2023-04-04 12:36:49
Whe doesn’t know that: found the car he wanted, at a fair price and with exactly the right equipment – only unfortunately in the “wrong” color. Then you have to decide: keep looking, live with the unwanted color or repaint the car?
Or as a fourth option: have the car wrapped in the color of your choice. Corresponding films are available from companies such as 3M, Avery Dennison or Orafol. Qualified specialist companies for applying the film are often vehicle conditioners.
With foiling, all painted parts of a car are covered. The original vehicle color is then only visible in places such as the door sills or the inside of the trunk lid.
According to Marco Kimme from the General Wrapping Association (GEWA), the foiling, also known as car wrapping, has decisive advantages: “The customer then has the car in the yard in the color of their choice, the original paint underneath is protected and it is cheaper than a complete repaint.”
However, a car film is always something like a second coat of paint for a limited time, because the life of the film is limited. “Good PVC car wrapping films last about four to five years. Then the color is already much paler and the film can show the first signs of wear,” says Coco Mulansky from the car care company licked Car Lounge in Calw. She is a member of the Federal Association for Vehicle Preparation.
Environmental influences such as UV radiation, tree sap or bird droppings affect a car film just as much as it does a paint finish. Tip: A special ceramic seal can be applied after the film has been applied, which significantly extends the life of the film.
Car foils cheaper than repainting
From Mulansky’s point of view, the big advantage of the foiling is the significantly lower costs compared to a new painting: “A complete foiling costs between 1800 and 4000 euros. Depending on how big the vehicle is. A paint job starts at maybe 3,000 euros.”
Your customers are primarily concerned with the individualisation of the car. Films offer almost infinite possibilities for this. “If a customer wants a new car in a very specific color that the manufacturer doesn’t offer, car wrapping is the ideal solution,” says Mulansky.
In addition to colored foils for a different look, special paint protection foils, which are mostly transparent, can also be applied to the vehicles. “These so-called PPF films are made of PU and are significantly more stable than the colored PVC films,” says Marco Kimme.
Changed look on time: This can also be interesting for leasing vehicles
Source: dpa-tmn/Christoph Schmidt
They would protect the paintwork even better, for example against stone chipping. The paintwork protected in this way thus contributes to value retention and consequently to a better resale price of the car.
According to Kimme, a film can also be worthwhile for leasing vehicles, as it can also prevent small scratches and scrapes that would otherwise have to be repaired more expensively. If a foiled car part is damaged in an accident, it can easily be re-glued.
No car film for sealed paintwork
But not every surface can be foiled. Unpainted plastic components, such as panels, must be left out because these are “low-energy surfaces,” as Kimme explains. “The film’s adhesive requires a certain surface tension, which these parts don’t have.”
According to the film manufacturer 3M, it also becomes difficult with paint finishes that have been treated with a special seal. “Adhesive bonding is then no longer possible, at least for a period of several years, since this sealing gives the paint a so-called ‘lotus effect’ and ensures low-energy surface properties,” explains Antje Fritze from 3M. Even badly weathered or damaged paintwork could not be glued on.
A ceramic-sealed film is dried while the temperature is constantly monitored
Source: dpa-tmn/Christoph Schmidt
Extensive preparatory work is necessary before a vehicle can even be wrapped. “The car is washed twice by hand, followed by a peeling with mineral modeling clay to remove the last traces of rust film or tar by hand,” says film specialist Coco Mulansky.
The substrate must be absolutely clean and pure before the film can be applied. Depending on the size of the vehicle, complete wrapping takes several days, as add-on parts also have to be dismantled.
With car wrap in the car wash?
And then? A car covered with foil can be washed as normal. However, Mulansky recommends hand washing.
If you do go to the car wash, you should do without certain programmes: “A basic wash is enough. Sealants or hot wax can attack the film. You also have to be careful with nylon brushes, because they can leave fine scratches.” If a spray lance is used, a distance of around 50 centimeters should be maintained.
Incidentally, anyone who changes their vehicle with a car film does not have to have this entered in the vehicle documents. “These are temporary applications that can therefore be retrofitted, so there is no obligation to register even if the color of the vehicle is completely changed,” explains Antje Fritze from 3M.
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