1. Wrapping your car is reversible.
Paint is a permanent change, that also will definitely play into the resale of your vehicle, but many will argue PlastiDip, Liquid Vinyl, and many other “dip” products are removable as well, however when put to the test, many are finding the “cheap” alternative to a wrap doesn’t live up to the life expectancy, or removable promises once claimed. The bottom line is that no other products currently on the market have any testing on their longevity, and how they hold up over time. What we do know is that a vinyl vehicle wrap can be installed on a vehicle, and removed after one, two, three, four, and five years with zero damage to the paint underneath. Even in Florida we have seen well cared for wraps last upwards of seven to ten years with very little signs of aging when washed, and cared for regularly.
2. Wrapping your car is affordable.
A good paint job, price wise, is hard to define. But when it comes to guys that have painted cars in the custom world for years, a “good” paint job can range from five thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars. It’s all about what you want as the final outcome, and much of the same practices are true with wrap, however at a fraction of the cost. A car wrap can be very affordable in a basic form, and as you add options, and depth to the installation, the price naturally increases. But here is the real kicker, at any time, and under any conditions, wrap can simply be pealed away from the paint beneath it and you are completely back to square one. No value lost, no wear and tear on the original paint that can be very expensive to correctly repair / match.
3. You can’t paint this!
A superb vehicle finish as we have known it for the last 90 years is smooth, glossy, and well, exactly the same on every vehicle. Today you still have that option, but what you also have is just that, options! With vehicle wraps, we have seen a surge in textured surfaces on vehicles. All of the leading manufacturers carry their own textured surface products for a vehicle wrap. They range from the more common Carbon Fiber, to Brushed Aluminum, Velvet, and even get into very unique options with Snakeskin, and Alligator finishes. These are not only new, exciting, and some of the top selling car wrap films in the market, but they are proving a solid premise, people want variety, and with textured surface options, a vinyl wrap is your ONLY option. Couple that fact, with the reliability, and protective nature of vehicle wraps, and you have a package that just can’t be offered in paint.
4. Custom designs, and branding.
So vehicle wraps came into the sign world with and alternative to hand painted vehicles, and simple lettering jobs. Vehicles were everywhere, and that is exactly where your company branding needed to be! Commercial wraps evolved, and evolved quickly, proving that there is something to this “wrap” product that only a few companies were offering to sign shops. As this market grew, and statistics proved that vehicle wraps were, by far, the most effective way to market your brand, and the wrap material manufacturers realized, this market is here to stay. As this product continued to wow the general public, paint alternative films released, and a whole new world emerged to consumers. Today’s commercial wrap market is thriving, and the retail wrap market is growing, with innovators and manufacturers leading the way with custom designs, and concepts to bring to fruition. Wraps being used for commercial branding, as well as custom designs like popular camo patterns, and custom livery’s have sucked the life out of the custom paint world. Custom designed branding, or design on a wrap is easier, faster, more cost effective for consumers, which all sum up, that once again, wrap is the best solution for a custom design on a vehicle.
5. Proven life expectancy.
We touched briefly on life expectancy with wraps, and other color change methods earlier in this article, however, to elaborate slightly further life expectancy is a very important concern to consumers, and installers when selling a product. First things first, the manufacturers of wrap products are billion dollar, world-wide, companies that invest a lot of monies into research, and testing with these products so they can provide real life expectations of the product. Many people question wrap lasting, but fail to consider, that one-hundred percent of OEM manufacturers will only warrant paint for up to five years. Most wrap products carry a very similar warranty, and even longer when cared for properly with washing, and simple sealing techniques, and wrap does not require the process of waxing your car. “Dip” products vary based on the area of the world, but typically last 12-18 months before showing heavy wear, and require tedious and expensive waxing, and professional detail services to attain a wrap like gloss finish, and keep that finish looking good.
6. Consistency
Solid color vehicle wraps are the only product on the market that provide, proven consistent finish. This isn’t some magical reason, it’s simple, million dollar machines create the finish on a wrap, not a human being. In ALL other color change applications, you have to rely on a human being to “spray” the color you desire, and spray that color evenly, and consistently across the entire dimensional surface of your vehicle. Take away a stumble as your painter moves around your car, a variance in air pressure from the compressor, or even another employee walking into the air tight spray booth, and boom, you have an imperfection. But every application is different, any process being done by a human are probably the most unpredictable, and unreliable process in our every day world. Not that it is a human’s fault, I myself do my job a little different, every single day. Some days I wish I worked a little harder, some days I feel like I “killed it”. This is why automotive manufacturers have moved to automation to paint cars, it takes away the inconsistencies of the human. When it comes to you, changing the color of your car, a robot, well, is probably out of your price range. Using wrap product that is made by a machine, is the next best thing aside from having the color changed, on your vehicle, by an OEM manufacturer.
7. Protection
The average vehicle owner can spend upwards of $3000 on wax and cleaning supplies for their vehicles during the ownership period of each vehicle they own! Now there is something that’s not listed on the window sticker next to cost of ownership. Vehicle wrap is a sealed product that oils, dirt, water, and all the outdoor elements all sit on top of, instead of penetrating into your clear coat. For this reason there is no need to wax a wrapped vehicle, simply wash with soap and water, and some films even self dry with no water spots! All the while you are enjoying the extra cash, and time with not having to wax, or pay someone to constantly care for your paint, your wrap is protecting the OEM paint, and ensuring that once you ready to remove that protective layer of wrap, your paint will look brand new, and factory fresh, like the day you purchased your vehicle, only years later!