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Thread: Matte White Vinyl Wrapping My E36 M3! PIC HEAVY

  1. #1
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    Matte White Vinyl Wrapping My E36 M3! PIC HEAVY

    Hey all, first real thread on bimmerforums (although I have been lurking around the past couple years).
    I recently decided to do a matte white vinyl wrap on my M3, as I have some experience with vinyl (worked in a custom sign shop last summer).
    However, at 19 years old and on a student budget, I couldn't afford the quality material from 3M/Avery/Oracle/etc...
    Ended up buying a 1.52 by 30 metre roll from China for $200 shipped to Toronto! I figured for the price you cant go wrong, even if it only lasts 1 year.
    Oh and I desperately needed to hide a few small dents so I wrapped over top of primed body filler.
    I bought a new ABS bumper cover off ebay for another $200 that came primed with all moldings, mesh grill, and lip just before starting the wrap as well.

    Anyways, I'm not patient enough to write a full DIY and I never take enough pictures throughout the job, so I'm going to post a few update pics as I go along.
    Hopefully this thread will inspire me to keep going, as it's taking A LOT longer than expected!

    On with the pics...
    (Couple before shots)


































    Thanks for looking! I'll post more pics as I finish more panels of the car. As of now, I'm exhausted
    Last edited by 98M3Sedan; 07-31-2013 at 11:10 AM.

  2. #2
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    looks pretty good.. im thinking about doin mine, but a techno violet or mettallic dark purple color

    - - - Updated - - -

    You said you used "1.52 by 30 meters"
    Are you gonna have a lot left over?
    you think 1.52 x 15 meters is enough?

    Over here they sell 5ft x 50ft which is almost the same as 1.52 x 15 meters. some people say thats how much they used.

  3. #3
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    Honestly I wouldn't be able to tell you how much vinyl I have left over because I'm not done yet and it's in a roll.
    However, if it's your first time wrapping a car, plan for a lot of excess!
    Although I was very meticulous and patient, I ended up cutting material for the hood 3 times and twice for the trunk.
    Theoretically, a 50 foot roll is just enough for our e36 sedans (if you include every body panel).
    A local vinyl shop quoted me 45 ft of material, so with 50 ft you can't afford to make any major mistakes.
    Hope this helps!

  4. #4
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    yea. thanks.. we are gonna be doing my fnds grill and hood on his hummer maybe next weekend.he already did some interior parts. he is gonna help me out after.
    if i do mess up ill just buy an extra 5ftx5ft sheet.
    Are you taking off the handle trim?? its gonna look good when youre done..

  5. #5
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    I'd say that's a safe bet.
    I did both left doors yesterday, proved to be about a 4 hour project just for the one side.
    (This is reallly starting to test my patience...)
    but yes, I remove all the moldings, handle trim, and the mirror before laying up 1 vinyl sheet about 5' by 7.5'

  6. #6
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    i was gonna ask u about the handle trims, but didnt wanna stress u,, lol i replaced the whole handle like ayr ago, but forgot how to do it..lol i swaped the locks and shit... but i think just to do the trim i just gotta take off that lil plastic plug right? and push the lil lock fwd??
    well anyways.. i think i found my color..
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwvvp101dWM
    just gotta get the exact code for it. id do white but my car is already white.. im refinishing my style 5s in a similar color so..

    make sure u post some more pics.. at the end youll know you can do it and didnt pay over 1000 bucks.. u know?

  7. #7
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    I'm at work right now but updated pics will be up once I get home.
    You don't have to take apart the entire handle, just remove the outer trim and seal part.
    Open the door and look for a little oval hole just to the rear of the handles.
    You'll see a tiny metal tab inside the door, just push it hard with the back of a pen to release the handle trim.
    Getting it back on is trickier, I had my brother hold the trim onto the door while I pulled the tab towards me with an allen key.

    Not my personal choice of colour, but it's cool just to be different from everyone else.
    Might look dope with the style 5's
    It'll hide dirt/imperfections pretty well too!

  8. #8
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    yea.. thats what i meant the lil plastic oval tab..
    im doin the style 5s a light bronze so. ... only doin it cuz my paint is all faded and its cheaper to wrap.. i havent seen no e36s in metallic brown

  9. #9
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    time for a few more update pics!
    After getting a little frustrated with the 2 left door panels, I decided to clean up my engine bay a little!
    Thought I might as well paint my engine covers to match the black 'n white theme of my car too (yes those pesky little stripes are white too!)







  10. #10
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    too many
    looks like you had your hands full....

    ps diggin the white DS2's BTW
    1996 //M3 dakar yellow non sunroof - current
    1973 Atacama yellow 2002 - being put back together
    1994 alpine 325i vert - sold
    1987 shwartz 325 5.0 swap - sold
    1984 shwartz 325 - for sale now
    1988 silver with salmon interior 635csi - sold
    1976 528i - being put back together
    many many more in the past and more to come

  11. #11
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    ..well I uploaded a bunch of pics when I got home from work yesterday.
    the forum said I have to wait for a "moderator to approve my post" and so I waited...and waited...
    still waiting...

    **EDIT**
    pics finally up! and thanks codye 36, I think the white DS2's make the spokes stand out a bit more.
    Last edited by 98M3Sedan; 05-22-2013 at 08:05 PM.
    Built, Not Bought.

  12. #12
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    OK, so I am seriously considering wrapping my car. Its kind of a beater and it is going to be a racecar, so I dont care about it too much. I am mostly concerned with the time and money to do all this. I am coming from the other end of the spectrum, I am more familiar and comfortable with paint. I keep going back and forth from paint to vinyl.

    I figure paint will cost around 500 and it will take around 20+ hours.

    If vinyl costs 300 - how long does it take to do the whole car?

    Does vinyl hide small imperfections or not?

    Sorry for all the questions, but you are the first person I have seen who is doing an e36 sedan full wrap. Car looks great!

  13. #13
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    in terms of the cost to DIY vinyl wrap; I find that time and money are inversely proportional.
    I got a roll of cheapo vinyl from China at a steal for only $200 shipped, but it's harder to work with than the expensive stuff.
    I also considered doing a DIY paint job, but I don't have a garage to do it in, and I need my car to get to work everyday (which is fine when I vinyl 1 or 2 body panels at a time).

    I havn't kept track of the total # of hours worked so far, but if I had to estimate it will be around 40 to complete the whole car (including mistakes/learning curve).

    Don't count on vinyl hiding any imperfections. Especially the cheap stuff. Even if a hair falls onto the panel and you wrap on top of it you will be able to see it (from very close of course....but just knowing it's there will bug me lol).
    I did have a few minor dents around the car (after all it is 15 years old and seen ~180,000 MILES) so I took my time to fill/sand them with some body filler and a quick coat of black primer to seal it (body filler will sweat/rust if not primed). When sanded perfectly smooth, the vinyl actually did an amazing job at hiding my dents! And no lifting so far because it sticks to the primer (whereas it wouldnt stick to filler alone).

    Never be sorry to ask questions. You'll never learn if you don't! That's the only reason I started this thread, to inspire others and help share what I've learned
    Built, Not Bought.

  14. #14
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    Amazing job! You need to get into the business!

  15. #15
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    Looks like great work so far, keep it going man. Almost all whites will look the same, so you did the right thing just getting the lowest price you could. Sure it's not as nice to work with, but it gets the job done if you're patient and good with your hands. You also seem very well informed about what you're doing, so you must have done your research.

    I do this for a living on the commercial side, although my buddy and I are hoping to get a garage so we can do paint wraps for people like yourself who just want a different color for a while. Nice to see someone take the bull by the horns and not be intimidated. A car like this where nearly everything is flat is a vinyl guy's wet dream haha.

    Protip: I would definitely recommend keeping the car covered or parked under cover any chance you get, and remove before 3-4 years or that low quality vinyl will be your worst nightmare when you want to remove it. Cheap vinyl is known to crack or break into little pieces when it gets too old. (If it's intact but still troublesome, try to get a steamer which would be the best, or even just a heat gun to help you remove.)
    Current_SeeDee 1972 Type 114 Luna 1975 Type 114
    Past___Veronica
    1994 e36 Le-Ah 1987 e30

  16. #16
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    Thanks guys!

    Tom - I've definitely considered getting into the wrapping business, as it seems like good money. I figure the professional guys make about $2000 profit on a full size car-wrap, divided by the 40 hours it takes to complete....this equates to $50/hr!!! (ballpark figure). Compared to the 15/hr I make now as a 19 year old co-op student, this is pretty tempting!

    Spyke - Thanks for the feedback, I did research vinyl wraps for a couple weeks before I actually bought the roll, and I recommend others to do lots of research before starting any project. Since I can't really afford parts/service at the BMW stealership I've learnt how to do all the maintenance/upgrades/replacements myself DIY style (this forum is GOLD for walk-throughs and tips thanks to members like yourself). Since I don't have a garage, I will keep it under my BMW car cover as often as possible. Great tip! I have a simple $15 heat gun btw, wouldn't be able to do this wrap without it.

    **BAD NEWS**
    Nearly 100 metres after pulling away from my work site today, my front-right control arm ball joint blew out! And I just replaced both FCA's with Meyle's 2 years ago! I guess I drive my M3 a little too hard
    Anyways, had to get it towed to the nearest BMW stealership (lucky it was only 4 blocks away...but we went about 5 mph the entire way to prevent any more damage).
    Hopefully they don't charge me an arm and a leg for the repair/replacement
    I was planning to finish up the wrap this weekend, but it'll have to be put on hold for a little while.

    -Also ordered some coilovers last week, good thing I didn't install them yet!


    Appreciate all the feedback guys, keep it coming!
    Built, Not Bought.

  17. #17
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    Good luck on that control arm.. i was also very close to order my wrap, thinking i was gonna pass the smog test sice no CEL, but thing didnt pass. So wraping is gonna have to wait.

  18. #18
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    Thanks.
    damn smog tests eh! I came within 1% of failing mine last year.
    Probably due to the fact I'm running straight pipes lol. Needless to say, the test was VERY loud!

    If you were relatively close to passing your smog, I've heard there's some kind of gas/oil additives that will temporarily reduce emissions. :S
    I'd look into that before dumping money into new cats. Check crappy tire?

    Also, BMW just quoted me $1600 for the repairs! F that! I'm buying a set of left/right control arms, sway links, and tie rods tonight for $350 all in. It helps to know people.
    Stupid dealership markup...
    Last edited by 98M3Sedan; 05-27-2013 at 05:54 PM.
    Built, Not Bought.

  19. #19
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    I've always been amazed at how little BMW cares about keeping their cars on the road. They would rather you buy a new one than keep a classic around. Shame. Sorry to hear about the failure, hope you get it fixed quick and easy
    Current_SeeDee 1972 Type 114 Luna 1975 Type 114
    Past___Veronica
    1994 e36 Le-Ah 1987 e30

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by 98M3Sedan View Post
    Thanks.
    damn smog tests eh! I came within 1% of failing mine last year.
    Probably due to the fact I'm running straight pipes lol. Needless to say, the test was VERY loud!

    If you were relatively close to passing your smog, I've heard there's some kind of gas/oil additives that will temporarily reduce emissions. :S
    I'd look into that before dumping money into new cats. Check crappy tire?

    Also, BMW just quoted me $1600 for the repairs! F that! I'm buying a set of left/right control arms, sway links, and tie rods tonight for $350 all in. It helps to know people.
    Stupid dealership markup...
    yea.. im not spending 400 bucks on a cat. doin basic stuff like spark plugs, oil change and i remember a while back cel light came on. showed 2 codes. maf and camshaft sensor, changed the maf sensor and cel light went off didnt get to the camshaft part, so doing it next week.. i also read about additives.but im getting some denatured alcohol right before the test in the tank. And also run the sht out of the car on the fwy. since i didnt do that last time. Just went straight to the smog test shop from home.

    Are you gonna do the arms yourself? ive never taken my car to any shop. just because its a bmw, they charge way too much. i do the easy stuff myself. harder stuff, ill just take it to my buddy, he helps me and dont charge me as much..

  21. #21
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    did you end up getting rid of your CEL?
    Just got my car back from the dealer and I must say the steering feels TIGHT and the car feels like its riding on rails!
    They did a great job replacing the control arms/tie rods/and sway bar links on both sides (I'd hope so for $1300 including alignment).

    I tend to do all of my own work on the car as much as possible, but in this case I could only get towed a short distance without risking more and more damage.
    It certainly helps having a buddy who's knowledgeable about vehicle repairs. Sometimes having an extra set of hands is the difference between a weekend job and a job finished in a few hours.

    Gunna have to invest in a low-profile jack soon, coilovers are going in this week!
    I'll post pics of the install process if there's anyone interested?
    Built, Not Bought.

  22. #22
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    Thats the thing.. didnt pass the first time and no cel light, so i didnt know where to start.
    Changed plugs, oil, cleaned air filter and fixed the intake boot which was cracked also added a gallon of denatured alcohol to 1/4 of gas and ran it on the fwy for 20 mins. didnt pass the second time. So i ended up getting a 12oz bottle of chevron with techron and ran it on a 1/4 tank of 91 octane gas. and also checked the spark plug gap, they were supposed to be pregapped, but werent, were supposed to be .036 and they were all.030. Idk if that made a difference. so today i took the car on the fwy again for 30 mins till most of that 1/4 gas with techron was gone. Once i was close to the shop and added another gallon of the alcohol along with another gallon of gas (this time it was only like 1/8 of gas), ran it around the corner in 1st and 2nd gear forcin it a lil to make the cat hot. smogged it and it passed. max hcs for 15 mph were 85.
    first time i got 188, second 102 and third 29 so i think i passed like a hybird lol
    I am also goin to change the 02 sensor and valve cover gasket.


    Thats a lot of $$ but bet it drives like new now..

    what kind of coil overs? i have racelands nothing bad to say about them.. but i wish i had taken out the" help spring" (not sure if thats the name) out in the back . Its all the way down and sometimes i wish it was just a lil lower.
    Last edited by JE BMW; 06-02-2013 at 04:44 AM.

  23. #23
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    Sorry for the lack of updates in a couple weeks, I've been way too busy at work and it sucks the energy out of me.
    Especially after that wonderful service at the BMW dealership....


    This here is the new coilovers I purchased. It is the "Street Edge" brand by The Suspension Source.
    At only $500 bucks, this is easily one of the best purchases I added to my car.
    Although inexpensive, I wouldn't call it cheap. I'm amazed at the build quality and design for such a low price.
    ...and the ride is GRRRREAT! (although anything would feel better than my ~200,000 miles stock suspension).
    No complaints about the set-up so far after 2 weeks, minus a clunking noise from the front end over bumps (I'm going to replace my upper strut mounts next week).





    This is how she sits after the install/minor adjustments...


    ANDDD I finally got around to wrapping both passenger side doors! Crappy cell phone pics to follow...




    These doors have been my best vinyl wrap yet. I'm extremely pleased with how they turned out. New M3 side moldings/clips coming in next week (I broke a few clips removing the trim).




    That's all for today folks. More updates to come...
    Built, Not Bought.

  24. #24
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    Looks good!

    Where did you pick up the cheap-o vinyl?

  25. #25
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    check out www.dhgate.com.
    I believe the site is meant for only selling products in "wholesale" quantities/lots (from China).
    However, a 1.52 by 30 metre roll of vinyl seems to fall under this classification!
    For just 200 bucks shipped from China to Canada, I don't care if it's low quality vinyl...I guarantee you won't be able to beat that price.
    And after > a month, the vinyl is holding up very well!
    The major difference between this and 3M 1080 series for example, is the difficulty of application.
    The install certainly takes WAY MORE time/patience than anticipated.
    Built, Not Bought.

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