Anyone have their car wrapped?

Hi All, Could use an opinion. I purchased a 56k mile 2002 C4s last year and have been enjoying it immensely and thus far it�s exceeded my expectations. The paint on the car is great (not perfect) but in great shape after a full correction and detail thanks to Larry Kosilla of AMMO NYC - * See video link - and while it looks amazing as is, I�ve always wanted this car to be white. With that said, has anyone had experience with wrapping a car in the last 2-years and if so, was it positive? Also, how has it held up, was there fading, bubbling or lifting in any areas, and how has the care process been? Any insight would be welcome. I�m also in the Bay Area if anyone knows of reputable shops (or just want to go for a drive) as I�d like to start doing research based on the collective opinion. Appreciate it and thanks! Mike

Congrats. Welcome to the 996 club. Question, why would you even consider a wrap? You have a beautiful car. Why run the risk of destroying your paint?

I agree and I own a white car that car is beautiful no color change necessary

A personal friend of mine has a 3M wrapped 350z that has lasted a looooong time. The wrap was around 3200.00 and perfect, you already did your due diligence and taken care of the paint which is something people don't keep in consideration before looking to wrap their car. I looked at getting my VW Touareg wrapped and I was quoted 4600.00 by the best wrapping company in S.FL, cheapest was 1800.00 and well... they're not very good. Your car looks great and like GC996 said, you can run the slight risk of damaging certain spots when the wrap comes off but to answer some of your questions: Care is the same as regular paint, there are some ceramics you can use on top of wraps that will offer some type of "protection" but it's essentially done for ease of care. Chemical Guys has dedicated vinyl products that aren't too expensive. Fade is really dependent on the quality of the wrap AND how the installer works around edges. I've seen some guys stretch the wrap using heat that will discolor certain portions and get worse over time. Bubbling is common but the ones I've seen by reputable wrap companies have been almost non existent, Lifting is the same... if done correctly(Like anything in life), you won't have issues with those. Most wraps have warranties against defects and can be done by panel if need be.

I've also considered a full wrap on my c4s. It's arctic silver and I'd like to wrap it british racing green/irish green. My front bumper needs a repaint and this is another option. How do wraps hold up to stone chips?

Been considering a wrap as well. Seems the going rate for the better shops are $3000-$4000. Most reviews claim it actually protects the paint rather than damage it. Wrap technology has come a long way in the past few years and it seems if done well they not only last but are almost indistinguishable from a full paint job. I fully get the desire for a color change. I detest black cars (I've almost exclusively owned black cars) and have always wanted a cobalt 996.

You had Larry and Kevin brown work on your car? As much as I hate black cars I would keep it that way. Unless you are going to have all the jambs and everything done I would keep it black.

' GC996 ' - Really appreciate that, thank you. I was originally looking for a white a C4s, but this one came up and I just couldn't pass on it. I also absolutely love the way they look in white, and as the paint on this car is good, but not perfect, that's why I was thinking a wrap. I also have 3 other vehicles that are black and honestly, it's just a lot to take care of. TheChunkNorris - Great insight, thank you! Do you think a wrap detracts from the car value at all? triggz82 - Very curious as to how much protection they offer as well. Sam-Son - I've heard the same in regards to the technology advancing - still very curious. motoo344 - I'm very fortunate that Larry is a dear friend whom I've know for years - his skill and talent, along with Kevin Brown (who is just a master) was amazing - they are truly the best in the business. And honestly, I would have the door jams done as well. Thanks to all for the responses - I'm still on the fence. Wondering if would affect the cars overall value as well.

Quotes source post: 18101979

I think this is going to depend on the buyer, the wrap, and how well you document it. I personally would never buy a wrapped car unless it was fully wrapped with a high quality product by a reputable shop (door jambs, under hood, etc.) and it was well documented with lots of pictures before and during the wrap process. Even then I would likely be a bit uncomfortable and need to feel out the buyer. I have seen too many wraps used to cover up paint flaws and/or accident damage. They can make the wrap still come out good by just wrapping over a quick sand and prime to smooth things out.

Like @Type65 said, most people do not want wrapped vehicles for two reasons. You can't do a proper paint inspection to include paint depth measurements(some people still do that) and the second is sometimes the paint can be damaged when the wrap is removed.

The nice thing about a wrap is that it is reversible so it's not the end of the world for resale. You could always have it removed if you decided to sell it.

Unless it damages the paint underneath which happens often

Quotes source post: 18102731

Obviously with the newer products we don't have as much data yet for removing the wraps that have been left on for years, but it seems that a lot of the newer wraps come off cleaner with less risk of damaging the paint. This is definitely still very much a concern though, and I would definitely follow the wrap manufactures removal interval which I believe is typically 5-7 years depending on the brand. I will say companies like Mercedes and Porsche offering wrapped cars from the factory helps support this in my opinion. I can't image Mercedes AMG GT owners would be too happy if they removed the factory wrap and the first time they saw their cars paint it was damaged.

I wish you were in Seattle! I found a shop that only specializes in high end upgrades, wraps, ppf's and cool custom mods. My 996 was the least expensive car they had in their shop, lol. They did my aero kit and respray hood/bumper and then ppf them. I've seen their wrap jobs and they are amazing and come off clean using steam technology. Since I already ceramic coated my 'black' 996, wrapping is not a good option--they won't touch it. I had some 'kids' wrap my truck and I wasn't looking for perfection so I got it for less than $2k. These guys aren't cheap and said it would have been $7k to do my truck but it would have been flawless/perfect seems, etc.... From what they are telling me, no paint damage years down the road when you want to pull it with the new 3M's and others???? I can't comment on that. I like my truck though Nobody has one like it around here!

Simple question� What does Larry say?