If your vehicle is getting worn down and needs a new look, there are two ways to spice up your car and have it looking brand new. The typical solution would be to have your car repainted. However, an even better option is to wrap your vehicle with a color change car wrap using one of the newer specialty wrap films from 3M or Avery: 3M Scotchprint Wrap or Avery’s Supreme Wrapping Film. It works beautifully and makes you and your car stand out in the crowd.
These color change car wraps are similar to wraps used by businesses to advertise their products and services all over town in that they completely cover the surface of the car using a specialty vinyl.
However, where they differ is that the vinyl used for these wraps are already colored and often have textures that make the car’s surface look different using finishes such as a carbon fiber, matte finish, brushed metals, or even chrome. In this article, we will explore the differences between these two options for giving your ride a new wardrobe.
Paint Job
Most people are very familiar with painting their car once the paint gets a little dull, or even if they want a different color for whatever reason. Some of the factors to consider if you’re looking at painting your car are:
- Cost: Painting can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000. This depends on whether the mechanic needs to work on the body to bring the car back into good condition, as well as the type of paints being used.
- Quality: An inexpensive paint job will only guarantee the use of inferior quality paints, lacking workmanship and skill, and often mean a short life-span.
- Warranty: The problem with a paint job is that it typically has a low end warranty unless you request an expensive specialty paint job.
- Maintenance: You will have to wait about 30 days to wash your car and 60 days to wax it so that all the paint cures properly and to keep from voiding the warranty on the job.
Vehicle Wrap Costs
Car wraps are gaining in popularity. They offer several distinct advantages over painting a vehicle.
- Cost: It can cost anywhere between $500 and more than $4,000 for one of these wraps. Like any wrap, the cost of using Color-Change Wrap is determined by several factors such as:
- The size of the vehicle – larger vehicles will use more material; however, due to the special nature of the films and way it is packaged, a smaller car may not cost considerably less than a larger one.
- The film you select – there are many different finishes and colors to chose from. A film with some type of texture or finish, such as a brushed metal, carbon fiber or chrome, will cost more than a plain color, but give your car a very unique look.
- The complexity of the installation – these types of wraps are more complex than your typical car wrap due to the fact that there are no seams as seen in your traditional wraps, but the end result is that it appears as though the car was painted.
- Maintenance: Wraps are easy to maintain as they require no waxing and only the occasional wash to keep them looking great.
- Warranty: 3M warrants the durability and reliability of your look for three years on vertical surfaces and one year on horizontal surfaces, which is significantly longer than an average paint job that will very likely scratch or chip at some point.
Other Advantages: Some other advantages a car wrap has over a paint job are
- If you choose to resell your vehicle later down the road, the paint will be in the same condition as when you first wrapped the car after removing it. This is because it protects the car’s natural color and condition.
- It is not permanent, making it fast and easy to change your mind or your color whenever you’d like.
- The finish can be truly unique, where no one else will have the same look you have, and you will very likely turn heads everywhere you go.
So, next time you’d like a new look for your ride, consider using vinyl wrap Atlanta instead of an ordinary paint job. Contact us at Pinnacle Custom Signs for a quote for your vehicle!
