This thread has morphed into a Build Thread for my '11 MCS, but you'll notice that most of it revolves around my 'adventures' in vinyl wrapping.
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I picked up a 1'x5' roll of 3M 1080 Scotchprint black carbon vinyl and went to town de-chroming my new 2011 MCS. I hadn't ever vinyl-wrapped before but considered myself a pretty handy person, so I gave it a go.

In the end, I'm really happy with the results. Vinyl-wrapping took some getting used to, but once I figured out the right amount of heat from my heat gun, along with the right amount of stretching, slicing and trimming, it became doable.

My tools for vinyl wrapping (blow dryer and fingernails not pictured). Mystery tools - Metal feeler gauges, 3M 94 Primer Pens for vinyl, cham-wow wrapped applicator card.





Most Current:





In the beginning...



















Carbon-wrapped side scuttle housing. Plasti'd insert with Aesthetic Creations domed 'S'. Smoke vinyl tint on lens.

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Wiper delete. Glossy black wrapped bike headset cap w/ stock rubber grommet



Carbon-wrapped OEM roof rack cross bars










Oracal red vinyl custom pin-striping

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Woolsey/Black Canyon, Chatsworth, CA












Removed sunroof pop-up windscreen



Thule Criterium bike trays powder coated satin black.



Replaced Plastidip on headlight rings and washer covers with 3M 1080 glossy black vinyl.



Replaced carbon vinyl on scuttle housing with 3M glossy black vinyl. Never liked how large the side scuttles are and the glossy black helps them blend into the body better.




Full detailing with dual orbital including clay bar, Sonus Swirlbuster polish, Klasse AIO, and 2 coats of Klasse SG. (removed red pinstripes prior to polish - glad I did since the paint underneath was noticeably darker in certain lights despite waxing and garaging on a regular basis).




Wrapped door sill plates with 3M 1080 glossy black vinyl (as a result of dropping a screwdriver on one of them and denting it and having to putty-fill the dent).



And lastly, installed my long-sought-after Defenders of Speed CAI with aFe Dry filter...pshhh



Wet Okole neoprene seat covers - full red piping, lumbar, heat, gun totes. Thanks jefros!



My mini MINI lover, future MINI motorer

 

looks clean! did you black out the "cooper s" emblem yourself as well?

 

Plasti'd the emblem, then laid the red domed 'S' that I purchased from Aesthetic Creations, over the stock S. Did the same thing on the side scuttles. Inserts are plasti'd with domed decals over the S, but I'm in the middle of wrapping the housings in carbon vinyl.

 

ahh, I see well kudos to you sir. I tried wrapping the door handles myself and failed miserably so anyone that is able to do it successfully earns my respect haha. But just curious, have you thought about wrapping or plasti dipping the MINI emblems?

 

Handles were tough. Couple creases on the underside but you'd never know unless you looked. As for the emblems, I had them wrapped in carbon but I thought it looked a little funny since the carbon runs on a diagonal and the emblem has horizontal lines. Maybe I'll do it in matte black since I have a sheet laying around.

 

Did you mask the Cooper S emblem? How'd you keep it from peeling when removing the mask? Looks great!

 

I removed the COOPER from the car, peeled off the adhesive and put new 3M gray double sided foam tape on the back before spraying. I had originally left the S chrome but later masked off around the S the best I could, sprayed it with Plasti then rubbed off the excess on the paint using my finger and a pencil eraser...flawless finish. Later, I put the red domed S decal over the emblem.
You're right about Plasti peeling when removing the excess. If I had to do it over, I would have left the whole emblem on when spraying it and carefully peeled the excessive off while gently cutting behind the emblem with a small razor blade.

If you haven't worked with Plasti before, I do everything in one coat. I keep hitting it till everything is covered uniformly but not dripping. This is the only way to get a nice, smooth matte finish. If you spray, let dry, spray again, you end up with a 'furry', textured finish...bleh!

 

Nom nom nom NICE!

 

I love the roof rack!

 

I love all of it, wish I had that on mine. I just have to find someone skillful enough to apply it all, and it ain't me!

 

Thanks. I really like the look and style of the OEM rack for the MINIs, but the gray side inserts just cheapened it. Remedied.

UPDATE: Added pic of my carbon wrapped key fob...probably one of my favorites so far. Subtle, yet sleek.

 

I ordered the 1080 black to do the door panels. I have a question, to do sharp bends do you stretch then heat or heat then stretch?

 

Same here - nice touch! Have to remember that for later.

 

I would have wrapped my door panels if I hadn't gone with the carbon color line. For sharp bends, I heated then stretched...but not too hard. Vinyl tends to "shrink" a bit as it cools/settles. I used 3M Primer 94 on the sharp bends of my scuttles the first time I wrapped them, but even then they began to lift after a couple weeks. I have since stripped them, Plasti'd the scuttle insert and have begun to wrap the plastic housing in carbon. The primer helps on sharp bends to some degree. From photos, it looks like Lyle wraps his scuttles in two pieces...but I could be wrong. Scuttle inserts have so many curves and bends including the S on an MCS.

FYI, there are a lot of great how-to wrap vinyl videos on You Tube.

 

havent done much at work today lol

 

I hear ya! I find myself checking you tube before I do anything these days. Need to tie my shoes...you tube.

 

Where are you guys getting your rolls of carbon vinyl from?

Good prices ??

 

I used amazon.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by walk0080
Please do post pics when done. I am thinking of the same thing (feet grey trim + rails) but in black as the silver does make it look a little low rent on darker car colours.

Where did you order the vinyl? I am thinking I may just pay a local car vinyl guy - but the cost may not be worth it.

I should have my cross bars done next week, so I'll be sure to post pics when they're finished. Here's where I've been ordering my vinyl from. Great selection (just added new 3M 1080 glossy black!), fast shipping and you can get 10% off using code (winter10).
They're also on eBay but I find they're a tad cheaper through their site. You can also order a 4"x8" sample sheet of any color or brand for $2. One sample sheet of dark smoke taillight vinyl was enough for me to wrap both turn signal lens covers.
I am no pro but with a little practice I'm really happy with my results. I'd recommend a few test pieces then give it a go...you'll save yourself a bunch of $$$. They'll include an applicator card, but make sure you have a really good, sharp exacto knife.

http://www.metrorestyling.com/

 

dammm looks sweet !!

 

If you're referring to my vinyl wrapping...thanks! More to come this week...

I'm being careful to add the right amount without going overboard.

 

You've done a great job. Car is beautiful and I've got serious key-envy...

 

Great looking car.

 

Did you do the trim around your headlights, or are they just painted black? I've been thinking about trying to wrap mine in the 3M vinyl....just didn't know how they would look.

Sharp looking car!

 

What color do you have? 3M does a matte black and now a glossy. I'm afraid the matte with show stains and wax marks and the glossy often shows swirls...one reason I really like the carbon.

I plan to eventually wrap the headlight rings but for now they are plasti'd. I'm actually pretty happy with the look of the plasti...matches the matte black of the fender trim, hasn't faded in the last 6 months, and has a smooth, uniform finish (due to 1-2 heavy coats vs. the fuzzy/textured finish of multiple light coats).

My new roll of 3M carbon vinyl arrived in the mail today so I'll be busy wrapping the cross bars of my roof racks and the side marker housings tomorrow afternoon. I'll try to post pics when I'm done.