Wrapped S4's (Dipped and Vinyl) Cost

[xxdunnxx]

Hey guys!

I hate my brilliant black paint. Scratches all over from previous owner, dirt, pollen, and chips galore. Instead of paint, I've been contemplating wrapping it.

A true correction will cost around $500 and will only take care of some of it.

Who here has wrapped their cars?

I'm looking to figure out roundabout cost, pics of quality, reliability (how long has it lasted), and if you think it was worth it.

Ready, set, go!

[DannyDeez]

A full wrap is expensive. Expect $2k minimum if you get lucky, but more on the higher side of $3k+

Dip is much cheaper(in the hundreds $), but looks cheaper as well.

Find a shop that does autoflex and inquire about that. It's fairly new and I believe is priced in between the other two options.

Good luck, my brilliant black and it's condition from the previous owner drives me crazy too!

[tars9]

Literally same scenario and been wondering the same. I'm in IL and have been recommended to AutoArt in Glenview.


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[AvusPdx]

Dip has come a long ways, but shouldn't be done on cars 30k+.

[4RCFED]

I've seen dip done on 200k+ cars and if done right, isn't bad. Just take care of it.

[DBL R]

same. I've been debating a wrap for awhile

[PopTart]

Literally same scenario and been wondering the same. I'm in IL and have been recommended to AutoArt in Glenview.


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AutoArt in Glenview is a great shop. I highly recommend them. I didn't have a wrap done, but they do all sorts of mods.

[Game]

Literally same scenario and been wondering the same. I'm in IL and have been recommended to AutoArt in Glenview.


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Good shop, but also one of the most expensive in the shop. You're likely going to pay 3k+ over there.

[pdqgp]

Hey guys!

I hate my brilliant black paint. Scratches all over from previous owner, dirt, pollen, and chips galore. Instead of paint, I've been contemplating wrapping it.

A true correction will cost around $500 and will only take care of some of it.

Who here has wrapped their cars?

I'm looking to figure out roundabout cost, pics of quality, reliability (how long has it lasted), and if you think it was worth it.

Ready, set, go!

As a detailer I would say to give it a shot with a good local shop. If the front clip is shot, then get it re-sprayed. Bumpers aren't a big deal. Hood, perhaps the same but just make sure the shop doing the paint work is quality. The rest of the car you can likely easily get those scratches out. My brilliant black is a deep black marr-free mirror. Just takes a bit of time.

[KRp220]

Hey guys!

I hate my brilliant black paint. Scratches all over from previous owner, dirt, pollen, and chips galore. Instead of paint, I've been contemplating wrapping it.

A true correction will cost around $500 and will only take care of some of it.

Who here has wrapped their cars?

I'm looking to figure out roundabout cost, pics of quality, reliability (how long has it lasted), and if you think it was worth it.

Ready, set, go!

"plasti dip" and other sprayable products have come a long, long way. what part of NE are you in? check out www.eliteautocoatings.com or PM @saucemanpc

[Wingnut537]

Vinyl wrapped, also black like yours.

[xxdunnxx]

As a detailer I would say to give it a shot with a good local shop. If the front clip is shot, then get it re-sprayed. Bumpers aren't a big deal. Hood, perhaps the same but just make sure the shop doing the paint work is quality. The rest of the car you can likely easily get those scratches out. My brilliant black is a deep black marr-free mirror. Just takes a bit of time.

We have a great set of detailers here in MA. They can get out most, but there are some really deep scratches that look like a rag picked up a rock and whoever wiped down the car just kept on going. I'd assume there's no way to correct that. Correct me if I'm wrong! I used my DA to smooth it as best as possible.

[EchelonS4]

Wraps are more expensive then Dip but the quality is still above dip especially when you get into satin finishes. Wraps are alot easier to clean up as well as long as you have a good shop doing it and not using adhesive promoters all over it.

[Jekyoo]

Do not go Plastidip. I've seen an A4 that was plastidipped and it is something I would never do to my car. It looks very cheap and it feels like garbage.

I was in the same situation as you. I have a black S4 and wanted to vinyl wrap or autoflex as keeping black clean is a pain. Here is the info I got when I inquired about both. I'm basing this completely on the prices I got from reputable places in the Chicagoland area.

Autoflex - $1400 for basic colors like white. I inquired about a bunch of other pearls that I liked and I was quoted $2600 for that.
Vinyl wrap - I inquired about a vinyl wrap and it was $2600+ depending on color. $2600 for any standard color. Specialty colors will increase the price depending on cost of the file. I was quoted $2600 for the avery gloss gray vinyl wrap.

I ended up not doing either and decided on a paint correction instead. I chose to do a paint correction because when black is clean and removed of all imperfections, its beautiful. I'm unsure how bad your paint was but my paint was pretty bad where I hated black. Swirls and scratches everywhere but now I love it. I also went with a paint correction because when its time to sell my car, it'll be in amazing condition where I can def get a higher asking price than what my paint condition was previously.

Hope this info helps.

[adamazing]

If you're a DIY kind of person (and have ample patience), I'd suggest biting the bullet and going at it yourself with a wrap job. I wrapped my car about a year ago, and while it started out as one of the most frustratingly difficult things to do, after enough trial and error I learned the technique, process, and touch required. Now I can say that I've acquired a skill that will serve me, and my wallet, for the foreseeable future. Even with the trial and error included, I saved over $3,000 compared to what I was quoted for the same job. I'm even ordering samples now for what the next color iteration will be.

"Give a man a fish / teach a man to fish..."


Avery Brushed Steel

[sirsycott]

I'd shy away from auto flex for the time being
http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...oflex-dip.html



origional paint, pearl white


after removing autoflex

[RynoS4]

your biggest issue with dip is the road grim you might or might not see in your area. Dipped a few items on previous cars and in my environment it doesn't hold up to the beating, others friends in cleaner areas of the world have had good success.

I wrapped mine the day I got it 100,000km ago, for sure the wrap has some rock chips, few scrapes etc but nothing compared to the damage the stock paint would have taken. very easy to just rewrap the front of my car where I see some rock chips, and much cheaper than a repainting the front. As mentioned above you will be looking at the 2-3 k range for a quality job, but if done right with good product it will hold up great. Say I wanted to sell my car tomorrow the stock paint literally has 300km on it, pull the wrap and the car would look like the day I drove it off the lot.

[Saleen S7 TT]

If you're a DIY kind of person (and have ample patience), I'd suggest biting the bullet and going at it yourself with a wrap job. I wrapped my car about a year ago, and while it started out as one of the most frustratingly difficult things to do, after enough trial and error I learned the technique, process, and touch required. Now I can say that I've acquired a skill that will serve me, and my wallet, for the foreseeable future. Even with the trial and error included, I saved over $3,000 compared to what I was quoted for the same job. I'm even ordering samples now for what the next color iteration will be.

"Give a man a fish / teach a man to fish..."


Avery Brushed Steel

Looks really nice!! Tempting me ha.

[JimmyS3]

I dipped my car before. It was not the auto flex that is out now. I will tell u that most people wipe the car down with dip wash or spray wax to try to smooth it out. One good thing is it protects from rock chips the more you layer it. The thing is even coatings.
The worst thing about it is removal. Over spray is a nightmare if it gets in the engine bay or in the door jams parts you can't reach.

Wrap is probably the way I would go if money was not a factor.
Good luck.. in for pictures on whatever you choose!

[xxdunnxx]

If you're a DIY kind of person (and have ample patience), I'd suggest biting the bullet and going at it yourself with a wrap job. I wrapped my car about a year ago, and while it started out as one of the most frustratingly difficult things to do, after enough trial and error I learned the technique, process, and touch required. Now I can say that I've acquired a skill that will serve me, and my wallet, for the foreseeable future. Even with the trial and error included, I saved over $3,000 compared to what I was quoted for the same job. I'm even ordering samples now for what the next color iteration will be.

"Give a man a fish / teach a man to fish..."


Avery Brushed Steel

That looks amazing! Any tips/pointers on our car?

[adamazing]

That looks amazing! Any tips/pointers on our car?

Oh man, yes. More than I can type out at the moment - I could probably write a novel. Eventually I'll make a post detailing all my experiences, discoveries, tips & tricks, and whatnot.

[xxdunnxx]

Oh man, yes. More than I can type out at the moment - I could probably write a novel. Eventually I'll make a post detailing all my experiences, discoveries, tips & tricks, and whatnot.

Please do! I didn't realize it was DIY-able. How long did it take? More than a day?

[SFo]

I've seen dip done on 200k+ cars and if done right, isn't bad. Just take care of it.

That is because it is about time (to install) not cost of materials. A wrap on a $200k is going to be pretty similar in cost to one on a $20k car... except the % of the vehicle value will be much higher. As with most things, the cheaper the quote, the lower the quality.

[SFo]

Please do! I didn't realize it was DIY-able. How long did it take? More than a day?

considerably longer than a day for a DIY'er, even if you get it right the first time, which you won't.

[adamazing]

Please do! I didn't realize it was DIY-able. How long did it take? More than a day?

Yes. I can't give an exact estimate since I was only able to work on it on weekends initially, and for an hour here and there after work on some days. I rolled around patchwork for a while since I was trying to learn the craft. The whole process lasted about 3 weeks, but maybe 6-7 days of actual work effort - that included a lot of trial and error and scrapped material at the beginning.

By the last day or two, I was able to wrap each entire side of the car in a couple of hours. It gets easier once you get the hang of it.

[adamazing]

considerably longer than a day for a DIY'er, even if you get it right the first time, which you won't.

This

[hotleadsingergu]

I've seen dip done on 200k+ cars and if done right, isn't bad. Just take care of it.

I'd say you're wrong lol I've seen expensive dip jobs on supercars and it still looks like shit. It's cheap and it looks like it.

[adamazing]

I'd say you're wrong lol I've seen expensive dip jobs on supercars and it still looks like shit. It's cheap and it looks like it.

I tend to agree with this.

[PopTart]

Good shop, but also one of the most expensive in the shop. You're likely going to pay 3k+ over there.

Is there a shop you recommend near Chicago?

[Spenceratc7]

If you're a DIY kind of person (and have ample patience), I'd suggest biting the bullet and going at it yourself with a wrap job. I wrapped my car about a year ago, and while it started out as one of the most frustratingly difficult things to do, after enough trial and error I learned the technique, process, and touch required. Now I can say that I've acquired a skill that will serve me, and my wallet, for the foreseeable future. Even with the trial and error included, I saved over $3,000 compared to what I was quoted for the same job. I'm even ordering samples now for what the next color iteration will be.

"Give a man a fish / teach a man to fish..."


Avery Brushed Steel

This looks incredible. Did you try different types of wraps? Are there any types that you personally like better than others? This color
Makes me want to maybe give fishing a try haha

[TheDailyS5]

I wanted to start my own wrap business, decided my only way to do so is with practice before I can do other people's cars.

My car was brilliant black before as well and this was my result from wrapping my car on my own for the first time. I wanted to do as perfect of a job as I could for a first timer and everything including the edges came out great. Total cost was about 600$ (including squeegees, blades, heat gun, cleaning products, wrap glove, magnets) the wrap cost me 400$ on special from vvivid vinyl and I couldn't be happier. HOWEVER because I did it myself it was much cheaper but it did take me 20 hours of labour to do. It is also NOT perfect as I was a beginner and I learned from the few mistakes I made on my own car and have now got most techniques down packed. I have a decent amount of customers who are all satisfied with my new work and I also give a guarantee for a year!

I personally suggest to wrap it yourself and get some practice so you can change it on your own every few months. I've had this wrap on for 6 months now and it's still going strong. A few bubbles here and there but I'll be ripping it off in the next week for a new colour and I'll be making sure it's done right!


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[jsilva3071]

Vinyl wrapped, also black like yours.

Super clean bud


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[adamazing]

This looks incredible. Did you try different types of wraps? Are there any types that you personally like better than others? This color
Makes me want to maybe give fishing a try haha

Thanks.

This was the very first product, and the very first time I had attempted to wrap anything - let alone an entire car. I've spent more than a fair amount of time running in circles and groups with wrapped cars for a while now and I picked this color/texture based off of a local BMW M3 that had it done here in San Diego. As soon as I saw it I immediately knew that was the wrap I wanted.

My hopes and dreams shortly there after came to a crashing halt when I shopped around for quotes and discovered that this material + install labor had a going rate of between $4,000 - $5,000. That was the catalyst moment that made me decide to learn as much as I could, as soon as I could, about wrapping a car.

One of the first things I discovered (after buying all the material and supplies) is that not all vinyl is created equal. Different colors and finishes have different handling requirements, and just my luck... the brushed texture was on the more advanced side of the scale. Obviously the texture in it means that you have to apply the vinyl in the same direction across body panels, but overstretching this particular texture also leaves a permanent disfigurement in the vinyl that makes it look like it's been scraped or left with an abrasion. Alternatively, if you don't stretch enough and "make glass" when laying the vinyl down on the surface, you're going to have a really shitty time trying to remove air pockets. If you set and lift the vinyl too many times, or while it's too warm or too cold, the adhesive boundary on the backside is going to disfigure the vinyl pattern on the top as well (think of it as micro overstretches). Too much heat, or too little heat plays a part in how pliable or resilient the material is while you're trying to navigate corners and convex areas. That's where getting a feel and developing a touch with the material plays the biggest part in my opinion. It's not going to be something you'll likely get the hang of the first, second, or third time you go at it. It's going to take numerous hours of trial and error for it to 'click'. Once it does, it starts to become muscle memory the more and more you work at it.

My personal recommendation is to buy the cheapest quality material you can find to play with and get a feel for. Something like 3M or Avery Satin Black. It's (relatively) cheap and will give you practice cycles to work with before you spend the money for the color/material you really want. In hindsight, I should have done this first instead of wasting roughly 20 feet of expensive brushed vinyl while I learned. You're going to mess up, you're going to get frustrated, you're going to think it's impossible for a little while. But there's going to be an "a-ha" moment along the line, and that's when it will start coming together faster and faster.

I like Avery's 900SW films. I think they hold up well and they're easier to work with. Same for 3M's 1080 series.
I have a lesser preference for Orafol material, but my first hand experience with it is more limited than Avery or 3M.

They sell most vinyls by the foot or yard, in 5ft wide sections. If you're a professional, you can wrap an entire A4/S4 in roughly 60-65 feet of material. But we're not professionals, so just order the entire roll - which mostly come in 75ft (or 25 yard) reams. It's also cheaper to buy an entire ream so the vendor doesn't have to measure and cut off a custom length. There's a high probability that you'll have to order more anyway because fuck-ups are almost always guaranteed.


I'd also highly suggest watching YouTube tutorials from Justin Pate. Watch them each 10 times, and after that, watch them another 10 times. It wont substitute for hands on experience, but as you start to work with the vinyl, you'll slowly start piecing together all the knowledge and tips he gives out.

[adamazing]

I wanted to start my own wrap business, decided my only way to do so is with practice before I can do other people's cars.

My car was brilliant black before as well and this was my result from wrapping my car on my own for the first time. I wanted to do as perfect of a job as I could for a first timer and everything including the edges came out great. Total cost was about 600$ (including squeegees, blades, heat gun, cleaning products, wrap glove, magnets) the wrap cost me 400$ on special from vvivid vinyl and I couldn't be happier. HOWEVER because I did it myself it was much cheaper but it did take me 20 hours of labour to do. It is also NOT perfect as I was a beginner and I learned from the few mistakes I made on my own car and have now got most techniques down packed. I have a decent amount of customers who are all satisfied with my new work and I also give a guarantee for a year!

I personally suggest to wrap it yourself and get some practice so you can change it on your own every few months. I've had this wrap on for 6 months now and it's still going strong. A few bubbles here and there but I'll be ripping it off in the next week for a new colour and I'll be making sure it's done right!


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That looks great man. Hi-five to another DIY'er

[jonwoods]

What's the longevity of a wrap? I've heard 2 to 3 years max... Also the longer it's stays on, the more difficult it can be to remove cleanly... Curious what people have experienced.

[PopTart]

Do not go Plastidip. I've seen an A4 that was plastidipped and it is something I would never do to my car. It looks very cheap and it feels like garbage.

I was in the same situation as you. I have a black S4 and wanted to vinyl wrap or autoflex as keeping black clean is a pain. Here is the info I got when I inquired about both. I'm basing this completely on the prices I got from reputable places in the Chicagoland area.

Autoflex - $1400 for basic colors like white. I inquired about a bunch of other pearls that I liked and I was quoted $2600 for that.
Vinyl wrap - I inquired about a vinyl wrap and it was $2600+ depending on color. $2600 for any standard color. Specialty colors will increase the price depending on cost of the file. I was quoted $2600 for the avery gloss gray vinyl wrap.

I ended up not doing either and decided on a paint correction instead. I chose to do a paint correction because when black is clean and removed of all imperfections, its beautiful. I'm unsure how bad your paint was but my paint was pretty bad where I hated black. Swirls and scratches everywhere but now I love it. I also went with a paint correction because when its time to sell my car, it'll be in amazing condition where I can def get a higher asking price than what my paint condition was previously.

Hope this info helps.

Is there a shop you recommend near Chicago?

[Silverbullet S4]

Dip has come a long ways, but shouldn't be done on cars 30k+.

What does the cost of the car have to do with anything?

If money isn't a factor, vinyl is clearly the better option. However, dip has come a loooong way and is a viable alternative if you have realistic expectations. It's not paint and isn't supposed to be.

[saucemanpc]

"Dipped"

Elite Auto Coatings

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[justincrediblee]

What's the longevity of a wrap? I've heard 2 to 3 years max... Also the longer it's stays on, the more difficult it can be to remove cleanly... Curious what people have experienced.

Similarly curious, anyone have trouble removing the wrap or notice any damage? Only hesitation that I would have. And I'm only looking to wrap the roof of my S4.

[tar]

No worries wrap away. Just pull it after a few like before 5 years so it doesn't become a bitch 2 remove.