Roll of gloss white vinyl.

Got the mirrors done the first day.

After I got used to the material got all this done today.

When I was deciding on the color of my Z some 8 years ago I couldn't decide between black or white. Needless to say I ended up with black, time to switch it up! After much research and watching too many Youtube vids I ordered a big *** role of Hexis vinyl.

Thanks to Empiredude for the inspiration.
............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ ..
EDIT: 7/10/14

It was brought to my attention, in a borderline rant like PM, that some of you are using this thread as reference and deciding factor in purchasing vinyl to install. Some of the information I provided here is outdated as vinyl manufacturers have been improving their adhesives and material to ease the installation process.

These are some observations on brands and vinyl types that is out there that I have noted over the years of installing them on friends' cars and my own.

***If a distributor says to buy calendared vinyl, DO NOT buy. I was given this advice back in 2012 and quickly realized it's the wrong material to use as a car wrap. CAST is what you want. Most manufacturers will label the vinyl as car wrap or not. Vvivid is the only manufacturer that I know of that sells "pro-calendared" vinyl which is supposed to behave similar to cast vinyl.

A few brands out there and observations.

3M 1080- is a great vinyl and stays put once it's installed. It has a strong initial tack, which means it sticks once it touches anything. The only thing I cannot recommend is any gloss vinyl from 3M. Gloss tends to show squeegee marks and any areas where the vinyl was repositioned. It's not too obvious but if you are as detail oriented as I am then it will bother you. 3M satin and matte vinyls are good to go, I've been extremely happy satin as my Evo looks great.

Hexis - Much thinner than 3M and is more difficult to install. It stretches well and does not shrink once applied. Strong initial tack. More of a medium grade vinyl, have seen less of it on the market as of late.

Avery SW900 - Great vinyl for beginners, requires very little heat to apply. Initial tack is weak so it can be reapplied easily. It does lift in some extreme curvatures or areas that have not been cleaned properly. If you are learning this is a great vinyl to start with. Gloss does not show squeegee marks like 3M does.

Arlon - Weak initial tack similar play as Avery but does tend to lift if the substrate is not cleaned properly. Lots of nice exotic colors.

Vvivid - Cheap easy to work with and has a strong initial tack. If you are on a tight budget get this vinyl. If you are taking a risk by installing vinyl and am not sure of the outcome, get this vinyl. It's less of an initial monetary risk but obviously lower quality than any of the big brands. The adhesive tends to separate from the vinyl if you reposition it too many times. If over stretched it will lift or bubble, this happens with premium brands as well just less likely.

 

In for your results and info!

 

schweet... even though i liked your car black

 

Everyone's wrapping!!!! Looks good so far, in for the results

 

Nice, looks like a cop car now haha. In for progress and final pics.

 

Hopefully I'll have it done before the next meet.

Yeah, the paint is showing some hints of age so I figured I'd do some preventative measure before anything obvious shows.

 

Nice wrap.

 

Very nice. can't wait to see it all done

 

LMK how the hexis is to install please... im 3m flat black now, looking for a change fairly soon.. was thinking flat white perhaps.. havent heard alot about hexis ... only oracal and 3m.. i knkow that 3, was suuuuper thin and that made it a real pain to get off the backing cleanly w out SKILLED helping hands. I find the thicker material is alot easier to work with..

 

Your car's gonna look good OP. It might look so good you might consider painting your wheels to compliment the white . Seriously, in for the finished product.

 

In for updates! Cant go wrong with white

Chris

 

EDIT: 7/10/14

It was brought to my attention that some of you are using this thread as reference and deciding factor in purchasing vinyl to install. Some of the information I provided here is outdated as vinyl manufacturers have been improving their adhesives and material to ease the installation process.

These are some observations on brands and vinyl types that is out there that I have noted over the years of installing them on friends' cars and my own.

***If a distributor says to buy calendared vinyl, DO NOT buy. I was given this advice back in 2012 and quickly realized it's the wrong material to use as a car wrap. CAST is what you want. Most manufacturers will label the vinyl as car wrap or not. Vvivid is the only manufacturer that I know of that sells "pro-calendared" vinyl which is supposed to behave similar to cast vinyl.

A few brands out there and observations.

3M 1080- is a great vinyl and stays put once it's installed. It has a strong initial tack, which means it sticks once it touches anything. The only thing I cannot recommend is any gloss vinyl from 3M. Gloss tends to show squeegee marks and any areas where the vinyl was repositioned. It's not too obvious but if you are as detail oriented as I am then it will bother you. 3M satin and matte vinyls are good to go, I've been extremely happy satin as my Evo looks great.

Hexis - Much thinner than 3M and is more difficult to install. It stretches well and does not shrink once applied. Strong initial tack. More of a medium grade vinyl, have seen less of it on the market as of late.

Avery SW900 - Great vinyl for beginners, requires very little heat to apply. Initial tack is weak so it can be reapplied easily. It does lift in some extreme curvatures or areas that have not been cleaned properly. If you are learning this is a great vinyl to start with. Gloss does not show squeegee marks like 3M does.

Arlon - Weak initial tack similar play as Avery but does tend to lift if the substrate is not cleaned properly. Lots of nice exotic colors.

Vvivid - Cheap easy to work with and has a strong initial tack. If you are on a tight budget get this vinyl. If you are taking a risk by installing vinyl and am not sure of the outcome, get this vinyl. It's less of an initial monetary risk but obviously lower quality than any of the big brands. The adhesive tends to separate from the vinyl if you reposition it too many times. If over stretched it will lift or bubble, this happens with premium brands as well just less likely.

 

Sub'd... Looking good

 

What is this so called Wrap? Where do you guys find out about this stuff?

What is the finish like? Can it be washed?

 

Oh ok. nothing racist. Carry on.

I hope the wrap goes smooth for you.

 

Lol don't be jelly they don't make white human wraps lol Jk that was a lil much, sorry

 

Did some more work.



The cold weather really makes this stuff difficult to work with.



Had to stop due to rain.

So I vinyled up the X.

 

Looks great

 

Looks like your doing a good job. How hard would you say it is to wrap, 1-10?

 

It's really not that difficult, so maybe a 7 or 8, just time consuming. Does require patience, I've quite enjoyed the experience and know how to manage the material now. Temperature plays a huge role on how the vinyl behaves.