HGH - Good idea / Bad idea?

[DriFD3S]

Well, my buddy Josh just got certified as a 3M technician,
he took a 1 week course in Calgary, AB, Canada for how to vinyl wrap, and 3M wrap vehicles.
He told me that he actually WANTS to do my FD for practice, and because he loves my car.
(he loves my car so much, he let me park it in his garage last winter so it didn't have to sit outside!)

Carbon fiber has always turned me on,.. ALOT. And my FD fantasy is to have carbon fiber doors, fenders, hood, and trunk/hatch.
Since I'm an uneducated loser who works in a liquor store, I can't exactly afford these nice things,
however,
I talked to Josh today, and he wants to do a carbon fiber vinyl wrap on my FD, for the doors, fenders, hood, trunk/hatch, and also the eyelids.

I'm planning on buying 3M DI-NOC Carbon Fiber Vinyl, and letting Josh do the rest.
He may or may not need my help, but, if he does I am excited, because I think it's going to be a fun experience.

Also, if there's enough material left over, we're going to try to wrap the interior also.

Does anyone have any thoughts or input that might be useful for me?..
If so, I really appreciate it.

Thanks RCC!

[DriFD3S]

http://www.carbonfiberfilm.com/

That's the site I've been using to learn more about this material.

[speedjunkie]

I don't know about carbon fiber wrap, but I'm planning on having mine done in a black brushed aluminum wrap. It's cheaper than a paint job, easier to maintain, and helps against rock chips too. It's a win-win lol.

[Garfinkles Motor Works]

To much ,of a good thing to you ,may be to much .Do it on the computor first.What color is the car ?

[Pete_89T2]

My comments on the look of it are purely subjective, and since I'm more of a shiny paint guy, I wouldn't be too keen on it. But if you like it, then go for it. Here's the pros & cons I see with using this product from a mechanical perspective:

Pros:
1. Provides the underlying bodywork & paint a little protection against rock chips & road rash.
2. Might get you the look you're looking for at a much lower cost than a professional paint job.

Cons:
1. Adds weight - maybe not much, but I bet it's significantly more than a good paint job.

Potential cons - these are potential things that I think could go wrong with this stuff, but I haven't researched the material well enough to know for sure:

1. Wrapping car sheet metal that isn't 100% primed & painted (i.e., chips/scratches/nicks in the paint) might accelerate its corrosion. Depends on the materials used.
2. How well will this stuff handle high heat areas (hoods, rear bumper by exhaust pipe, etc.), and can it handle baking in the sun or hours?
3. If the installation gets botched up, can it be removed without trashing the underlying paint & bodywork? Ditto if you just get tired of it (or want to sell the car) and need to remove it.

[speedjunkie]

I thought about the weight too, but I doubt it would be all that much. I've probably dropped more than that just in parts removed and I'm not planning on racing. So I'm not too concerned with that.

I have a friend that's had his hood, top, and trunk wrapped for a while and it's holding up just fine. It's a Del Sol though so I doubt it gets as hot, but I wouldn't imagine the difference is that substantial. He's actually the guy I'm going through to get mine done.

He said the stuff they use can be removed if it gets messed up and it won't hurt the paint. He actually suggested getting a fresh paint job that is perfect and then put this stuff on, for the very purpose of being able to sell later (although I never plan to do that), and I don't plan on getting a new paint job first.

All that said, if you weren't talking to me but to OP, disregard what I said lol. I'm not sure if we're planning on using the same materials.

[DriFD3S]

#3
Eric, that sounds badass dude, and you're right, it is less expensive than a paint job,
and looks almost as good as a brand new one, plus helping protect against rock chips and stuff, that's good.

#4
The car is silver, I wish I had the ability to do it on a computer first,
but, I have a picture in my head of what it could look like when it's done,
and it looks pretty good bro.

#5
Pros:
Yes, and hell yes.

Cons:
the weight is an interesting issue, that I didn't even think about, so thanks for bringing it up!
My car is in good enough condition that I'm not worried about that, but, the heat from the engine might effect the hood somewhat....
Also, it is a permanent bond but it can be removed with some extraordinary TLC and magic,
I don't plan on removing it though.

#6
Eric, you're the man.
I had a buddy get his Subaru STI WRX thingy wrapped, hood, trunk, and roof also,
it's been on there and solid for over 3 years, no issues.


I will be sure to post pictures of before and after,
and I will also let everyone know how it went,
the costs involved, and time and energy spent doing this.

Keep the comments coming!

[bryant]

only problem with a wrap is if its not the whole car when you take it off the paint will be a lighter color than the paint under the wrap.

like pin stripes on my old chrysler seabring when i removed them the paint was darker where the pin stripes were.

sun does fade your paint over time.

[Fendamonky]

Am I the only person who keeps reading the thread title as meaning "Human Growth Hormone"? Lolololol

[DriFD3S]

"Haters Gunna Hate"
HGH is an interesting topic, what do you know or like about it?
that is, as in human growth hormone?

[Prodigy]

my friends little sister is learning this...


Makes me want to buy some Flat gray wrap and do my VR car....


since my paint in the shitiest I have ever seen paint done.... I swear they painted over a bug or something...

If I wrapped it, then I would be more obliged to driving around and showing her to peeps....


J.

[speedjunkie]

since my paint in the shitiest I have ever seen paint done.... I swear they painted over a bug or something...


This is another reason I'm wrapping over my paint. I paid way too much to a crook a couple years ago for a shitty paint job (also the guy that painted it, it was his first paint job) and I just want it to look good finally.