Car body wraps all the rage
INDUSTRY NEWS/ 3M’s wraps are cheaper than paint options and protect a vehicle from the elements, writes Phuti Mpyane
Vehicle wraps are quite the rage these days. It’s mostly marketing and logistics companies who utilise the service while the personal car wrapping aspect of the craze is understandably lower, with only a few converts, or rather extroverts, covering their personal cars in a variety of exuberant colour schemes for show.
Vehicle wraps have advantages. They are relatively cheaper than paint options while protecting a vehicle’s original paint against the elements, thereby ensuring better resale values in the long run. A wrap also allows for flexibility in experimenting with your vehicle’s aesthetic power, offering texture and colour options beyond those of OEMs.
Chrome is popular but 3M’s Wrap Film 1080 colour swatch series is made up of more than 100 colour options available on five types of finishes: matte, satin, gloss, carbon fibre and brushed metal wraps. 3M guarantees performance life for seven years for matte, satin and gloss while carbon fibre and brushed metal are assured for five years.
The process of wrapping a car will take 3M’s certified installers two to three days using the latest technology in materials and tools. It may be a glam undertaking but there is associated risk. Shoddy work by unprofessional outfitters can leave your car in a distasteful condition. It’s best to do your homework on service providers before signing up.
Further risk can be had come removal time. The reversal process is known to peel off the car’s painted surfaces along with the vinyl. To reduce this possible occurrence, 3M’s experts suggest wrapping only vehicles that are still covered in their original paint work, as resprayed surfaces don’t possess the requisite adhesive merits needed for a quality wrap. Applying a wrap on original paint also comes with a standard factory warranty when work is carried out by any of 3M’s five certified installers in the country.
Because vinyl graphics are degraded by prolonged exposure to atmospheric pollutants, it’s suggested that you store wrapped cars in a closed garage or shaded area. The other pertinent issue is the law. While wrapping your white car in a matte white poses no immediate problem, choosing a different colour scheme to the VIN-registered paint may raise the ire of the law. There’s currently no clear cut legislative conclusion on what consequences you will face, but make sure to update your vehicle’s particulars with a licensing department after changing its exterior colour.