My experience vinyl wrapping my Locost
I’m not qualified to give instructions. With just the one attempt I can not even see being qualified from here. The best I can do is point out some of the mistakes I made. As it is I’m going to re-do the left rear fender.
Tools that help are a good squeegee like the ones sold by the vinyl suppliers. I used the blue one with the felt edge applied to one edge. A good sharp knife. My favorite is the Olfa 30 degree snap off from Metro Restyling. It’s refillable. Vvivids isn’t. Also bought the cutting tape from Metro. The wrap gloves are a help but not necessary. And of course a decent heat gun. Scissors to cut to size.
I thought the nose cone was going to be the hardest. After doing a test corner at the grille opening I decided to give it a go. Turns out the rear fenders were harder for me.
Hint #1. Watch all the how-to videos you can stand. The videos from CKWraps are good. Christian gets a little wordy but he does know his stuff. There are a bunch of others, all pretty good.
Hint #2. Don’t be afraid to break up a section into pieces. Use the knifeless tape to cut the film when you need a seam. This short youtube highlights a very good method for butting the film when you need a seam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=C-XkNFL_OKw Hint #3. You’re going to waste a good deal of film. Deal with it. You will need a margin big enough to get a firm grip on the film to stretch it to where you need it to be. Make sure it’s stuck pretty good at the other end before you start pulling.
Hint #4. Don’t put your heat gun to close or leave it in one place too long. It’s hard to hide/fix holes.
Hint #5. When using the cutting tape be sure to leave a enough extending beyond the edge of the film so starting the tape won’t be a problem.
The scuttle and hood were a snap. All flat with gentle curves. Went on smooth and squeegeed down nicely.
Did the nose cone next. Fought it a bit at first then gave up and went with a top piece that just came down about 4” on the sides.;
The seam for the top piece is just above the headlight. The bottom one runs from the tie rod cut out to the grill. The side pieces were straight forward. Had the nose cone off to fit the bottom piece. Take a scrap and fit it around the opening to get a feel for it. Takes some pulling, pushing and heat but it will form nicely to the contours.
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I talked to a tech consultant at Vvivid who had been involved with constructing a Locost so was familiar with it. His suggestion for the rear fenders was one piece starting with 4” on the top flat then pulling it down over the rest. Then pulling the top back to the body, using lots of tugging and heat. I didn’t do that. However I did try to do the rear fenders with one piece and failed miserably. Went with 2 pieces. Seems I could do 90 degrees but the 180 at the fender’s edge dealt me fits. So I made a seam at the apex of the curve. When doing the last little bit you may run into small bubbles that drive you crazy. Just takes patience. Lift the film away from the bubble and press down with your thumb ot fingers and smooth it out. Done right the seam is barely noticeable. My having to redo the left rear fender is due to running out of patience. I would lift the film to chase a bubble and 2 more would pop. You have to keep after them.
For the rear fenders I started by laying 2 lines of cutting tape side by side but not overlapping. Then cutting a piece for the facing edge matching the radius + about 6”. Pulled it over the curve making sure it was smooth over the cutting tapes. Cut this piece first. Now lay the top flat piece on butting up against the body as best you can. Might have to cut some relief cuts in the flap that might sneak up on the body. Next pull it over the edge and past the remaining tape. Smooth down and pull the last tape butting the edges together. Just like the video.
Vvivid sells an after application seal/polish that works pretty good. Helps to avoid scratches.
My efforts are far from perfect. However I am satisfied with it. And in person that color is really cool. I much prefer this to painting it. Downside is the vinyl doesn’t last all that long. They say 3 to 4 years for a vehicle that gets a lot of sun exposure. Mine doesn’t sit out all that much so I’m OK with that.