Project: Paint Wrap

Subject: 2002 Ford Explorer

Color: Matte Black/Brushed Titanium

Location: Dallas, TX

This was my first Paint Wrap, my Ford Explorer.  After a few years of experience wrapping buses and commercial vehicles, I felt ready to try a color change wrap, or Paint Wrap.  I decided on 3M Matte Black and 3M Brushed Titanium.  

As with any first attempt, there were bumps along the way, but overall it was a great experience, and the resulting wrap got me excited about the potential for Paint Wraps as a new option that people would gravitate toward in the future.  One of my failures here was not taking enough pictures, but I can't say I regret it too much, as my technique was not of the level produced by WrapSkills today.  I did, however, manage to wrap each side with one piece (excluding the fenders) to achieve a seamless wrap.

I learned the hard way that the brushed materials are a bit more prone to tearing.  This resulted in a situation where I tore my hood piece and had to adapt  the design.  It was a compromise that I wasn't happy with, but allowed for some more practice with Knife-less tape, which was new to me at the time.  In the final picture, you can see the Titanium on the hood.  It is cut out above the grill, this is where the vinyl ripped, so I had to cut an acceptable shape to compensate.

Other than that, great results, and when I removed the wrap 2 years later, had no  damage to the paint and both kinds of vinyl were still in good condition.

by: David Sides

WrapSkills