by "HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
Published 04/18/2017 at 12:09
by "HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
Published 04/18/2017 at 12:09
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STARS: 1
Im thinking about getting a little cosmetic work done to the cruiser - some of it to get rid of rust that was a result of a re-spray from an accident early in its life but some of it also also on account of rust courtesy of what Toyota did at the port because of the American market wanting a crappy roof rack.
Water gets under the rack feet and its rusted and there are a LOT of rusted nutserts that are spreading out a little. (Thanks for that Toyota, not only for adding a crappy roof rack but for adding 4 needless vibrating roof rails to the roof) I will wire, prime, and spray the bad roof spots and I have a lot of nutserts to fill in with either bolts or RTV to seal and I was thinking about wrapping the roof.
I don’t really care if the matching job on the roof isn’t perfect since the roof isn’t in great shape anyway and you’d need to be over 7 feet tall to have a good look but in the interest of making it look uniform, adding some vibration damping and making the car cooler (tempature) I was thinking about a white roof wrap.
Anyone know what the durability of the products are? is it a 5 year thing, a 10 year thing? I don’t want to spend the money if its just going to be short lived thing.
"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
04/18/2017 at 12:14, STARS: 0
Vinyl has probably improved, but in my experience it’s junk in less than five years. I’m also looking at a higher stress area (paint protection film on bumpers and hoods) than the roof, but then I’d worry about the sun wrecking it.
How about Plastidip? You could probably do your whole roof for $40, and you can touch it up as it gets damaged by use.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:15, STARS: 0
I don’t have any experience with the stuff. How the wheels holding up?
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
04/18/2017 at 12:20, STARS: 0
Um, WRAP THE ROOF IN WHITE. True land cruiser homage.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:22, STARS: 1
Thats part of the charm I was going for. Looking at the pictures its pretty obvious to me now its in worse shape than I thought so maybe a wrap is a good idea.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
04/18/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 0
I have purchased some vinyl and plan to cover a fender (that like your car, has failing paint due to a CHEAP!!! respray) and see how it goes.
Should be a good experiment to see how hard it is to apply, and how it looks/wears.
If it’s your roof, I’d vote go for it. Sand down the rust, spray with primer, clean thoroughly then apply the vinyl. If it is sucks you aren’t any worse off really. I mean peel it off and pay for a real paintjob, or do a home rattle can (no one will see it anyway).
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
04/18/2017 at 12:24, STARS: 1
based on the paint protection clear films I agree, they fade or yellow in a few years, but the vinyl doesn’t seem to deteriorate so they still protect.
plastidip doesnt handle impacts well, it chips so easily, the leading edge above his windshield would likely need constant and annoying touch ups
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
04/18/2017 at 12:26, STARS: 0
I pulled my roof rack in January. Nutserts were still in decent shape so I filled them with a stainless screw, rubber washer, and topped it off with some RTV. Then masked and taped the whole area with plasti-dip until I have the time and funds to properly sand and paint the roof.
I’ve added a Prinsu roof rack so the roof is not at all visible unless you’re standing on the sliders and looking directly down.
If you’re not concerned about appearance, I’d suggest sanding down the area, priming it, and getting a close color code match.
https://scratchwizard.net/bumper_search/
"Meatcoma" (mastapoof)
04/18/2017 at 12:26, STARS: 0
My wife wants her Juke Matte Black instead of the metallic white it is now. I’ve watched video after video and it seems fairly straightforward. Get it clean and then apply in an as much as possible dust free area. The vinyl is fairly cheap, I think it’s the labor that costs so much when you price having it done. I just need to order a little bit and then try it with my $8 HF heat gun.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:26, STARS: 0
you see a lot of these repairs on cruisers, they aren’t the best looking but they work
"Roadster Man" (roadsterman)
04/18/2017 at 12:26, STARS: 0
It’ll look like crap in 2-3 years but will probably last 5 years before being garbage. These days wraps are getting easier to apply, so if you’re only doing a roof then it’s an at-home job. Still, I hear it’s VERY frustrating to work with, so you will need to be patient.
I’ve plasti-dipped my car 3 times now, you might want to consider dipping your roof. Dip looks crappy after a couple years too, but you can just re-spray right on top of the old dip to keep it looking nice. And the more layers you have, the easier it is to take off later. It’ll probably end up being a bit more expensive than a wrap because you’ll need an HVLP spray gun to properly lay down the dip. Or you can got he rattle-can route, but I did that with a Miata hardtop and it took a TON of cans to get rid of streaks.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:27, STARS: 0
Thats kinda what I was thinking. But I might still wrap the roof on account of the entire roof being a little rough (some clear coat coming off).
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
04/18/2017 at 12:28, STARS: 0
I was looking to get some aftermarket parts for my old lexus wrapped and with some searching on CL I found a shop that does it for super cheap and the vinyl was the same product the expensive shops were using. Never ended up getting it done but I think the roof would be a foolproof area for a decent shop to wrap nicely in white.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:28, STARS: 1
I could do the DIY route, I wonder that the width the rolls come in?
"Tripper" (tripe46)
04/18/2017 at 12:31, STARS: 0
I’m going on 10 years with “clear-bra”. It’s the highest quality 3M stuff and I had it put on the front bumper/front part of hood, mirrors, a pillars, behind each wheel, and rear bumper. It was around $1200 installed by a certified 3M guy.
This summer it’s coming off, getting paint “correction”, then new stuff is going back on. Its not started to yellow or anything, but I don’t want to take any chances.
I was quoted 3500 for a full vehicle wrap (Audi S3). The guy said it’s usually rips and tears that get the vinyl long before you need to be concerned about the paint underneath. They’ve had it on their shop car for 6 years and it still looks good.
I talked to another guy at C&C who had a grey wrap on his red F430 and I would have never known until he pointed out a bare spot on the interior. He paid north of 6k or so he said.
One thing to know about clear bra/wrap is that they are much more of a pain to get clean than the actual paint!
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 0
Do you remember the size of screw you used?
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
04/18/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 0
Might pull off more clear coat upon removal but I can’t picture it doing any other harm unless you get some deep scratches through the wrap which collect water.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:34, STARS: 1
Good info here. Thanks! Im not worried about cleaning the wrapped area, it never gets more than a pressure hosing once and a while anyway.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
04/18/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0
Yes, its an M5, 15-20mm or so. After using the philips screws I purchased a set of stainless hex screws from McMaster .
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:37, STARS: 0
what about the rubber gromets? did you ditch those and just RTV over it?
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
04/18/2017 at 12:40, STARS: 0
The present setup is as pictured. If I were do do it again I’d use the set screws and RTV/bondo/similar over them. “Proper” fix is to drill out the nutserts and weld up the holes, but this requires removing the headliner which seems to be a complete bear.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:42, STARS: 0
Yeah, Im not doing that. It just needs to not leak/rust and beyond that my care is limited.
"BigJayDogg3" (bigjaydogg3)
04/18/2017 at 12:44, STARS: 2
A few notes.
Make sure you buy your vinyl through a trustworthy party. It is really, really common for someone to buy cheap chinese vinyl (aka junk) and call it 3M, Vvivid, Avery, etc. Using a good quality vinyl will make your life infinitely easier. Yeah, you’ll likely spend more money, but you won’t worry about getting knockoff vinyl. I’ve seen several places suggest Avery for beginners because its more forgiving.
Look at CKWraps on YouTube. He uses a bunch of chrome vinyl (harder to use), but he explains the techniques as he goes through. I feel if you can use the chrome technique with standard gloss/matte, then it makes up for the lack of skill/experience you lack.
Use a heat gun when you need to. Don’t load a bunch of heat into the vinyl and stretch it. After the first day you sit the car in the sun, the vinyl will pull back and look horrible. In my opinion, overstretching the vinyl is what makes the biggest difference between a good looking amature job and a wrap that looks like trash. I did the roof of my Corvette in gloss black and while it isn’t perfect, I feel it’s good enough that you won’t notice the imperfections unless you’re looking for them.
Lastly, you aren’t going to get it 100% on your first shot. It looks easy on YouTube because these are professionals doing this 8 hours every day. Laying vinyl is harder than it looks. Not impossibly so, but it definitely took me more time and effort than I’d expected. Give yourself a week or two to complete the job if you’re going to wrap your wife’s car, and buy more vinyl than you think you need. If you can, pick a panel a day and do just that one. Maybe 2 if its something small. When you rush, you make mistakes. Taking the pressure off of yourself (in my opinion) makes the process less costly.
"PWRandSPD" (Pwrandspd)
04/18/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 0
I have had several vehicles wrapped in graphics for work. I have a close connection with a graphic shop. Wraps can certainly range in price, but the most important thing is a quality film. 3M is the best in the business. Printed wraps usually will show some amount of fade in about 7-10 years. If you are just looking for a stock color, white or other, you are looking at a long life as long as it is quality material. The labor that the shops charge also has to do with the amount of work, because it is more than just putting a large sticker on the car. Usually they are doing some disassemble and reassemble of the vehicle. If you are just doing the roof, probably not that much.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
04/18/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 1
Then either a set screw or the panhead philips screw + healthy gob of silicone should solve your woes! No leaks on my setup even with rain and snow.
"BigJayDogg3" (bigjaydogg3)
04/18/2017 at 12:47, STARS: 1
Depending upon the condition of the paint/roof, the vinyl may fail. Even if all you do is rattlecan it, you may still want to sand it down and repaint to have a fairly level, non-flakey surface.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:49, STARS: 0
good to hear. It shouldn’t require any disassembly at all., which helps with the labor. My wife knows the owner of the the big wrap shop in town so that may also help.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:50, STARS: 1
I think I’ll order those screws today and get in touch with my paint guy for a pint of antique sage.
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
04/18/2017 at 12:51, STARS: 1
The way you use the truck, and with your weather, a full wrap would likely show damage within a couple of years, if not less. On the race cars, the wraps are done after a season, and that’s assuming no contact. They’re a pain to clean sometimes too, and are easily damaged by solvents. But if just doing the roof, it could be a good solution.
Just in case you do a full wrap, I’ve taken the liberty of finding an example of what it should look like:
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:52, STARS: 1
I would Proper TRD the crap out of it if I had the monies to spend.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
04/18/2017 at 12:52, STARS: 0
Mmmm. Sagey.
BTW, how my temp-fix looks at the moment:
Maybe I should go ahead with some matching paint...
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
04/18/2017 at 12:55, STARS: 0
you left your little rails on there?
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
04/18/2017 at 12:58, STARS: 0
If I recall from ‘mud, they’re held on with some little adhesive tape. Recommended removal is with a heat gun, that’s 6 more holes to patch, and they don’t rattle as is. Roof rack clears them with plenty of room to spare and I’d like to think its extra roof protection if cargo on the rack comes lose.
Most importantly, nothing up there is visible unless you’re on top of the vehicle.
"BigJayDogg3" (bigjaydogg3)
04/18/2017 at 13:01, STARS: 0
Yeah, Im not doing that. It just needs to not leak/rust and beyond that my care is limited.
Just seeing this part. If this is actually the case (and do keep in mind trapping air inside will trap moisture leading to rust you can’t see because you covered over it with vinyl), then all you’d need to do is make sure the edges are covered. If you can cover the edges with vinyl, you should be OK as far as leaking is concerned.
But I’d still worry about the rust aspect.
"vicali" (vicali)
04/18/2017 at 13:03, STARS: 0
I wouldn’t wrap it, I did a friends 8th gen civic roof that was flat, 4ft square, and I had good 3m vinyl and I still almost died of frustration.. It fall squarely into the pay someone else category.
I like the dip idea for reversability, but I bet white dip would fade quick.
Pretty sure Addison had Rhinoliner sprayed top and sides on TomCruiser;
That would be the best, but it’s never coming off that way..
"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
04/18/2017 at 14:17, STARS: 0
Really well, actually. I’ve put maybe 200 miles on it since I finished and I don’t notice any chips or anything. I thought I messed them up with some aerosol tire black splattering, but it washed right off.
Seems to me on a big relatively flat surface it would be a good fit...just do nice light coats and it sits down pretty good, really forgiving stuff. Biggest issue to get around is masking, but even that’s not as bad as you’d think.
"Meatcoma" (mastapoof)
04/18/2017 at 14:18, STARS: 0
Most on Ebay come in 5ft wide by any length rolls. I assume if you needed wider, you could find it with enough looking.
"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
04/18/2017 at 14:19, STARS: 0
Probably true. I did my wheels recently, I’m interested to see how they hold up long term.