Transform the look of your car in a day with a wrap … and when you become bored, peel off the skin and start again.
SOUTH Africa has a flourishing car culture, especially the aftermarket-cosmetics scene. However, with contemporary car design seemingly cut from the same cloth, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out in a crowd. That’s why rubber car wraps such as Plasti Dip – originally developed to cover the handles of tools –
is gaining in popularity.
The project
We needed a donor vehicle and found a perfect blank canvas in the form of photographer Duwyne Aspeling’s 2003 Subaru WRX. He decided on a modern interpretation of the Subaru’s rally theme and sent the design through to CVP Liquidwraps in Cape Town to start the preparations.
Cleaning
The car was meticulously cleaned to get rid of all dust, oil and moisture. It was also important to fix any dents or scratches because they would show through the coated surface and spoil the look.
Preparation
External fixtures that would impede on the covering process, including taillamps, boot spoiler and side indicators, were removed. Other items such as the windows were covered with tape to prevent overspray. The advantage of Plasti Dip is that, if any overspray does occur, it can simply be pulled off when dry.
Coating the wheels
The wheels were removed, after which we were shown how to use the DIY kit (for home use). The alloys were covered in two coats of primer followed by three layers of fluorescent yellow Plasti Dip. The cans were first heated in lukewarm water to aid atomisation. Fifteen minutes of drying time between coats was needed.
Coating the body
As the rally-style graphics were complex, vinyl cut-out stickers were used. On simpler designs, CVP Liquidwraps would tape off the design and then cover the bare patches in layers of Plasti Dip.
CVP treated the body with a clear covering of Plasti Dip to protect the paintwork and to give the car a “frozen” matte finish – very similar to the appearance of bodywork covered in dew. To affect a durable covering with the appropriate thickness, five coats or more are needed (beware of companies that apply fewer than five coats with inferior products). This was all done in a dust-free spray booth. Lastly, the vinyl decals were stuck on to produce the desired look.
Contact CPV Liquidwraps on 021 593 9133/072 638 5066, email [email protected] or visit www.liquidwraps.co.za.
Watch as the car’s body and wheels are wrapped with this rubber layer, which can also been removed in minutes in this video (click).