Sports car wrap on Maui

Built to be looked at

A Mustang, a Camaro or a Challenger is bought partly for how it looks in a parking lot, and a wrap is a quick way to make it look like yours. Offshore’s vehicle wrap program handles sports cars and muscle cars from all over Maui, from a daily-driven WRX to a Challenger that only comes out on weekends. The film, the prep and the warranty are the same as any full color change. What is different is the shape of the car.

Why sports cars are the harder wrap

Sports car bodywork is full of things a sedan does not have: hood vents and scoops, deep front splitters, rear diffusers, spoilers, flared fenders and sharp character lines that run the length of the door. Each of those is a place where thin film wants to lift.

That is why every sports car wrap here is cast vinyl, which stretches into a scoop and stays put, and why the car comes apart more than a sedan does. Spoilers, splitters, badges and sometimes the mirrors come off so the film tucks under rather than stopping at an edge you will see every time you walk up to the car.

Films

• 3M 1080 in gloss, matte, satin, metallic, brushed and carbon fiber series, 3.5 mil cast vinyl.
• Avery Dennison SW900 in gloss, matte, satin and metallic series, 3.2 mil cast vinyl.
• Cheetah Wrap gloss, satin and matte, including satin aluminum metallics.
• KPMF for iridescent, pearlescent, Starlight and Absolute Matt finishes that the first three do not make.

The 3M, Avery Dennison and Cheetah Wrap films carry a 3-year outdoor warranty, and every sports car wrap comes with a 3-year warranty.

The models and what they usually get

Ford Mustang. Matte black and satin gray suit the car best. Over-the-top stripes in a contrasting color are the next question. The Mustang protection page covers tint and PPF for the same car.

Dodge Challenger and Charger. Matte black is the classic Challenger look and starts at the same full-wrap price as any car. Chargers get the same treatment with a four-door panel count. Side stripes and a satin black hood are the common partials.

Chevrolet Camaro. Over-the-top stripes on a factory color are the Camaro signature, and the hood vents are where an installer earns their money.

Subaru WRX and WRX STI, BRZ, Toyota 86 and Supra, Civic Type R. These cars suit satin or color shift film, or a partial: a satin black roof, a wrapped hood, or mirror and spoiler accents.

Racing stripes

Stripes start at $299 and are their own appointment. They go on over factory paint or over a full wrap after it has set. You choose width, spacing and color; the film is cut around vents, scoops and spoilers rather than laid over them, so the stripe follows the hood instead of bridging it. Tone-on-tone stripes, satin black over gloss black, are the understated version and show up only in sunlight.

Finish choice

Matte and satin win on sports cars for a simple reason: they emphasize the creases and hide the wash swirls that a gloss car shows after a month. See matte black wrap and satin wrap for the care rules of each. Gloss is right when the color needs depth, a candy red or a deep blue. Color shift wrap is the show-car option and costs more because of the film and the layout work.

Send your year, model and the finish you have in mind, and we will come back with swatches and a firm price.