Considering matte wrap. Any experience or recs?

[balefire]

Considering matte wrap for my now 4 year old MX.
Any recs?
Is matte really that much harder to preserve and keep clean than satin?
Any regrets not doing door jambs, etc?
Considering an expensive pro installer vs friend of friend garage install at half price. Any experience with the friend of friend garage install?
Thanks!

 

[bionichomer]

Background... 2016 MX...I went the DIY route since it was only $500-$700. Shops near me want about $3k-4k.

What are "recs"?

Keeping clean probably depends on the color selected. Keep in mind wraps last anywhere from 2-5 yrs, depending on exposure to the elements. I wouldn't worry about door jambs. What's nice about satin or matte is it's easy to wipe down... no automatic carwashes though.

Using a friend is probably dependent on how good a friend he/she is. Just keep in mind, it requires a lot of time to install, so if you're unhappy with it, you'll have to ask your friend to fix or remove or end up paying someone to fix someone else's work.

Hope that helps!

 

[balefire]

Background... 2016 MX...I went the DIY route since it was only $500-$700. Shops near me want about $3k-4k.

What are "recs"?

Keeping clean probably depends on the color selected. Keep in mind wraps last anywhere from 2-5 yrs, depending on exposure to the elements. I wouldn't worry about door jambs. What's nice about satin or matte is it's easy to wipe down... no automatic carwashes though.

Using a friend is probably dependent on how good a friend he/she is. Just keep in mind, it requires a lot of time to install, so if you're unhappy with it, you'll have to ask your friend to fix or remove or end up paying someone to fix someone else's work.

Hope that helps!

Helps a bunch. Thanks.
Recs = recommendations

I installed PPF on a hood once but had a lot of difficulty applying PPF well to side mirrors.
What was the approximate difficulty applying vinyl?
Roughly how many hours?
Did you ceramic coat or other sealant after?

 

[bionichomer]

It's not terribly difficult but there's a learning curve just like anything else. Hard to say on the time to install as different fenders are easier than others. I'd say about an hour per panel since you have to clean, cut, apply, trim, heat, etc. Just a guess, but I'm thinking a good shop will finish it quick as they are experienced and have multiple people working on the cars..maybe a week? I didn't ceramic coat afterwards. I coated a test piece and it really didn't seem much different than the matt vinyl w/o ceramic. Also I plan to remove my vinyl soon since I want to change colors so no point in adding the ceramic for me just to rip it off in a year or two.