t4rouble
New member
About 3-4 weeks ago I finished wrapping my 2014 SR5 4Runner. I went with a full color change from its original Classic Silver, to Avery Dennison's new SW900 Matte Metallic Grigio along with 3M 1080 Dark Matte Black accents. It took me 7 full days of 6-8 hrs of labor per day, and I did the install in my personal garage at my house(not ideal but i made sure it was as clean as it could be).
I have been doing vinyl for some time now and love showing and educating people about how it looks, feels, works and lasts, which is what I hope to achieve with this thread. This install was a bit more detailed than most wraps can/would be, but I wanted to show the versatility of the film and that the customization is endless(with the proper installer/installation).
The film itself is roughly 3mils thick and is applied with heat and squeegee(s). The removal of body parts such as mirrors, door handles, lights, etc. are not necessary, but will give the best overall look and outcome. The lifetime of vinyl will vary on a number of scenarios, and proper installation is at the top of the list. Knowing your installer went the extra lengths of prepping the vehicle properly, and post heating the vinyl in heavily stretched areas is going to make the wrap last much longer. Generally speaking you can get 7 good years out of your wrap. The front bumper or anything that takes the brunt of rock hits/etc may wear down in the 3-5yr window but that varies also on how often/hard you drive and how its maintained.
I know that for some of you, this may not be your cup of Tea(or whisky), but that is the beauty of this Forum. I love how inspired I get from looking at everyones builds, and what they do to make it their OWN 4Runner. And thats what vinyl is all about. I have a 4Runner that is exactly how I want it to look(for now), and when I am ready for a new color scheme, I just use a heat gun and remove the vinyl while the entire time my vehicle is wrapped my original paint is unharmed and still like new.
Not every "wrap" has to be a full color change either. "Accent Wraps" are very common these days like having just your mirrors, roof, hood, stripes done. The way most shops will quote you is by what material you choose, by square foot and install time.
I would love to answer any more questions anyone has about vinyl, and I can also answer any tint and paint protection(clear bra) questions as well. I appreciate everyones time and am inspired daily on this site.
Cheers,
t4rouble
I have been doing vinyl for some time now and love showing and educating people about how it looks, feels, works and lasts, which is what I hope to achieve with this thread. This install was a bit more detailed than most wraps can/would be, but I wanted to show the versatility of the film and that the customization is endless(with the proper installer/installation).
The film itself is roughly 3mils thick and is applied with heat and squeegee(s). The removal of body parts such as mirrors, door handles, lights, etc. are not necessary, but will give the best overall look and outcome. The lifetime of vinyl will vary on a number of scenarios, and proper installation is at the top of the list. Knowing your installer went the extra lengths of prepping the vehicle properly, and post heating the vinyl in heavily stretched areas is going to make the wrap last much longer. Generally speaking you can get 7 good years out of your wrap. The front bumper or anything that takes the brunt of rock hits/etc may wear down in the 3-5yr window but that varies also on how often/hard you drive and how its maintained.
I know that for some of you, this may not be your cup of Tea(or whisky), but that is the beauty of this Forum. I love how inspired I get from looking at everyones builds, and what they do to make it their OWN 4Runner. And thats what vinyl is all about. I have a 4Runner that is exactly how I want it to look(for now), and when I am ready for a new color scheme, I just use a heat gun and remove the vinyl while the entire time my vehicle is wrapped my original paint is unharmed and still like new.
Not every "wrap" has to be a full color change either. "Accent Wraps" are very common these days like having just your mirrors, roof, hood, stripes done. The way most shops will quote you is by what material you choose, by square foot and install time.
I would love to answer any more questions anyone has about vinyl, and I can also answer any tint and paint protection(clear bra) questions as well. I appreciate everyones time and am inspired daily on this site.
Cheers,
t4rouble
