69 Camaro steel and fiberglass

[WB]

I have a customer that wants a full wrap done to his 69 Camaro, the tub is fiberglass that has had some of the seems removed so it's 1 solid piece, the doors, hood, and trunk are metal and have been painted/sealed in rustoleum rust inhibitor. My question is how does the customer finish the car properly so that wrap adheres. My 1st thought was to make sure the complete car is sanded and finished with an expoxy primer but I don't know much about fiberglass.
He's in 80K into the car already so he's willing to do whatever needs to be done.

Thanks

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Put a proper paint job on it

 

[jfiscus]

Use an adhesive test kit to see if it will stick. I know 3M provides them but I don't know what brand vinyl you use.
If it is smooth fiberglass I don't see a problem, wouldn't be much different than wrapping a boat.
If he has body filler showing you'll have to primer over it, but otherwise should be very straightforward.

 

[MikePatterson]

Have it primed in either epoxy or urethane and sanded with 600 - 1000 grit. Wash it then clean with Alcohol and wrap away. Urethane will be easier to sand than epoxy so that would be my go to.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Urethane primer will not hold back the rust for any significant amount of time. Even most of the automotive epoxies are too thin and bleed. Wraps aren't a real alternative to a real paint job and it would be wise for people to explain this to their customers rather than continually focus on putting a dollar in their pocket. A color change for your 1995 honda civic with a fart muffler on it, sure, wrap it. An unpainted classic car with 80k invested in it, not so much.

 

[regardstobuck]

I agree with what notarealsignguy said! 80k invested…. Paint job for sure. I can see wrapping a car of that caliber if the customer has a good paint job on the car and wants to change the color for a time, but a wrap as a permanent solution isn’t a really good idea.

If you are going to wrap it, what has been said about epoxy primer, 800-1000 grit will work great. Don’t forget to use tack rags as part of the prep process. If not you will never get the dust off the car. Just my 2 cents.

 

[WB]

Thanks, Guys, I didn't mention that most of the car was already painted, It was red when he drove it in last fall to look at. I believe there has been body work done but nothing was left bare. I'll be speaking with him today.

 

[Scotchbrite]

Like Notarealsignguy mentioned, it should have a paint finish before wrapping it. Primer does not make a good top coat and vinyl is too porous to replace a top coat over primer.

 

[Geneva Olson]

I have a customer that wants a full wrap done to his 69 Camaro, the tub is fiberglass that has had some of the seems removed so it's 1 solid piece, the doors, hood, and trunk are metal and have been painted/sealed in rustoleum rust inhibitor. My question is how does the customer finish the car properly so that wrap adheres. My 1st thought was to make sure the complete car is sanded and finished with an expoxy primer but I don't know much about fiberglass.
He's in 80K into the car already so he's willing to do whatever needs to be done.

Thanks

Like Notarealsignguy mentioned, it should have a paint finish before wrapping it. Primer does not make a good top coat and vinyl is too porous to replace a top coat over primer.

We wrap on primer all the time. We send customers and their vehicles over to a paint guy and tell him to get it ready for wrap. He sands down the pieces that will be problem spots for wrap. We wrap right over the top of it.

 

[Scotchbrite]

I guess maybe it's a difference of "can you" or "should you". I believe the wrap adheres just fine on the primer, I just wouldn't trust it to be a sufficient top coat for an $80K restoration. As long as it's a good primer, it should protect the metal from corrosion. I just wouldn't trust a wrap to be a sufficient top coat. I'd be curious what the vinyl manufacturers would say about it.

I'm a "car guy" and a "sign guy" and I wouldn't do it on one of my classics but it's the customers car not mine. I would just make sure the owner isn't given any type of false impression about what the wrap is.

 

[Johnny Best]

Just put the wrap on as he gives it to you. Make suggestions and let him decide.
He will keep it in a garage so it will be protected from the elements.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

A lot of people are under the impression that wraps are more durable and last longer than paint. That is why you need to be upfront with your customers and figure out their reasoning and their end goal with what they are asking you to do.

 

[Johnny Best]

Sounds like he is using the car specifically for advertisement and is not OM original classic.
I am surprised you are putting more than two black racing strips.

 

[MikePatterson]

If I had to guess this is a street drag car. More specifically a Pro-Mod. 80K in a Pro-Mod is not much for that kind of car.

 

[netsol]

Thanks, Guys, I didn't mention that most of the car was already painted, It was red when he drove it in last fall to look at. I believe there has been body work done but nothing was left bare. I'll be speaking with him today.

You worry me when you say most of...
I used rustoleum products on my bucket truck body, but had a client who owns a high end bodybshop do the cab, with standard automotive primer and paint. He bitched like hell that we would suffer if we ever tried to paint the thing in the future, due to incompatable chemistry

 

[Notarealsignguy]

You worry me when you say most of...
I used rustoleum products on my bucket truck body, but had a client who owns a high end bodybshop do the cab, with standard automotive primer and paint. He bitched like hell that we would suffer if we ever tried to paint the thing in the future, due to incompatable chemistry

I have heard that a million times and only ever saw paint wrinkle once. I've put a lot of urethane clears over fresh rustoleum and never had a problem either. 6 months ago I sprayed 2k urethane paint over old latex superpaint. Guy said the same thing, it will pull it right off when it cures. It's still there. I'm not condoning being a hack but some people make issues based on stuff they have heard but never actually experienced.