Wrap That Rascal

[Mark Ambrose]

I worry about wraps. I've seen some over time start to lift and peel around the edges, especially going around compound curves. Also what happens to the wrap with the inevitable dings and scratches you're going to get over time? How do those get repaired with a wrap? No doubt there are going to be some really cool wraps created and I look forward to seeing them, but at 1/3 the price of the entire vehicle I think I'll stick to factory paint.

 

[BillZ]

I've been thinking about a wrap because it's cheaper than painting the entire vehicle. My plan, if I can complete it, would be to purchase my Elio in a base color like Creamsicle and then complete a partial warp of stripes to create a orange and while pattern like Nemo.

Or, as an alternative, I would order the Marshmellow white and add orange stripes, which I think is a better idea because then, providing I can remove the wrap, I can change my wrap to the '57 Belair image by pealing the orange off and adding the different wrap to the base coat color for a new look.

I've never done this, and if there is trouble removing the wrap, then I won't be happy. That will be one of the critical questions that I'll have when I come to that decision: How difficult is it to change wraps? I've found a local vendor that will wrap my Elio for me and when I take delivery, I'll be visiting them for a quote and Q&A session about pricing etc.

I was very partial to the WWII airplane scheme or the Formula One racer scheme but I believe that the personality of my Elio will be more suited to be "Nemo" or a Belair than a racer. But that's just me...

 

[c0yote]

I've been thinking about a wrap because it's cheaper than painting the entire vehicle. My plan, if I can complete it, would be to purchase my Elio in a base color like Creamsicle and then complete a partial warp of stripes to create a orange and while pattern like Nemo.
View attachment 2843
Or, as an alternative, I would order the Marshmellow white and add orange stripes, which I think is a better idea because then, providing I can remove the wrap, I can change my wrap to the '57 Belair image by pealing the orange off and adding the different wrap to the base coat color for a new look.

I've never done this, and if there is trouble removing the wrap, then I won't be happy. That will be one of the critical questions that I'll have when I come to that decision: How difficult is it to change wraps? I've found a local vendor that will wrap my Elio for me and when I take delivery, I'll be visiting them for a quote and Q&A session about pricing etc.

I was very partial to the WWII airplane scheme or the Formula One racer scheme but I believe that the personality of my Elio will be more suited to be "Nemo" or a Belair than a racer. But that's just me...

If you're going with a Nemo look, are you going to oversize the left front fender (fin) and/or undersize the right? Don't forget the black edging between the white and orange.

 

[JNR]

I've been thinking about a wrap because it's cheaper than painting the entire vehicle. My plan, if I can complete it, would be to purchase my Elio in a base color like Creamsicle and then complete a partial warp of stripes to create a orange and while pattern like Nemo.
View attachment 2843
Or, as an alternative, I would order the Marshmellow white and add orange stripes, which I think is a better idea because then, providing I can remove the wrap, I can change my wrap to the '57 Belair image by pealing the orange off and adding the different wrap to the base coat color for a new look.

I've never done this, and if there is trouble removing the wrap, then I won't be happy. That will be one of the critical questions that I'll have when I come to that decision: How difficult is it to change wraps? I've found a local vendor that will wrap my Elio for me and when I take delivery, I'll be visiting them for a quote and Q&A session about pricing etc.

I was very partial to the WWII airplane scheme or the Formula One racer scheme but I believe that the personality of my Elio will be more suited to be "Nemo" or a Belair than a racer. But that's just me...

I think you are looking for something like this:

View attachment 442 something fishy here... Where's Nemo?

 

[Nitro]

ok so here's a set of question for any one who has had there car / boat / camper / (enter other large vehicle here) coverd in a wrap

1) Color bleed - how badly dose the color of the wrapped item bleed through the wrap if at all?

2) Life time - do wraps fade / peal / bubble up / other ware patern I did not think of and if so how long does this proses take?

3) Side affects - do wraps have any affect on gas milage or any other oddities that you can think of?

4) Forget me not - do wraps leave a residue or a film if theye are removed?

Any i olive from those "in the know" is appreciated

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

ok so here's a set of question for any one who has had there car / boat / camper / (enter other large vehicle here) coverd in a wrap

1) Color bleed - how badly dose the color of the wrapped item bleed through the wrap if at all?

2) Life time - do wraps fade / peal / bubble up / other ware patern I did not think of and if so how long does this proses take?

3) Side affects - do wraps have any affect on gas milage or any other oddities that you can think of?

4) Forget me not - do wraps leave a residue or a film if theye are removed?

Any i olive from those "in the know" is appreciated

#2 2-5 years is the normal replacement time due to wear from what I've been told.

 

[HHH]

View attachment 2623 Always thought the P-40 was pretty cool. VF-111 had the same kind of thing going on with their Tomcats when I was in (way back).

View attachment 2624

Agree with you, except one small point. I believe it was the F-14 that was the Tomcat; the F-111 was the Aardvark.

 

[NSTG8R]

Agree with you, except one small point. I believe it was the F-14 that was the Tomcat; the F-111 was the Aardvark.

You are correct, the F-111 is the Aardvark, but "VF-111" is an F-14 squadron (the Sundowners) that was in my hangar back in the early '80s (I was in VF-124, the other squadron was VF-211). All the VF-111 planes had the shark teeth, but only the Commanding Officer (pictured) had the cool red and white paint job...the rest were just different shades of grey.

 

[outsydthebox]

ok so here's a set of question for any one who has had there car / boat / camper / (enter other large vehicle here) coverd in a wrap

1) Color bleed - how badly dose the color of the wrapped item bleed through the wrap if at all?

2) Life time - do wraps fade / peal / bubble up / other ware patern I did not think of and if so how long does this proses take?

3) Side affects - do wraps have any affect on gas milage or any other oddities that you can think of?

4) Forget me not - do wraps leave a residue or a film if theye are removed?

Any i olive from those "in the know" is appreciated

1) color bleed? ......none
2) Lifespan?.......3-5 years. lighter colored vehicles, a little longer. Hoods, roofs & trunk lids age faster. "Peel, bubble"......edges, where panels meet, (example: where nose meets fenders) will tend to lift/peel/bubble. Some people try to cover these "seams" without cutting the film...doesn't work.
3) Side affects?......"mileage"...No. On "partial wraps" or stripes, where some paint is exposed, after several years the exposed paint can fade or look dull, leaving a ghost of the previous graphic "shape". Sometimes buffing can make it less noticeable.
4) Forget me not?....See # 3

Other things to ponder: At most seams and edges, the wrap will be "cut back" a hair to prevent lifting or pealing. So, you will see the paint(body color). And because "trimming" is done on the car, leaving cut marks on the paint is unavoidable.
Removing your wrap...can be labor intensive (costly). Although It is possible to do it yourself, with a heat gun or a "vinyl eraser" and a gallon of adhesive remover (not Goo Gone), if done wrong, you could damage / blister the paint.

 

[tazairforce]

1) color bleed? ......none
2) Lifespan?.......3-5 years. lighter colored vehicles, a little longer. Hoods, roofs & trunk lids age faster. "Peel, bubble"......edges, where panels meet, (example: where nose meets fenders) will tend to lift/peel/bubble. Some people try to cover these "seams" without cutting the film...doesn't work.
3) Side affects?......"mileage"...No. On "partial wraps" or stripes, where some paint is exposed, after several years the exposed paint can fade or look dull, leaving a ghost of the previous graphic "shape". Sometimes buffing can make it less noticeable.
4) Forget me not?....See # 3

Other things to ponder: At most seams and edges, the wrap will be "cut back" a hair to prevent lifting or pealing. So, you will see the paint(body color). And because "trimming" is done on the car, leaving cut marks on the paint is unavoidable.
Removing your wrap...can be labor intensive (costly). Although It is possible to do it yourself, with a heat gun or a "vinyl eraser" and a gallon of adhesive remover (not Goo Gone), if done wrong, you could damage / blister the paint.

Agree!! If you can't Afford a Real 'New Car Paint Job', just buy the color you are happy with, add some strips and stuff, just don't Trash It With A Wrap, it'll just make you and us Look bad, in a few years down the road!!!lol