I'm just curious about what the cost would be to properly wrap a Model S in a different color. Would the finish look just as good and deep as the factory paint and what wraps are the best? How long would the wrap last and will it hold up as well as paint? Finally what is done for the car door jambs and areas of the car you see when you open the doors? Does anyone have lots of photos of a Model S properly wrapped in a different color?
Even the best wrap job won’t look as good as factory paint. I was quoted 7k in the Sacramento ca area for a complete wrap including door jambs I decided to pass. 7k is a bit steep for something that won’t even protect the paint from rock chips.
3M and Avery are good choices about $700 in material if youre going with gloss finish, no. it will have that orange peel look. will it look good from 5ft away? yes. matte hides it better something like 3-5 years depending on environment condition most will just leave the door jams the original color and have a nice clean cut.
Hmm... So it seems the best answer is to not bother with it. We were wondering if it made sense to buy another car in a different color than what we like and then wrap it so guess not. Thanks everyone for the quick feedback!
I rented a Miata off Turo that was wrapped by the owner himself. It wasn't perfect, but I was very impressed. In fact, I didn't even know the car was wrapped until I noticed the door hinges were black and that was likely the original paint color underneath. I asked him about it and he said it was first time wrapping and it took about $400 in materials and half a day of labor. Rent Nabil’s 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata in San Jose, CA | Turo
I paid $2150 for Autoflex which should last 5 years. Note that it’s illegal in California. Vinyl wraps tend to cost in the 3-4k range depending on which material and brand. My job did not include door jambs as my factory color blends in nicely. There’s is a little orange peel but most people won’t even notice unless I point it out.
I am not 100% positive, but I read that somewhere. I am from NY, so it didn't impact me and didn't look further into it. I found this: Autoflex legal in California? - DipYourCar.com Plasti Dip Community Forum
Oh that’s not a wrap, that’s a spray. my mistake I can see why that would be illegal due to environmental laws.
Original color was grey. I got my car wrapped, dechromed, etc for $2500. I got an estimate for $7500 from another wrap shop which is the premier wrap shop in my area but I found another place with excellent yelp ratings closer to me. Very happy with the results. The wrap is guaranteed for 4 yrs. I think of it as getting my car another outfit, purely for fun. Why not?!? When I was at the $7500 place, they were doing a BMW i8 in purple and green, the owner wanted his car to look like the Joker’s car (Batman’s archenemy, that Joker). Another lady was getting her car done in red and white to make it look like the car belonged to Harley Quinn, a female villain and the Joker’s girlfriend. No these people did not know each other although maybe they should get together if both are single. People get their car wrapped for the same reason they buy designer clothes, ie because they can.
I considered many different options. I was originally going to have my car wrapped in a matte PPF. I wasn’t happy enough with my overall paint quality that I thought it was worth immortalizing for $5k. I now intend on wrapping it in a Satin Black vinyl myself once it warms up. I’ve done a few smaller pieces and watched many videos. The materials are about $6-700 and I’m confident I can do an acceptable job.