75 Dually build

[bluex]

I'll be watching the wrap progress for sure. I've priced them but they are about the same cost to have done as a decent paint job. I've looked and the rolls of vinyl arent to expensive so it is something I've kicked around to try myself....

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by bluex

I'll be watching the wrap progress for sure. I've priced them but they are about the same cost to have done as a decent paint job. I've looked and the rolls of vinyl arent to expensive so it is something I've kicked around to try myself....

Not exactly unless you're talking a 'home done' paint job. Materials are expensive for a quality paint job through a shop w/just a solid color. The time to disassemble/reassemble things (@ a shop) + tape, paper, & other expendables adds up quickly.

My buddy has a collision shop that also does occasional customs & opted to wrap his CC dually. He knocked out the bodywork to get it straight & had it wrapped. The guy had it done in a day & that was w/multi-colored graphics & writing. My buddy sold that dually a year or so ago & the wrap was 4-5yrs old @ that point.

[bluex]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Not exactly unless you're talking a 'home done' paint job. Materials are expensive for a quality paint job through a shop w/just a solid color. The time to disassemble/reassemble things (@ a shop) + tape, paper, & other expendables adds up quickly.

My buddy has a collision shop that also does occasional customs & opted to wrap his CC dually. He knocked out the bodywork to get it straight & had it wrapped. The guy had it done in a day & that was w/multi-colored graphics & writing. My buddy sold that dually a year or so ago & the wrap was 4-5yrs old @ that point.

I was basing my comparaison on most of the disassembly and some prep work being done before going to the shop and the reassembly being done on my own as well. The two shops I contacted about a wrap with no graphics just a stock squarebody two tone were both over 2000 from what I remember. I never planned on a show killer paint job for my truck, I dont want to be afraid of driving it. I know you get what you pay for with paint, but a big chunk of the cost is in labor and shop time for things easily done on your own.

Regardless, I'm interested to see the outcome here, please share any tips/tricks that you learn during the process when you have a chance.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by lolife99

Are you wrapping it directly over primer?
Or do you need a base coat of paint under the wrap to seal out moisture?

I had a '68 Camaro years ago that had a vinyl top put on over primer.
When I removed the vinyl top the roof was solid RUST!
So bad,... I had to replace to roof skin.

Vinyl tops and vinyl wrap are totally different materials. If moisture ever gets under this you can see the edge being compromised and know that you have an issue before the paint/substrate is ever seeing a rust issue. Plus I don't really plan on keeping it there but for a couple of seasons at the most. Vinyl tops are known for being porous and trapping moisture. Vinyl wrap is water proof.

Originally Posted by aggie91

I would like to know what the total cost is for a truck that big...

The 100' x 5' roll of wrap, which is more than enough to do my entire truck, cost $460 delivered. I do have a small sheet of accent color, so say in the end $550 for the whole setup. For a truck like yours you could easily get away with 75' roll, and have tons of extra! The PPG paint I wanted to use (very similar color to what I picked for the vinyl) was $491 a gallon. That was at a reduced cost because a friend who owns a hot rod shop here in town was letting me use his account number. Oh BTW that did not include any other chemicals, reducer, thinners, and did not even include any clear coat. I was going to need at least 2 gallons of everything, so my bill before I even shot the first layer was going to be around $2000 in just materials.

Originally Posted by bluex

I'll be watching the wrap progress for sure. I've priced them but they are about the same cost to have done as a decent paint job. I've looked and the rolls of vinyl arent to expensive so it is something I've kicked around to try myself....

See my note above on the actual cost of PPG paint I was considering. I would have to say that you are correct, a decent paint job done by a shop, and a wrap job done by a wrap installer would be fairly close in overall cost. My assumption is that the paint they are using is single stage or a very low cost base coat clear coat option. Yes you can buy cheap paint, and in the end, in my opinion, you get a cheap paint job. Now for some that is perfectly acceptable, and in all truth for some vehicles it is OK. However for a show vehicle, or even something close you get what you pay for in paint. For me because I was doing this all myself it was the cost of materials that I had to deal with and not someone else's labor.

I hope all this helps!

[Dieselwrencher]

I like the idea, but to me I would think the jams and inside of the doors will be a bear to do. I'm interested to see how this comes out. And if you use epoxy primer, shouldn't that not allow moisture in and rust not to form?

[aggie91]

The costs seem very reasonable for the vinyl and doing the wrapping yourself will save a bunch of labor $$'s. I painted a CC Dually 20 years ago, 2 tone in PPG single stage, I had over $1500 in materials alone...NOT including the materials used for the body work and primers.

Another plus to the wrap is that if you start say a rear door, but you don't have time to finish, its not a big deal to stop. With paint, once you mix the materials, you got to spray it on something. Otherwise you are throwing money away.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I like the idea, but to me I would think the jams and inside of the doors will be a bear to do. I'm interested to see how this comes out. And if you use epoxy primer, shouldn't that not allow moisture in and rust not to form?

This may seem crazy, but I'm looking forward to the jambs. Technical yes, but I am patient when trying things like this out and I'm fairly good at tamping down frustration if and when it arises. The only issue I see on that will be the hinges, those I most likely will paint a flat black. On the primer yes the epoxy primers are generally water proof. Their issue is more sun exposure which breaks down the chemical bonds. UV is tough on this stuff, but hidden below the vinyl should be I hope a good mix. Now I could go shoot a cheap single stage for a protection, and that could be a good option here. Been thinking about it...

Originally Posted by bluex

I was basing my comparaison on most of the disassembly and some prep work being done before going to the shop and the reassembly being done on my own as well. The two shops I contacted about a wrap with no graphics just a stock squarebody two tone were both over 2000 from what I remember. I never planned on a show killer paint job for my truck, I dont want to be afraid of driving it. I know you get what you pay for with paint, but a big chunk of the cost is in labor and shop time for things easily done on your own.

Regardless, I'm interested to see the outcome here, please share any tips/tricks that you learn during the process when you have a chance.

Good points above. I'll keep you in the loop as I progress!

Originally Posted by aggie91

The costs seem very reasonable for the vinyl and doing the wrapping yourself will save a bunch of labor $$'s. I painted a CC Dually 20 years ago, 2 tone in PPG single stage, I had over $1500 in materials alone...NOT including the materials used for the body work and primers.

Another plus to the wrap is that if you start say a rear door, but you don't have time to finish, its not a big deal to stop. With paint, once you mix the materials, you got to spray it on something. Otherwise you are throwing money away.

Your second point is well made. Yeah if you get frustrated you can just put everything down, go get a sandwich, complain to the wife until she kicks you out of the house again, and go right back at it. My big roll gets in Tuesday this coming week, and I can't wait to start laying down some panels. I will start with the jambs first so I can get the hard stuff out of the way. Luckily the door jambs on square bodies are fairly flat and straight forward. One blessing to be thankful for!


Special note:

Something for you guys to think about, and I have been giving it considerable thought as to how to do the roof and rear panel that holds the rear window. Think about this, the vinyl is only 5' wide. now the roof is fairly wide, and the rear panel is even wider than that. They have a product out there called knifeless tape. So I don't have to describe the product and how to use it go pull it up on YouTube it will really help with this discussion. It is 1/8" wide fine tape with a Kevlar string in the middle of it. Basically you put this tape down first then the vinyl goes over it, and then you pull the string through the vinyl to cut it. The cool thing is you can make butt joints between two pieces of vinyl that are very hard to see. Again go see the stuff on YouTube it will do a better job showing you it than I can. I have some of this tape that I plan on using for this portion of the layout. Basically what I want you to think about is how to solve this 3D puzzle. Where should you place material and where to place cut lines so they are as little noticeable to the eye as possible.

For the roof I plan on using the roof ribs as a place to hide the cut lines. It's when you get on the back panel that things become somewhat interesting. You will have the material covering the sides and doors of the truck, plus the material coming off the roof to deal with. That material will have to wrap around the sides and over the top somehow and come in contact with the rear panel material. Where those cut lines are and where the material contacts is a fun puzzle to solve. If this was your truck how would you go about laying this out. This is what I meant when I say I enjoy this stuff. Solving problems like this is interesting to me, and if I or you can come up with a good solution then we all benefit.

So your assignment is to think about how to integrate all the 5' panels of material covering the sides/rear panel/roof area. This might sound easy in some respects, but go out to your truck and think "I can't show any cut lines if at all possible, and yet I still have to cover the area". Don't tell me this stuff ain't fun!

Have fun with it and let me know your thoughts!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 75Dually

Think about this, the vinyl is only 5' wide. now the roof is fairly wide, and the rear panel is even wider than that. They have a product out there called knifeless tape.!

I'm in love with the color you went with. Ironically i'm not a big blue fan, but that looks awesome.
The knifeless tape works excellent. A friend of a friend does wraps and I saw some of their work on the hood of a car. The did carbon fiber panels on a black car. The panels were in the center of the hood and did not extend over an edge. I assumed it was a decal with adhesive, but it was wrap and its very stable. You should be just fine cutting and seaming behind the roof ribs.


Do you have an Instagram feed? Send me progress pics for a feature.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I'm in love with the color you went with. Ironically i'm not a big blue fan, but that looks awesome.
The knifeless tape works excellent. A friend of a friend does wraps and I saw some of their work on the hood of a car. The did carbon fiber panels on a black car. The panels were in the center of the hood and did not extend over an edge. I assumed it was a decal with adhesive, but it was wrap and its very stable. You should be just fine cutting and seaming behind the roof ribs.


Do you have an Instagram feed? Send me progress pics for a feature.

I looked at a bunch of different blues before I went with this hue. In all truth I was a bit nervous about it as well, but after I got it put down and laid that grey wrapped panel on top of it all that worry went out the window. I also got to use the knifeless tape already on the front bed panel. Yes it is amazing stuff!

I quit using Instagram because I got hijacked a couple of months ago and just deleted it off my phone. I like the app, but I guess I will have to go back and start it again. Is there another way I can get the progress pictures to you? Maybe Facebook? Just let me know.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 75Dually

... Is there another way I can get the progress pictures to you? Maybe Facebook? Just let me know.

Yes, you can message me on Facebook with pics.
The fender turned at bad ass. This is going to look incredible.

[daddyjeep]

Homework......what???? The knife tape is pretty cool. I haven't come across it yet, but it makes a lot of sense. I watched a few videos at lunch today and was running through the same challenges in my head. I haven't thought too much about it since I need some measurements from my truck to fully wrap my head around it. The tape changes things for me since I am doing a two tone with a third color seperating the main two. I was going to layer the vinyl, but the tape will allow me to keep it all 1 layer, thus saving vinyl and money.

[ProudSoul]

Well it's Wednesday now and no update. Must be busy laying down the vinyl.....or still planning it out. Can't wait to see how it unfolds!

[75Dually]

Yes I was laying it down until 11:30 last night. I should have some first pics later.

[75Dually]

So tonight was not as late in the shop as yesterday was, yesterday lasted until 11:30! So far I have wrapped the front panel for the bed, and as you can see below the tailgate is done. Now don't forget the stainless trim is also done in that grey wrap too. I really like this blue color, and I think the accent grey works well with the blue.

I am learning a ton with the first few pieces. First you have to keep everything as clean as possible, just like you would with window tint. If you keep that sort of thought process in mind it will be a big help if you try this in the future. This is such a cool material to work with. If you mess up and wrinkle the film you just simply heat it up and it will flatten right back out. I'm using a heat gun and I am using only the low setting because you can burn this stuff. If you do that you have to start all over again. Second be patient because if you rush this you results will suffer.

I'll keep the pics coming as I get parts completed. Tomorrow night I am going to try and tackle the dually fenders. That is going to be one of the hard parts to cover. I just hope it is not too hard...

Stay tuned!

[aggie91]

I like it.

[Low Elco]

Keep it up- looks great!

[75Dually]

Round 2! The passenger dually fender is done!! I knew this would be hard from the outset, but I'm a patient guy so I just worked on it little by little and it came out better than I thought it would. Once I did one side of the fender I figured out how to do the other side a little bit easier. Typical... Oh well... Tomorrow night is the drivers side dually fender. This weekend I hope to have the bed sides completed. That way at least the bed would be done.

I have some holes to weld up where the old trim went, and then I will primer the cab. Then the real fun begins!

Lots to do!

Stay tuned!!

[4x4chase]

WOW! Im impressed. Ill follow along to see how this goes.

[aggie91]

Can't wait to see in at LST!

[Dieselwrencher]

That blue is awesome! That vinyl looks sweet. I'm not going to lie, I may have to try this on a project now.

[75Dually]

Originally Posted by aggie91

Can't wait to see in at LST!

This with a turbo wing! We are going to have fun at LST!!

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Yes, you can message me on Facebook with pics.
The fender turned at bad ass. This is going to look incredible.

I will send you a friend request tonight.

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

That blue is awesome! That vinyl looks sweet. I'm not going to lie, I may have to try this on a project now.

Why not. If it does not look good, then either toss it, or grab another piece and try it again. You not out a ton of money in the long run.

[Dieselwrencher]

Hey, I still have a razorback........................

[75Dually]

So I started on the cowl tonight, but it simply got too cold to work the material. Plus I don't want to rush this cowl because if I do it will turn out ugly for sure.

So tomorrow it is supposed to be a lot warmer. Perfect time to get some serious work done on this super sized girl.

Stay tuned!

[75Dually]

Part 1: I worked most of the day in the shop, OK after I went and got some donuts! First was the dually fender and then on to the big passenger fender. I wanted to give you guys an idea the process of doing the dually fender. It is a bugger to do! Saying that it can be done you just have to play with it a bunch. I think I have it down now...

Part 2 will be the rest of the pictures I took today working on the big blue beast.

I'm tired, but satisfied on what I got done today.

Stay tuned!!!

[75Dually]

Part 2! Here are the rest of the pics I took today. Still not done with the big passenger fender as you can see, but it got late and we got church tomorrow.

Enjoy the pics!