C5 color simulator to narrow it down. Now THAT is a great idea! I have one for wheels but not the car itself.

 

Well, to be a professional wrapper, I'd have to be compensated for my work and do it on a semi-daily or daily basis...so, by that standard, no...I'm not a professional wrapper. That being said, I was wrapping an M3 last week; I've wrapped Corvettes, Porsche's, Lambo, Honda wagon, Subaru STi, Challenger, etc. I've compared my work to the work of "professionals" and have told myself being a professional requires you use a level of speed which coincides with an hourly estimate, and by that standard quality gets a bit dodgy at times. Me personally, I wrap my cars like I've fabricated turbo systems, intake manifolds, tuned engine management or painted cars...slowly, methodically and at my pace to make it the quality I like. Am I compensated for it...sure...when people agree with my time requirements and attention to detail.

So, to your specific question, I always call a wrap a full roll...75ft...it's just easier that way. There are many methods I can wrap...some that have more waste than others. The waste method allows a bit more speed, whereas the calculated method doesn't. I've wrapped my Corvette in 45ft by leaving the rear black (like C5R), but I could do the car in 50 if I didn't. No shop is going to quote that, because the method to apply in that dimension requires some measuring and calculated use of material. You can't find 14/hr guys to work like that consistently in a wrap shop...too much waste/mistakes/etc.

 

In my experience. Especially regarding my C5. My level of Patience, yet rare in the corvette community is synonymous with premium quality. I’d rather wait for a great job than rush perfection.

 

As an obsessive DIY’er I’ve become proficient in many skills to the point that people will say: “you should do that on the side”. I am flattered but the casual observer is unaware of, like you, the amount of time spent planning, doing, and redoing just to be sure the job is of the quality I would expect. I questioned your cost reference because for that amount, attempting a complete color change is very tempting.
On a Corvette, what would you consider the worst ‘trouble spots’ to be? I’ve already figured that the tail lights and door handles are tough, but what else? I successfully wrapped the interior and exterior of my targa top, so I’m feeling a ‘little’ confident about attempting the ‘next step’. I’m going to look up the cost of a full roll from the suppliers I usually use.

 

Well, first thing is...interior pieces...that's easy peasy, as is the targa. You're not really learning the behavior of the material that way, nor the technique really needed to keep yourself out of trouble. The taillights aren't an issue...door handles not really either. The problem areas of the Corvette are the front bumper and front fender/side coves. Stretching into the big negative recess, that is the coves is too much for the wrap, so it needs to be seamed. I got away with it, but I employed a little trickery because my car is black. The front bumper has a lot of curvature, and your pre-stretch is really of utmost importance, as is controlling your bunching, while not over stretching the material. Some colors tolerate stretch better vs others as well.

My suggestion...and this is money WELL spent. Find an Avery class in your area and pay for the class. The classes are like 795.00, but you get a free 75ft roll of wrap when you complete. You'll feel MUCH more confident after that. That being said, watching videos and just buying the wrap is the other option...and frankly, it's how I started. I watched guys at SEMA in 2010, for a couple hours, then went home and watched more vids and I started wrapping. I wrapped an entire car as a project first...it came out maybe 6 out of 10. Then I wrapped a hood and roof and some random stuff. After that I did my Z06 in 2011 and the sign shop guy next to my shop looked at my car and said...."damn, your wrap looks better than mine and I've been doing this 10yrs." Key to good wrap is cutting it in, corners, etc. Knifeless tape is your friend...as is the gloves.

All beginners should use gloss avery...one of the easiest materials to work with, in terms of laying out. 3m is better for adhesion imo though, despite being harder to work with.

I was just teaching my friend 2wks ago. I wrapped the sides and bumpers, while keeping him by my side. He has now continued to finish it with roof/trunk/hood and front kidney areas. Couple good hours of instruction and seeing the proper technique is a BIG help...even versus videos.

 

I priced out the cost of painting my Z06 and was told $6000 plus the cost of the Commemorative strips decal. Also priced out a total wrap and it was $2400.

 

Thanks for the info KITT. I’m filing this info! I’ve used 3m 1080, Arlon and a small amount of Avery, but not enough to compare. As for interior bits, it took 7 attempts to get the radio bezel complete, and even then the job didn’t last, including the use of primer 94. I think experience is a biggie when attempting to do large pieces.

Z06Berlin, not sure where you got the quote on the CE stripes, but you can get them from vettestripes.com. Mine are the same style, different colors.

 

Wrap failures of complex parts happen when the material is under too much stress, and not heated/applied properly, then not post-cast properly. I don't use adhesion promoter on anything personally...I use other techniques to "lock" high stress pieces in place, like an over layer and a strategic seam which locks down the underlayer. You'll see a lot of install shops push more for seamlessness, versus retaining good pigment consistency and seaming in strategic locations. Plenty of "pros" will wrap a car and the body will look 5 different colors, because they've stretched the material like crazy. It's all seamless, but in certain light looks like hell. Me...I'll seam it versus heavily stretch sometimes...you also plan for these locations ahead. Wrap is a feel thing...and you get better all the time. The real art of wrap is in the finish though, the detail work, tucking and making it look like paint.

 

My final iterations on that bezel was decent because, after a call to 3m, I learned that i’m ‘Allowed’ to have a seam.
I did follow all the post heat recommendations but the narrow sections between the radio and heat controls had a tough time adhering.
I did some looking on Fellers, and could not come up with 75 feet for less than $1500.
Were the seam locations on a corvette in ‘less visible’ areas?

 

I didn't have any seams on my car at all actually. I wrapped into the cove area, but material was not going to make it to the opening. My car was black, so I did a visual trickery by cutting it in the shape of an opening to make it more aggressive/profound. Kind of like how the C7Z side vents are more aggressive in size vs the Stingray base. Even the FRC top was seamless, aside from a 1" seam in the center behind the window. No seams though anywhere on that car. Like I said though, I didn't wrap the rear and left it gloss black like the C5R was.




The actual opening is much smaller than mine appears




I then did the same thing in the front brake duct openings. Instead of wrapping into the opening, I cut it and made them appear more pronounced and opened.

 

KITT, I’ve seen that done once before and it was of course a black car to start out with. Mine is pewter, lets say I want to change to a bronze, battleship grey, grabber blue, or orange. I would not be able to get away with that.
You say the seam on the FRC was 1” behind the window. Are you referring to the panel on the rear deck where the trunk is?
I must say I wish I lived nearer to you just to have some lessons!

 

Even with pewter you can do it. Just wrap the openings gloss black first.

Yes, the small strip that is the top, behind the window on the FRC is like 1" wide, I had a seam there. I basically wrapped the top, then down the sides and go bunching in the rear, but I cut it away, leaving only one seam in the back. Today that wouldn't happen to me and I'd probably get the top seamless. That being said, one could also just wrap the top until it meets down at the quarters, and just seam it there and you'd never see it.

 

Not trying to hijack the thread, but it sounds like there are some people here who know what they're doing. My question is how big of a danger is there of screwing up the underlying paint if you decide to remove a wrap. I've seen the paint literally pulled off the front of a motorhome that was having the Diamond Shield removed.