Wrap or not wrap - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

jccash · 01-01-2018, 10:44 AM

My 99 986 needs a Paint job. But.. one of my close friends “warps” Porsche Race cars and Padron race cars. He has offered to wrap my Boxster after the Rolex 24 Hour Race.

Anyone have a warped Boxster? If so what’s your thoughts on wrapping vs painting?

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deathsled986 · 01-01-2018, 11:25 AM

Wrapping can be way cheaper than a real paint job. It's great if you just want to experiment with a new color and can reverse it easily if you either don't like it or want to go for a real paint job. If you're staying the same color I would just have the car repainted.

jccash · 01-01-2018, 11:41 AM

Thanks. Paint jobs can be very expensive. A local Porsche Service shop recommended a painter Who does a good job and is reasonably priced. Painter gave me a $2000 estimate.

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Boxstard · 01-01-2018, 03:26 PM

I have been wondering about wrapping front hood... as mine is repainted when I got the car and not as nice. Anyone done it, please share some pics!

jccash · 01-01-2018, 03:39 PM

I know person that did that to his Cayman and another person to is 911.

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Geof3 · 01-01-2018, 03:56 PM

Wrap it. You can get super creative. There is a local racer here that has a 2.5' Porsche crest "embossed" into his hood by having the crest done then the over wrap. It sits at an angle, just off center. Don't have a pic, but it's really cool. I had my hood CF wrapped for awhile, but decided I wanted to go stripes. Did those and the Porsche door stripes. Love it.

The only downside to wrapping an older paint job is paint chips. They can show under the wrap and also cause air bubbles. There may be a way to circumvent that, but it was always an issue when doing clear bras.

jccash · 01-01-2018, 04:12 PM

My friend wraps the Official Porsche race team cars. Travels the world. He is very creative. Might paint it and make sure body is correct then wrap it creatively. I’m going to his shop in Palm Beach after the Rolex 24 Hour Race to get creative with him.

The green car is one of 11 he did last year for the race.

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dghii · 01-01-2018, 04:21 PM

There was a local 99 Boxster for sale a couple of years ago that had a full chrome wrap. From 10 feet away, it was pretty cool looking. The car owner owned a detail shop and did the car to learn how to do it and then use the car as an attention getter. I chatted with him for a bit and he showed me his mistakes and mentioned that the wrap can cost as much as an average paint job (whatever that is).

I'v

jccash · 01-01-2018, 05:20 PM

Yup $3k or so. But if my friend does it cost will be parts only. That’s why am thinking of wrapping instead of painting. I have a place where I can get it painted for about two grand and a local poor service center claims they’re pretty good at what they do.

I’m still considering painting instead of wrapping it. I also want to change out the headlights. And I want to get a different steering wheel. My steering wheel has some issues.

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thstone · 01-01-2018, 08:12 PM

It partly depends on what you want.

If you want your car to look like a IMSA Prototype race car (or have a complex or highly subjective color scheme), then wrap it.

I have known several friends who wrapped their cars (mostly 911's). All of them removed the wrap in less than 12 months because the complex design/color was really too much to live with on a daily basis for the street. I drive my Boxster race car on the street to/from races with big sponsor stickers and brightly colored wheels and it can get tiring to stand out everywhere you go.

If you want a solid/normal color and your local shop can do a decent job at that price point ($2K), then paint it since it will last longer and shine truer.

Geof3 · 01-01-2018, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jccash

Yup $3k or so. But if my friend does it cost will be parts only. That’s why am thinking of wrapping instead of painting. I have a place where I can get it painted for about two grand and a local poor service center claims they’re pretty good at what they do.

I’m still considering painting instead of wrapping it. I also want to change out the headlights. And I want to get a different steering wheel. My steering wheel has some issues.

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What issues does your steering wheel have?

jccash · 01-02-2018, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geof3

What issues does your steering wheel have?

The top part is rough kind of like dry Raught. Tried a steering wheel cover but did not like the feel. Looking to replace it.

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Brian in Tucson · 01-02-2018, 05:30 AM

$2 grand for a paint job is pretty cheap for most shops. I got mine painted at Maico (I know, scratch and shine!) and it looks very nice. Including bodywork, painting the door jams and both trunks it was $2100, with some discounts and by scheduling it in the shop's slack period, it came in at about $1600. 4 year guarantee, btw.

https://postimg.org/gallery/3cngx11lw/

I wouldn't wrap instead of painting. I live in the desert southwest and I think it wouldn't last in our summer sun & heat.

That986 · 01-02-2018, 07:01 AM

Wrapped:

jccash · 01-02-2018, 07:22 AM

Wow, yours looks good. I’m leaning on paint and perhaps wrap the front bumper/hood and maybe add a stripe or something. Thanks for sharing.

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BRAN · 01-02-2018, 08:23 AM

wrapping...hm...these guys with their weathered motorsport design comes into my mind
Weathered Motorsport Wrap Design | Skepple Inc

just love it.

rick3000 · 01-02-2018, 08:26 AM

If the paint is damaged to the point it needs to be repainted, and cannot be repaired with a good detail, I would repaint the car. But I would first ask why you think it needs to be repainted. Unless the clearcoat is failing, polishing should remove the majority of paint defects. Also, keep in mind that wraps are not meant to be permanent and offer little to no protection against future damage like a clear bra.

Geof3 · 01-02-2018, 11:46 AM

Those distressed wraps are pretty cool. Ain't cheap though!

jccash · 01-02-2018, 06:12 PM

Hood and trunk are fading.

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That986 · 01-02-2018, 10:52 PM

One thing to remember when you wrap a car is that the wrap sticks to the paint already there, if that's not very good then the guys doing the wrap should refuse to do it as it will only make things worse. It's like any other decal in that it needs a solid base to adhere to.

The best thing about wrapping a car is that if you do scratch or mark it then it's easy enough to replace. But the main reason for me is to protect the good paint underneath and make the car easier to live with on a daily basis. I don't care too much if the wrap gets marked but i would if the paint got marked.