One of the most popular styles of vehicle wraps these days are solid-color changes, and if installed correctly, nobody will be able to notice your work here. But that’s a good thing—especially for customers looking for an alternative to pricier custom paint jobs!
There are several reasons why solid-color vehicle wrap transformations are appealing to customers. “The main attraction would be the cost,” says Sean Dale, owner of Fast-Trac Designs, a one-stop vehicle wrap, screen-printing, and graphics company in Phoenix, Arizona, “as they’re more likely to fit their budget than painting.
“And a solid-color wrap is a great way for the owner to get a new car look without having to purchase a new car.”
Car owners can also get their vehicles back much faster. “A solid-color change wrap can be completed in two days, as opposed to spending three to five days in a paint booth,” says Dale.
Recently Fast-Trac completed a solid-color transformation on a Mercedes. The customer wanted a clean look for his black car, and Fast-Trac ended up applying a bright white to it. The result is quite literally night-and-day.
Fast-Trac went with 3M Matte White 1080-M10. The interior wooden-like accents were covered in 3M 1080-CF10 white carbon fiber vinyl.
This wasn’t the first solid-color vinyl vehicle transformation Fast-Trac has worked on. They’ve dabbled before with color switches on hoods and roofs and even applied them to boats.
If you’re interested in taking on this kind of work, be aware that there are a lot of different vinyl materials out there for these types of wraps. According to Dale, prior to beginning a color transformation wrap, it’s important to decide what type of material is going to be used. You also have to explain to the customer what type of maintenance will be required afterwards.
“Once that’s done, inspect the vehicle to see if there’s any severe paint or body damage. If so, you may reconsider wrapping it,” he says.
Next Fast-Trac Designs will order the material, keeping in mind how much will be needed. “Having enough material on-hand is very important,” says Dale.
It took Fast-Trac installers about two days to complete this Mercedes color transformation. “After the installation, we wiped the entire vehicle down with isopropyl alcohol,” says Dale. “If there was an area of the matte white vinyl that got a little dirty during installation, we used a Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser® to clean the area.
“We set the vehicle outside for an hour or two and then inspected it to make sure all the wheel wells and bumper areas weren’t lifting.”
Dale describes solid-color wraps as “meticulous.” “The entire vehicle must be covered smoothly,” he says, “including around the edges and in the contours.”
He also points out that the media can be more challenging to work with. “The material is not laminated, therefore, it is thinner and requires high care and proper tools during installation,” says Dale. “It gathers finger prints and dust.
“It also cannot be heated with a propane torch like most general wraps.”
Fast-Trac provides a care package when a customer receives a wrap and a thirty-day checkup where they’ll inspect how the wrap is holding up and make any needed repairs.
The owner of the Mercedes will have to keep up maintenance, since Matte White vinyl shows imperfections. “We told them the vehicle will have to be hand-washed only with non-abrasive solvents,” says Dale. “And it cannot be waxed, as that will take away from the matte finish.”
By Jeff Wooten
All photos: Fast-Trac Designs.
