When you think of improving the exterior of your car, the two options that come to mind are car paint and vinly car wraps. Should you get car paint or car wrap to improve the appearance of your car? In this article, we are going to explore both methods in detail and help you decide which one might be better for you.
What is a Car Wrap?
Car wrap is basically a colored graphic vinyl film that is applied on top of the original car paint. Car wrap allows you to change the color and also adds accents to your vehicle. It also acts as a protective layer for your vehicle.
Vinyl Wraps are Becoming Popular
People nowadays prefer to wrap their car with vinyl instead of getting a full paint-job done. And the reason for this popularity is the price, time involved, and the ability to change the wrap whenever you like.
Vinyl wraps are very thing sheets of film that are easy to apply on the original paint job of the car. They not only give you the color and design you are looking for, but also protect the original paint from damage and scratches.
While driving on the road, small rocks are thrown around by tires all the time. These small incidents damage the paint job and cause scratches. Vinyl car wraps can prevent those scratches and keep your car looking fresh and new.
Car Paint is Expensive and Messy
When you compare car wraps to full body car paint, there’s a huge difference between the two methods. Car paint takes more times and requires you to wear protective equipment while working. Inhaling paint can be damaging.
The good thing about paint is that you can get almost any color you like. If you don’t want a standard color, you can mix different color to get the color you are after. This is not the case with vinyl car wraps. Although there’s a huge variety or wraps, you are still limited.
How Much Vinyl is Required to Wrap a Car
On average a car requires a vinyl roll that’s 25 foot in length and 5 foot wide (5’x25′). If you know the length of your car, multiply that by 3 (two sides and top from front to back) plus extra for bumpers and mistakes.
For example, if you car is 188 inches long, you’d calculate as follow.
(188″ x 3) + 120″ (extra for mistakes/bumpers) = 684″
That’s 57 foot.
Regular roll size that you get from shops is 5’x60′ so in this case you would need one of those for the entire job.
Comparison Between Car Wraps and Car Paint Methods
| Car Paint | Car Wrap | |
| Installation Time | Tedious and make take weeks | Few days |
| Skill Level | Expert | Intermediate |
| Cost | $2000-$5000 | $1000-$2000 |
| Lifespan | Can last for years | 5-7 years |
| Appearance | Not easy to customize | You can pick different designs or customize |
| Removal | Requires scraping and griding | Easy to remove |
Installation Time for Vinyl Car Wraps vs Car Paint
Painting the entire car takes a lot of time. You first need to remove the original paint on the car and then apply the coat of color you want. This is not an easy task and requires a bit of physical work.
First you need to scrape off the old paint. Then you would apply a primer to get the metal ready to hold the paint. Once that’s done, you will then apply several coats of the paint until you get a nice and smooth finish.
Car paints take longer because of the drying time involved in the process and also the skill required to complete the job.
On the other hand, vinyl car wraps are a lot easier to install. They don’t take a lot of time because you are not grinding or scraping off anything. You only need to wash and dry the surface properly.
Once you have a clean surface, you apply the thin film on the area and activate the adhesive with the heat. The film will not stick to the surface until you apply heat. It’s important to note that if there are a lot of scratches and dents on the paint already, you should fill them first.
So, to sum it all up, car paints can take weeks and car wraps only take a few days to install.
Skill Level Required for Car Paint vs Car Wrap Installations
In my opinion, mixing up colors to get the exact color you are after and then getting a nice and smooth paint finish takes a lot more skill. You also need to take safety measure to protect your health when paining as you don’t want to inhale the dangerous paint vapors.
Application of car wraps also requires skill, but compared to car paint job, it’s relatively easy. You need to ensure that you are measuring the film correctly. You’ll need to inspect the fil surface carefully to ensure there are no air bubbles before you apply heat and set the film.
Cost of Car Paint and Car Wrap
Cost of either jobs depend on who’s doing the repair. If you are doing the repair yourself, then you only need to purchase the material and this costs significantly less. On the other hand, if you are hiring a professional to do the repair, you will need to pay for the material plus the labor cost.
Doing the Job by Yourself
For vinyl car wrap, your cost would be significantly lower. You will need a few rolls of the vinyl film, installation kit containing squeegee, scraper, blade and a heat gun. Depending on where you live, these items will cost anywhere between $100-$200.
If you decide to paint the car yourself, you will need to buy enough paint to complete the job, brush, spray gun, masking paint tape, paint thinner, sand paper, electric sander, buckets for mixing and spare piece of papers. Depending on your location again, it will cost around $200-$400. The type of paint you choose will increase or decrease this amount.
Hiring a Professional
Professional service will cost a lot more than a DIY job. If you were to get a professional paint job, your bill can easily go from $2000-$5000. The price depends on the number of coats of paint required and also on the condition of your original car paint. If there are lot of scratches and dents that need repair, it will increase the cost.
Professional car wrap installation is not cheap either. The services start from $1000 and can go as high as $5000 depending on the type of vinyl wrap, the type of car, and the current condition of the body paint.
Lifespan
Paint jobs do take time and money but they can last for a very long time. Even for the entire life of your car. If you are looking to permanently change the color of your vehicle, I recommend you go this route and save money in the long run.
Car wraps, on the other hand, only last up to five years if you take good care of them. They are a short-term solution and really give you the ability to try different colors and trending designs.
Appearance
Vinyl wraps come in many designs and colors. This allows you to change the looks of your car completely. Car wraps also give you the opportunity to customize the looks because you can control the color, accents, decals and any signage that goes on the film.
However, paint jobs are not as flexible. It’s not easy to customize the looks as it depends on the skill of the painter.
Removal of Car Wrap and Paint
Paint is not easy to remove. You only options are scraping and grinding. These tasks are tedious and take a lot of time and efforts to complete. You also have to be careful not to expose the metal of the car as that will speed-up the rusting process.
Comparatively, car films are very easy to remove. If you follow the directions correctly when installing, you will not damage the underlying paint when the film is removed.
Conclusion
Car wraps are recommended if you are looking to try out a design for period of time. Vinyl car covers are easy to install and very easy to take off. They don’t damage the original car paint under neither.
On the other side, paint is only recommended if you car color has worn out and you are looking for a permanent solution. A paint job can last as long as your car does.