change exterior styling easily with a 3m vinyl wrap

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TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JEREMY RICE
That’s a Wrap!
CHANGE EXTERIOR STYLING EASILY WITH A 3M VINYL WRAP
SOURCES
FRY MEDIA
Frymedia.com
602.454.0701
TRE5 CUSTOMS
Tre5customs.com
602.284.2466
3M
3M.com
he quickest way to completely change
the entire look of any truck’s exterior
is a vehicle wrap. Vehicle wraps are
exactly what the name implies, the
exterior of the vehicle is completely
covered with a special vinyl designed for
automotive use. The vinyl materials are offered
in several basic colors and even custom
versions like carbon fiber and chrome. They
can also be done in different finishes, such as
T
48 JULY 2013 | STREETTRUCKS
gloss, flat and matte. The coolest thing about the
wraps is that they can be printed on stock vinyl
with any design imaginable, and that’s exactly
what we did with this truck.
Tre5 Customs was recently approached by an
aspiring MLB pitcher about wrapping his Yukon
in a camouflage design to put it in a league of its
own at the ball field, so they called upon good
friend Jim at Fry Media to handle the job. Fry
Media houses several large format printers and
experienced designers who were more than
ready for the custom camo job. They also only
use genuine 3M materials and 3M-certified
installers to perform tasks in-house.
Compared to a completely new paint job a
wrap is less than half the cost, but the biggest difference is time. We hung out down at Fry Media
in Phoenix for a day as they transformed this ’07
GMC Yukon in just under eight hours. ST
W W W.S T R E E T T R U C K S M AG.C O M
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THAT’S A WRAP! TECH
[01] The first step of a custom-designed wrap is the layout.
After sifting through several camouflage designs, this was the
look chosen. To orient the image, provide a reference and show
the customer what to expect, the design is laid out on a
computer image of the vehicle.
[03] The camouflage pattern is printed on white vinyl at the
automotive applications.
proper width. These printers are much more sophisticated than
standard ink or laser printers. There are heaters in the machine
that blow hot air onto the freshly printed material so that the
ink comes out completely dry.
[04] After removing the material from the printer it’s run
[05] The last step to the vinyl preparation is to trim the
[06] This piece is trimmed and ready for installation.
through another machine that laminates the design. You could
think of this step like the clearcoat for a paint job.
A matte-finish lamination was applied for our application.
excess material, leaving only the pattern.
[07] All of the individual pieces are labeled and set aside
[08] Here is the candidate for the transformation, an ’07
[09] The exterior is stripped of bolt-on pieces, such as the
for installation.
GMC Yukon with a factory white paint job.
license plate and roof rack. Then it’s thoroughly cleaned to
promote adhesion.
[10] A layout is printed for reference so the installers know
which panels goes where.
[11] The printed vinyl panels are temporarily taped to the
[12] Once everything is in order they begin the
actual installation.
W W W.S T R E E T T R U C K S M AG.C O M
[02] Fry Media uses only 3M vinyl designed for
vehicle, using the reference, to ensure the panels are
oriented correctly.
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TECH THAT’S A WRAP!
[13] The material is stretched
[14] In the areas where
across the surface of the vehicle
and the flat areas are pushed in
place by hand to avoid air
bubbles or creases.
compound curves are an issue, a
torch is used to heat up the vinyl
to allow it to stretch across the
curve with little distortion.
[15] Areas such as the
[16] The material is cut
taillights are simply cut out with
a sharp razor blade after the
vinyl is applied.
leaving a little extra so that it
can be folded into the recessed
areas with a squeegee, leaving
a covered edge for a clean look.
[19] One of the more difficult parts of the installation is
[17] When applying the second panel there is a small
overlap to ensure that the pattern lines up perfectly because
the vinyl has been stretched slightly.
[18] When they get to the door handles they cut a small slice
above the center of the protrusion. Then heat is applied with the
torch so that the material can be worked around the handle.
[20] Another difficult area is the mirrors, which are
[21] After the mirrors are done, it’s difficult to tell whether
they’ve been wrapped or painted.
wrapped with several different pieces.
wrapping the door handles. With moving parts and several
seams, they can be a handful. A true professional and a blow
torch is all that’s needed to wrap the handle in a separate
piece of vinyl and trim off the excess, ensuring proper
functionality and good looks.
[22] The crew decided to take this installation one step
further and wrap some of the interior pieces. The window and
door lock trim pieces were covered as well as parts of the dash.
[0
ich
look
[23] The vinyl wrap works really well on several surfaces. Not
only was it used on the exterior sheet metal and interior plastics, it
was also used to wrap part of the wooden speaker box.
50 JULY 2013 | STREETTRUCKS
[24] After all of the vinyl was applied, the exterior pieces that
were removed are replaced. Here you can see the roof
rack reinstalled.
[25] The final product: It’s a completely different look. The
best part is, if the truck must return to stock or the owner
decides to change the look again, it’s as simple as peeling off
the vinyl and applying a new batch.
W W W.S T R E E T T R U C K S M AG.C O M