Looking for a recommendation for a place to do a full vinyl wrap near Greenwich, CT

[Polar993]

I am taking delivery next week on a new Model X 70 5D in white, and I am looking to get the car fully wrapped in a satin black vinyl. Does anyone have any recommendations for a reputable shop that can do this work near Greenwich Connecticut?

Also, what price point should I expect to pay to have the entire body wrapped, and have the chrome trim blacked out? I have called around to a few places and received quotes upwards of $5000 to $6000 for the entire job. Seems excessively pricey and I'm hoping someone here has a recommendation for me.

Thanks!

 

[HankLloydRight]

Have you considered Autoflex or Proline as a dip covering?

It's a lot less expensive ($2k to $3k), easily removable, and nearly unlimited color combinations different finishes (gloss, matte, satin).

 

[shelbri]

Automobilia in West Haven, CT has a very good reputation. I had my front wrapped there. North Haven Auto Body, which is one of only two Tesla Factory Certified auto body shops in the state, highly recommended them. Owner of North Haven Auto Body also owns a Tesla.

 

[Polar993]

Have you considered Autoflex or Proline as a dip covering?

It's a lot less expensive ($2k to $3k), easily removable, and nearly unlimited color combinations different finishes (gloss, matte, satin).

Thanks so much for the recommendation. I am not familiar with any of the spray on temporary Applications, but this definitely will be a strong consideration. The car seems to be far less and the installation process seems to be much faster.

Do you or anyone here on the forum have any direct experience with AutoFlex or Proline? I have seen lots of videos on PlastiDip, and I am not very confident that it is the right application for a brand new high-end car like a Tesla.

Are these other two alternatives better? How durable are these applications, and how easy are they to remove?

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[HankLloydRight]

Here's my experience with Autoflex

Dipped my car: Autoflex Matte + ZTA Hypershift + Blueberry Juice

I sold that car but loved the autoflex so much I'll be doing it again soon on my new P85D but a different color.

 

[Polar993]

Here's my experience with Autoflex

Dipped my car: Autoflex Matte + ZTA Hypershift + Blueberry Juice

I sold that car but loved the autoflex so much I'll be doing it again soon on my new P85D but a different color.

Your Model S turned out great! The spray looks to be an excellent quality job. Did they spray your door jams?

Is the AutoFlex susceptible to stone chips? Is there anything special that you need to do to wash & clean it?

I want to get a satin black finish and I wonder if the AutoFlex will feel and wear like paint.

I would do the body in satin black and the trim in gloss black.

Do you recommend the place who did your Model S?

 

[HankLloydRight]

Did they spray your door jams?

They did not. My car was the dark blue metallic color, and with the lighter blue autoflex, you really didn't notice the door jams were darker.. it all kinda blended in very well to the eye. Now if you had a white car and dipped it black or any other dark color, the door jams would stand out like a sore thumb! That said, if you do want the door jams sprayed, it's just more cost as it takes a lot longer to tape and mask everything correctly

Is the AutoFlex susceptible to stone chips?

I never had any problems, but you should ask the installer. If you do get a lot of stone chips or an accident or damage, it's easy to peel and re-spray just one panel.

Is there anything special that you need to do to wash & clean it?

I took my car through Old Greenwich Car Wash and Splash all the time.

I want to get a satin black finish and I wonder if the AutoFlex will feel and wear like paint.

If I still had the car, I'd say come over and take a look. It did look and feel like real paint. I think Plastidip does have a different "feel" but they can also do a finish coat to minimize that. But like you said, it's an expensive car, so I just went for the top-of-the-line Autoflex. On TMC, @FLDarren had sprayed his car several times, so he can also comment, but hasn't been on TMC in several months.

Do you recommend the place who did your Model S?

Yup-- here's his website: Pro Dipper NYC
And his instagram: Phillips (@prodipper) • Instagram photos and videos
I think he's in the Bronx now, just 30 minutes away.

I'm pretty sure this is what I'm going for next.. deep sea blue with satin finish -- very similar to my first first car, but without the subtle color shifting purple tones.

 

[Polar993]

Awesome! Thanks so much for the very thorough response....really appreciate all the feedback. I will give Pro Dipper a call today to get a quote.

It looks like AutoFlex is a better way to go over a vinyl wrap.

I think I will have to do my door jambs since my X is white and part of the attraction of the X is to open up the rear FWDs. If it becomes too complicated and pricey to AutoFlex the jambs, I may consider putting in carbon fiber vinyl pinstriping in parts of the jambs. The jambs on the FWDs are complex and I may not want to have too much material in there....AutoFlex or vinyl. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks again for your help!!!

-Tom

 

[Polar993]

BTW, that deep sea blue looks pretty sick!

One more question....when you got rid of your last Model S, did you remove the AutoFlex? If so, how difficult was it to remove?

 

[HankLloydRight]

It looks like AutoFlex is a better way to go over a vinyl wrap.

They each have their pros and cons depending on what you want. For me, I found wraps to be very expensive and labor intensive for both application and removal. Although it does provide a thicker protective covering. I also didn't want to spend $5k to get it done -- $2k was more my spend level.

I think I will have to do my door jambs since my X is white and part of the attraction of the X is to open up the rear FWDs. If it becomes too complicated and pricey to AutoFlex the jambs, I may consider putting in carbon fiber vinyl pinstriping in parts of the jambs. The jambs on the FWDs are complex and I may not want to have too much material in there....AutoFlex or vinyl. Any thoughts on that?

I don't have an X, but I don't think either product would interfere with the FWDs.

One more question....when you got rid of your last Model S, did you remove the AutoFlex? If so, how difficult was it to remove?

I sold it as-is (with the Autoflex). Removing is pretty easy, takes about 30 minutes.

n. I am not familiar with any of the spray on temporary Applications, but this definitely will be a strong consideration.

BTW, Autoflex is not temporary, really. They say it has a 5 to 7 year lifespan.