Cheap Paint alternative

stevenr

stevenr

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Apr 19, 2004
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I've had my truck wrapped for years and It holds up very well. That, of course, is solid vinyl. If you are using printed vinyl, then it is typically only guaranteed for 3-5 years.

Now don't get me wrong, when you drag your truck across the earth as shown in the photos below, it will look bad. However, it does hold up to some pretty intense limb scratches.

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Please do not Plastidip.
 
ArmyRover

ArmyRover

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2007
3,230
1
Augusta, GA
I've had plasti-dip on my grill and rims on the saab for a year now with no issues. A couple of rock chips on the grill quick touch up and can't tell the difference.
 
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
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North Carolina
mgreenspan said:
Is Plastidip that bad?
Click to expand...

I'm going to answer that as well.

I don't think so, but then I look at it as more of a way to experiment with no ill-effects, have fun, or economically save a vehicle you might be a bit ashamed of.

Consider the source, though. I learned about it through the mini-truck and low rider community, as well as guys who play with big subs and wheels.

Many here don't appreciate that scene. I enjoy it all, so I'm naturally going to be a bit more accepting in that regard. The process has made great inroads into those communities, as it allows the everyman to produce clean finishes without too much experience or equipment.

He's right about normal vinyl wrap. It's tough stuff, but not entirely immune to unreasonable damage. If you've scraped it as hard as he did in the pictures, damage is to be expected, but normal paint would be somewhat damaged as well.

Some of these tricks are well out of the way if you aren't just out to try something new or play around, but the nice thing about them is they are not permanent, unless you only cover part of a panel and let it sit there long enough for the paint to fade unevenly.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
stevenr

stevenr

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Apr 19, 2004
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I like 3M brand's Scotchprint. I have purchased through Auto Vinyl Solutions. They seem to have ok pricing. It is not cheap. To do a Land Rover, I would guess you would need about $500-700 in vinyl and a lot of patience.

As far as Plastidip goes... I think its the cheapfuk way to go and just look at the toolbag that has made it so popular. Yes, it works and looks good at first, until you wash your car or power wash it. Remember, its just a rubber coating. So if your truck is just for show and shine, then yes, it's the way to go. If your truck will come into contact with ANYTHING, it will peel and roll. But that is just my opinion. There are thousands of people doing this all the time. So, I'm probably in the minority that think this stuff is shit.
 
mbs13

mbs13

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
284
0
Chicagoland
I wouldnt do the vinyl wrap if you had any bare metal/chips on the doors. A guy locally had a small bubble of rust on his door before he put the vinyl on, took it off 6 months later and the small bubble had turned into all out rot. All the alum panels may be ok but something to think about on the steel ones.
 
p m

p m

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... which leads me to the following:
- the quote from a local place for vinyl on the roof of a D1 was about $450 (film and labor), and that after me taking care of the rust spots under alpine windows, and removing the roof rack bars. That brings me pretty square into the good-quality paint shop territory. That - for non-color-matching film, e.g., white on otherwise Epsom Green truck.
That said, the same quote holds for stock glossy black vinyl for a SWB Classic black roof - which is Aluminum. Given how hard any glossy-black paint job is, that just may be a better deal.
 
p m

p m

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Blue

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,081
887
AZ
I just had a Ford Focus wrapped, picking it up tomorrow morning. We used 3M vinyl.

Would really like to get the D2 wrapped in a Hello Kitty theme.
 
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
hilltoppersx said:
I will paypal someone $25 if they use this on their entire truck
http://www.metrorestyling.com/3M-DI-NOC-CARBON-FIBER-VINYL-CA-1170-p/dinoc1170.htm
Click to expand...

I've used that on computers a few times. It's pretty good stuff, and forms very well with heat. I'm not sure it would be so hot on a Land Rover...:D

I wish I could have a real carbon fiber hood on my Jag, though. I took the struts off the rear deck lid, and found that it was incredibly heavy for such a simple part. It dawned on me immediately that the hood must be outrageous.

So, I looked it up. Someone does indeed make a bolt-on carbon fiber hood for that thing. $7,000. :rofl:

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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