Vinyl Graphics - Do You Like This Boxster???
 

Okay... here's my car, an arctic silver 2000 Boxster S with Gemballa body kit, carbon fiber hood, and Kokeln carbon fiber intake scoops. I'm kinda going for a two tone look here. Within a couple weeks I'll have some carbon fiber mirror housings installed on the car too. Right now it just has bras over the mirrors. So to finish the look I'm going in to a vinyl guy to have the windshield surround covered in black vinyl (currently it's silver). That will make the whole top of the car black. While I was getting this vinyl work done I was kicking around the idea of these stripes on the side of the car. I've been kicking this around for a while, mocked it up in Photoshop, and now mocked it up with spray-on bumper bra stuff (it wipes right off). It's not perfect, but gives you an idea of what it would look like in black vinyl.

I know many may say it's rice. But I think it's very striking, will make the car stand out even more, and kinda goes with the more wild look of this car. But I'm on the fence on this and would like to hear what you guys think. Again, I'd appreciate constructive feedback... :D

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...6/CIMG4672.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...6/CIMG4674.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...6/CIMG4687.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...6/CIMG4688.jpg

Kirk

It's your car. Express yourself as you see fit and don't ask for forgiveness or acceptance.

My opinion... The style is in no way, shape, or form similar to mine, but I can appreciate what you are doing with it.

I think the side graphics that go to a point is throwing off your whole ensemble. The boxster is a very curvy car, the lines are all smooth and sweeping. Your mods make it even more so, then you toss on the decals that end in a sharp point. It looks like you are trying to add anything to it just because you ran out of things to add to it. These triangles look very out of place.

It's almost like you spent 6 months painting a landscape and then threw a cup of purple paint at it.

I like the IDEA of it, but not so much the application.

IMHO .. the car is full of rounded lines and curves, and the straight lines, sharp acute angle a the top of the triangle .. to me .. just doesn't blend too well in application.

I like the idea of it though.

As others have mentioned, do what you like, personally it is too busy for me, but I think you are going for more of a show car look and if that is the case I think the graphics tie in the two-toned theme of the hood very well. :cheers:

It's your car, and you can do what you want. You're the one that has to drive it.
Personally, I think it is a little too ricer.

:eek: :eek: :eek:
The body kit looks good but the unpainted carbon fiber hood and decals really "cheapen" the look of the car. Other than that it is a great looking car. Probably not the look most boxster owners care for.

Please, don't do this to it though:

http://www.hondaacuraautoparts.com/h...-Boxster-1.gif

Haha, someone was asking about lambo doors on the 944 forum. Now I have to attach two photos.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/photo...Played-Out.jpg

I agree about the curvy lines and the pointy decal. If you want to go the vinyl route, you may want to look into having a longer curvy line that compliments the lines of the car. I quickly edited the photo for an idea. Please forgive the hack-job. My photoshop skills are rusty and I am using a laptop mouse pad. But it tries to show what I am talking about.

I like the way your car looks as is. But I'm not against tasteful graphics.

I think your car looks great! But I agree with others the side painting distracts from the rest of the car.

Eric

Like the others, I'm not too hot on the triangle pointer. Not sure if this would work or not, but I'll throw it out for discussion. How about an Audi R8 effect where you come up from the top of your side skirt and flow up to the top of your conv top panel. It could flow with the stripe on your side skirt. The lines don't have to be a rigid as the R8, but that's kind of the idea. Not into PS, so I'll just attach a pic to give you the visual. The only negative is I'm not sure if Porsches should be stealing from Audi.



http://i36.tinypic.com/20pt5ac.jpg

I have decals....
 

But mine are based on the traditional 550 Spyder which had red "spears" as they called them on the rear. Why not try putting some black ones on that same area? I don't think the location of the black triangular side intake decals looks good at all. It should be more subtle. :cheers:

Thanks for all of the input guys. I know it's my car and I can do what I want, but I've kinda been on the fence on this one. I also posted it up to my local car club board where there are a lot of "ricers". I was surprised that their overall response was much like yours - they didn't like it, doesn't fit the car.

I was at a car show recently and a lady commented to me that my car looked like a James Bond car. :p I thought that was cool. I can see how the vinyl stripes would take away a bit from the more sophisticated and sleek look of the Boxster. Maxferran hit the nail on the head though. I've played with my car and now I've played it out, I'm bored, and I'm grasping for straws for things to do to it. For example, I just polished my lower suspension aluminum pieces and I'm looking at adding 7 mm spacers to the front. These are minor things that NOBODY will ever notice except me. But I'm trying to play around as much as I can...

I'm going to get the vinyl done around the windshield and sit on the side graphics for a while. Maybe in the future I'll come up with something more suitable for the car, but I'm betting it will look best just as-is.

Thanks again guys.

Kirk

Why not something along the lines of a classic Porsche race car, so it will be recognizable and there will be a natural tie-in to the Porsche heritage.

I don't mean this
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t39/geoff_126/no.jpg

but more like this
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...ff_126/yes.jpg
or this
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...f_126/yes2.jpg
or this
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...f_126/yes3.jpg

i dunno man,first altezzas on a porsche, now body side graphics... :confused:

I was always wondering if the classic 917 Gulf colors paint scheme wouldn't look great on a Boxster (but this is WAY BEYOND my Photoshop skills)

That's not Photo Shop, that looks more like the MicroSoft Paint program.

If you're going to rock a DONK, do it right-
http://news-images.caradisiac.com/IM.../2/2/donk2.jpg

I think your car would look great with one of the aerokit II rear spoilers
http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/986akreplicaspoi.jpg

Yeah, I agree. I also like the new Fiberwerks rear spoiler. They said that for some extra coin they'd even do it in carbon fiber for me. I'm just holding off on a spoiler for now. I kinda like the body curves the way they are. I'm doing a few more tweaks (CF mirrors, vinyl on windshield surround), then I'm going to leave the body alone and focus on the stereo system and suspension.

Kirk

I see where you're going with it, and it looks good (but as others said, not the look I'd want).

My opinion is that you don't want black on the windshield posts without black on the speed humps.

How durable would it be over time, after repeated washings, sun fade/shrinking, scratching, etc.

What would it do to the paint underneath, aside from non-equal paint fade witrh the rest of the car?

Those may be things to consider.

Vinyl Wrap
 

I am in he business of vinyl wraps and I would also recommend to be careful with vinyl wraps, full or partial. Make sure the installer is using good products: 3M, MacTac on full wraps and probably Oracal on cut vinyl. Ideally you want the vinyl to be laminated to increase longevity and you want to avoid pressure washing against the seams. finally and most importantly, no vinyl on suspect paint areas (road-rashed...) and EXPECT TO REMOVE THE FINAL AFTER 3 YEARS max!!!
We just removed a full wrap done 4 years ago on an Avalanche and we are now waiting for the claim adjuster to come and estimate the damages due to the poor paint job which lifted off with the vinyl... not pretty...

I am contemplating a full wrap for my 986 but I will probably go for something more Racing oriented like the paint job on the attached pictures... still working on the design though.



Good luck with the project!

Mike

Less is more....
 

I'm a big fan of the phrase "less is more" meaning sometimes you can make MORE of a good piece of art by doing less and not overdoing it. So yes, your car is an extension of your self expression and your personal artwork in the form of a bad ass sports car. That's what turned me on to my red racing spears. First started with the Porsche 550 Spyder and then still used today by RUF in their RK Spyder version. These lines look great and compliment the car.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...h/IMG_3792.jpg

By the way, my vinyl graphics have been on for 3 years and still look brand new. Keep in mind to buy Premium Gloss Finished Vinyl and to use a good car wax when washing your car. Yes, you can put wax on the vinyl. Maybe that's why mine held up so well. My Boxster is also garage kept but I use a high pressure self service washer every time with no problems.

Here is the 987 car that inspired me by RUF.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...teFlash/04.jpg