My car is a very clean red 88 GT in excellent condition. Paint is almost perfect.
I am thinking of changing the color just for the sake of change, but would hate to sand and remove the mint original paint . I have no spider cracks, no fading, not even clearcoat peel
I have been eyeing the metallic blue on the latest Audi S3 model and love this color
I don't know anything about wrapping. Will the original paint underneath get damaged? If I remove the wrap years later, will it pull off my original paint?
Thoughts? Opinions ? Pros and cons compared to repainting it?
This is the color I like
[This message has been edited by cam-a-lot (edited 05-09-2020).]
I'm considering a wrap for my black '86 GT. I'm not protecting paint though as mine is terrible from the side moldings up. My choice is paint or wrap. In either case, preparation and cleanliness makes all the difference. Minor imperfections will telegraph through a wrap. The colour and pattern use in a wrap can hide some things but other colours can highlight them.
If I wrap my car I'll probably use a matte black, carbon-fibre pattern. I'll still have to strip off all the trim, mirrors, door handles, etc. and go through the sanding process like I was going to paint it because my finish is terrible. I'm thinking if I have to go that far to prepare the finish then maybe painting us the way to go. (But I like the idea of a matte black, carbon-fibre finish like the Batmobile.)
A professional quality wrap has a life span of about 7 years before it needs to be replaced due to fading. A cheap wrap will look good for about 4 years. Rain and snow shortens the lifespan. Once you decide to remove it, it should come off and not damage any paint underneath.
Your main concern should be whether to re-wrap every handful of years for up to $2,000 per wrap or just spring for the expensive paint job and be done.
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 05-10-2020).]
Good to know...I'm not too worried about rain and weather because both of my GT's have historical registration so they are limited in how much they are driven. They are stored inside under covers and where we live (100-miles west of Sydney, 3500' AMSL) we don't get a lot of rain and snow. We do get some precipitation but not like the coastal areas.
Wraps and paint jobs are kind of expensive in Oz. A professional wrap for a car the size of a Fiero will cost around $3500 AUD. A 1st class paint job will be around $4 - 6,000 AUD. You can reduce that by doing disassembly / reassembly and body prep (sanding, etc.) yourself but then the shops tend to not warranty the paint job. Labour is the big ticket cost item where I live so minimising what the shop has to do reduces your costs. Disassembly / reassembly, sanding, & cleaning eat up lots of time and money in a shop environment. Also, no matter which way you go, wrap or paint, the better the surface, the better the finish.
BTW, Cam-a-lot, I like the colour on the Audi, I reckon it would look sweet on a Fiero.
------------------ Mike in Sydney
[This message has been edited by Mike in Sydney (edited 05-11-2020).]
Just by coincidence, a company contacted me yesterday to do business together (I sell CNC machines). This company happens to do vehicle wraps using 3M product, so I may get them to do my wrap and document it here, and give them a good deal on the machine in exchange, so it's a win-win for both of us!
As long as the original paint is protected by this process, I think it would be great to get a color change. I really like that blue, but any other suggestions?
[This message has been edited by cam-a-lot (edited 05-12-2020).]
Something else I read yesterday in another thread also peaked my interest. It stated that if a wrap gets damaged, you can easily just replace a section. Much easier than getting a paint job touched up, especially if you DIY the wrap ( should have some left-over material + experience).
------------------ '87 GT , '00 3800 Series II SC, 4t65e, Vue Power Steering. (SOLD)
Originally posted by cam-a-lot: Just by coincidence, a company contacted me yesterday to do business together (I sell CNC machines). This company happens to do vehicle wraps using 3M product, so I may get them to do my wrap and document it here ...
You can't go wrong with 3M and their excellent warranty!
PO of my 88 GT did a wrap. Came out well, lasted about 3-4 years. Pealed it off and the paint was fine. Just know that any damage will show thru the wrap, if you have any cracks or damage you have to fix it first. Solid colors are best, if you do a pattern it takes more wrap to make things match up.
I watch plenty of supercar channels on YouTube. These guys do wraps all the time, for the most part without a problem, but I have see many incidents where the wrap peeled the paint right off the car. Now these guys are switching the wrap every six months or less, I can only imagine how much damage removing 5-year old wrap might do. Personally, I wouldn't do it, but its your car.
Had mime professionally wrapped last summer using 3M 1080 vinyl. The color is liquid copper with black accents. As others have commented, every little imperfection shows through so fix what you can. The paint on my car was a mess so there was a ton of prep need to get it ready to wrap. I also removed all the trim, mirrors, etc. to make the job easer. Eventually it will get a real paint job when I can afford it. Traded my tile install labor for the wrap so there was no out-of-pocket cost to me.
From my understanding, wrap is the way to go. It is much lighter than paint as well. Unless you are stripping/sanding the pant down all the way, but most just want over existing paint, which just adds weight. I don't know how much, but vinyl wrap adds very little, color is uniform, can be changed easily and lasts a good while.
Wrap should not damage the pant if it is original and you don't scratch or cut it when installing the wrap. Depending on what wrap you use it can easily take the paint off if it is a bad repaint. I am currently wrapping mine in 3m metallic red.
No way I could do the body work and paint the car, but did this over the course of a few months. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos, tried small pieces, worked my way up to big pieces. Definitely screwed up some, wasted material and had to redo parts, but in the end I’m super happy with the end product.
------------------ 10.007 @ 135.54MPH. <-- Video Best 60' 1.42 Best mph 138.82 Billet 6262 Precision turbo, PT1001 intercooler, ST1 cam, 140lb springs, comp pushrods, HV3, stock L32 bottom end and heads.
Old M90 XP Cam time - 11.425 @115.60 1.543 60'
[This message has been edited by LFiero67 (edited 03-18-2025).]
Wraps look great but I prefer a more long lasting solution. My 87GT has original paint, Doesn't look quite showroom but still pretty good for a 38 Yr old car with all original paint..
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 03-20-2025).]
