Vinyl Wraping an X5/ Looking for the TRUTH!

[Pre-H20]

Hey Guys.....

Sooooo I'm thinking about wrapping my X5 in matte black vinyl.

There's nothing fancy about my X5, not a show piece or racer nor do I obsess over it in any way.

BUT......

Looking for a bit of a change... I like the idea of a matte black finish and blacking out my wheels.

I WONT be fixing any dents, don't care if the job is 100% perfect, just want to change things up a little bit.

So I'm looking for your collective wealth of knowledge and opinions.

Cost?
Can you wash it?
Does it fade?
Bird POOP?
Dirt and grime?
How long does it last?
Does it ruin the paint?
How hard is it to remove? is it a DIY job or back to the shop for removal?
How long does it take to wrap an X5 ? 1 hour? 8 hours? a week? a month?

Yes... I know I can ask the installer ALL these questions and I know the answers ALL will be positive. THAT'S what I don't want......

I want the truth dammit! I can handle the truth! (movie reference)

Thoughts greatly appreciated!

Good and bad..... makes no difference.

Pre-H20

[kaput]

Originally Posted by Pre-H20

Hey Guys.....

Sooooo I'm thinking about wrapping my X5 in matte black vinyl.

There's nothing fancy about my X5, not a show piece or racer nor do I obsess over it in any way.

BUT......

Looking for a bit of a change... I like the idea of a matte black finish and blacking out my wheels.

I WONT be fixing any dents, don't care if the job is 100% perfect, just want to change things up a little bit.

So I'm looking for your collective wealth of knowledge and opinions.

Cost?
Can you wash it?
Does it fade?
Bird POOP?
Dirt and grime?
How long does it last?
Does it ruin the paint?
How hard is it to remove? is it a DIY job or back to the shop for removal?
How long does it take to wrap an X5 ? 1 hour? 8 hours? a week? a month?

Yes... I know I can ask the installer ALL these questions and I know the answers ALL will be positive. THAT'S what I don't want......

I want the truth dammit! I can handle the truth! (movie reference)

Thoughts greatly appreciated!

Good and bad..... makes no difference.

Pre-H20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp32r8YUZO0&t=610s

[Dblock2151]

Originally Posted by Pre-H20

Cost?
The roll of vinyl itself ranges from $700-1000, labor to install is usually 1200-1800 depending on size/complexity. A roll is usually enough for one large sedan, may need 1.25 rolls to do the X5
Can you wash it?
Yes, hand wash is preferable. Avoid "touch' car washes.
Does it fade?
Yes, it does. Apply wax/sealant as you would regularly on your paint, it will keep the color/shine/longer. I had a gloss black roof and it started fading (turning grey/white) within a year and a half. No garage, outside elements year round.
Bird POOP?
Dirt and grime?
Take bird poop or any tree sap off as soon as possible just like paint.
How long does it last?
If you take proper care, the vinyl will last 3-5 years if you do some upkeep. My car has had it for 3 years on the roof, and 1.5 years on the rest of the car. The car was a flat brown, with gloss black roof/diffuser. The gloss black bits started fading rather quickly, but it may just be the brand, and me not maintaining.
Does it ruin the paint?
Yes and No. If you had a bad paint job done, I have seen vinyl rip apart paint when removing. If you have OEM paint or similar quality you should have no issues.
How hard is it to remove? is it a DIY job or back to the shop for removal?
How long does it take to wrap an X5 ? 1 hour? 8 hours? a week? a month?
Removal is a bitch, it is recommended you use a heat gun for smoother results, we did not. Had to take trim off, headlights, bumpers,
etc. Pain in the ass.
It took our installer a week to complete or 5 business days. They had 3 other cars int he shop at the time, but its very tedious work. You can remove the wrap yourself, but as I mentioned it's a lot of work and I'd rather pay the installer to take it off if I had to do it again.

Responses in red above, good luck!

[boostedX5SAV]

Another alternative is Plastidip if you haven't heard of it. Much cheaper but you'll have to be careful will filling up as gas + plastidip don't mix.

[noelskii]

PlastiDip is def a better and cheaper option. All you need is 4 gallons and 8 hrs worth of labor. Taping and prep time took the longest...

I did it with my X5 $200 for the paint since I already had the sprayer from previous jobs.

[Dblock2151]

The new Autoflex (only authorized installers for now) looks promising too, supposedly has a higher gloss index than clearcoat, and you can sand/polish/buff the Autoflex and no worry of petroleum products messing up the "dip". Still peel-able too.

[Michelle]

I'm toying with the idea of wrapping my X5d. i just can't decide which color - matte white, satin black, crimson red, LOL I'm all over the place!

[Socale39]

Truth is matte black died years ago and there’s nothing really original about it. I can think of a dozen other color options that would be far better.

[kaput]

Like Matte Blue Metallic, or any other odd combo. Some wraps look fantastic because they are so out there.

Here is an example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeQM-wG3Ufw

[Socale39]

I’ve been considering doing mine in Nardo Grey since I haven’t seen an X5 in that color.