Black Series with the XPEL Stealth product (matte clear film):



Stay tuned, I'm posting up the timelapse of the job tomorrow.

drawde

@rage2 thanks for sharing.

i understand the vinyl should protect the paint underneath but what about the vinyl itself? is it a magnet for rock chips? i'm assuming you can't repair the wrap, you'd have to rewrap whatever panel it is unless i'm missing something?

the clear matte is interesting.. might work best for me too since i'd like to keep around the same color i have now.

Pickles

Your "reservations" are correct, & I have raised my similar "reservations" on this forum before.....but no-ones' interested!!?
So:
1. Petrol stains on wrap..adjacent to filler cap.....how will you get rid of them?
2. Scuffs/scrapes...how will you repair them?
3.Stone Chips...a wrap will NOT resist stone chips....So, how will you repair them?
As I've said, in the UK Ford introduced a 3M "wrapped" edition of the RS Focus...result MASSIVE issues.....many owners removed the wrap.
But hey....simply my opinion guys...see how ya go.
Cheers, Pickles.

bekurt

That matte clear wrap is a great idea. Although, that would require a front bumper repaint in my case. I also thought 3M was supposed to be the best stuff out, but reading rage's review it doesn't seem to be the case. Hrm, I wonder how that Xpel stuff holds up.

rage2

3M's clear bra film is awesome, but they don't make wide enough rolls for some hoods, which requires 2 pieces and a seam. They seem to be kinda slow rolling out new products compared to the other guys (Premier, XPEL etc).

3M doesn't have any matte clear paint protection films.

I had XPEL Stealth for about a year on my CLK63 BS before I sold the car, and it looked perfect. Drove a lot of the dusty highways of Alberta and Montana, not a scratch on the car.

I've also used the regular glossy XPEL paint protection film on my HPF M3 after a full car repaint. That was 3 or 4 years ago, saw the car recently with the new owner, and it still looks brand spanking new.

bekurt

That's really good to hear. Did you take any special measures to clean/detail the wrap or just regular washes?

rage2

I have a short routine for my washes.

1. Pressure wash
2. Wash mitt (only if the car is really dirty)
3. Soft bath towel dry.

Takes me 10-15 mins to wash and dry the entire car. If anything, the most time consuming process is drying the windows without streaks.

Back in the day before wrapping, I would have to pre rinse the car to get rid of any dust/dirt, use very fine towels for drying which doesn't really absorb water, spray areas with water spots and redry, and routinely claybar and polish the cars to get rid of swirls. 2 hour process all for the sake of scratch and swirl avoidance. Of course, YMMV, I've only owned black cars, which makes it such a PITA.

The amount of time I save washing a wrapped car, I pretty much wash every 2 days now on the way home.

Dr. Beasley's

You can protect the wrap itself using a sealant. While yes, the vinyl will be protecting the paint, it's important to remember that vinyl and plastic wraps aren't immune to UV damage, scratches, or even bird droppings. As for the sealant, don't use a typical wax or polysealant. Matte (wraps and factory jobs) have microscopic imperfections that diffuse light rather than specularly reflect it (as a glossy car would) - giving you the "flat" look (read more).

For protecting that "flat" look, we have more details here on how to go about doing so: Protecting Matte Wraps

_timothy

i DD my c63 and have it wrapped in 3m 1080 glossy black wrap. i can tell it has faded slightly from being in the fl sun all day every weekday at my work's parking lot

i'm having it removed soon. next time around i am just going to get a full clear bra on the fender, quarters, hood, lights etc