Full wraps in 3 days

Why three days and not seven

A full color change at most wrap shops takes five to seven days, and the car spends most of that time waiting. Waiting for space to open up, waiting for the installer to come back from another job, waiting for a panel that was laid on Tuesday to be edged on Friday.

Offshore runs vehicle wraps differently: the car is booked for three consecutive business days on a fixed plan, from the wash on day one to the inspection on day three. Nothing in the process is shortened. The gaps between the steps are what disappear.

That matters on an island. If your only car is going in for a wrap, three days is a few rides from a coworker or a borrowed truck. Seven days is a rental car.

What happens each day

Day one is the slow, unglamorous part. The car gets a decontamination wash and a solvent wipe, then the handles, badges, lights and trim come off. The hood, roof and trunk lid go on first; they are the biggest flat pieces and they set the pace.

Day two is the shaped panels: doors, fenders, quarters and bumpers, each piece heat-formed into its recesses, with the door jambs wrapped so the factory color never shows at the edge of an open door. Day three is edges, mirrors and pillars, then post-heating every seam so the vinyl’s memory is set to the body rather than to the roll. Trim goes back on and the car is inspected under bright lights before you see it.

The step that separates a wrap that looks painted from one that looks stuck on is trim removal, and it is the one rushed jobs drop. It stays inside the three days.

The film

Every three-day full wrap here is cast vinyl, either 3M 1080 or Avery Dennison SW900. Cast film is poured and cured flat, so it has no built-in stretch and stays put in the recesses once post-heated. Both carry a 3-year outdoor warranty from the manufacturer and come in gloss, matte, satin, metallic, brushed and color-shift finishes. The 3M Comply adhesive lets the installer reposition a panel and push the air out, which is part of why a door can be done right the first time rather than relaid.

What is not a three-day job

Be honest with yourself about the vehicle. A crew-cab truck with a long bed and a three-row SUV carry a lot more film than a sedan; most still finish in three days, but the schedule allows a fourth and the shop tells you which at booking.

An exotic with deep intakes and compound curves is quoted on its own timeline. A two-tone or multi-finish design adds layout time. And a car with chipped or flaking paint needs the paint fixed first, because vinyl follows the surface and a chip shows straight through.

Going the other way, a partial wrap such as a roof, hood or stripes can often be done in one to two days, and a matte black roof or hood is a common way to try the look before committing to a full wrap.

Pricing and booking

A full car wrap starts from $3,999 and a full SUV from $4,500; trucks are quoted by cab and bed length. The fastest week is a Monday or Tuesday drop-off, which puts the car back in your driveway Wednesday or Thursday. Send the year, model, color and finish you have in mind and the shop will confirm the film, the price and the pickup day in writing before you drive in to 430 Hookahi St in Wailuku.