Paint / Vinyl Discussion

[bnr32jason]

Seems options for color on our 818's has been a discussion topic lately, so figured I would make a thread laying out the options.

First option is to do a little buffing on the factory gel-coat if you are ok with red. This option is great because it's free and requires the less work than the other DIY options.





Option #2 is to take the car to be professionally painted. Depending where you go, this can be pretty cheap ($500 or so at Maaco) or very expensive ($3000+) if you want a truly high quality paint job with custom colors such as my favorite (Porsche Atlas Grey). Option 2B is to paint the car yourself, this all depends on your skill, tools, and facilities as to how cheap/expensive it will be and how nice it will come out.



Option #3 is vinyl wrapping. This is very popular today because it allows you to change colors at will and if you can do it yourself it's very cheap $250 for cheap vinyl or about $500 for high quality 3M vinyl. Having a shop do it will cost you anywhere from $1500-$3000 depending on the shop. This is especially useful if you want a matte color or some crazy chrome like color. Durability is questionable, some say it's lasted them a few years and still looks great, others I've seen say it looked bad within a year. I think this depends how your car is stored, where it is parked most of the time, and if you daily drive it.




Option #4 is called Plasti-Dip. I don't know much about this particular option, it appears to be essentially a spray on material that ends up with a vinyl-like consistency. Perhaps a good alternative to vinyl wrap, especially on our cars since all body panels can be removed and sprayed without having to worry about masking anything off. This has the potential to be the cheapest option here, but also the most troublesome. You can do a full size car for less than $200. Here is a video showing the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jayyTUy3GTw







DISCUSS!

[bnr32jason]

My personal plans are to do just as I have done with all of my other "driving cars" and that is to take it to my hometown Maaco which has done excellent for me in the past. No it's not up to some people's standards, but I plan on taking my 818 to back-roads, tracks, autoX, and some daily driving duties, so I don't need/want a $3000 paint job that is just going to get beat up within a few months anyways..

[fateo66]

I vinyl wrapped my 22B project last year and just like a paint job the more time and care you take in the prep the better it turns out.

[metalmaker12]

I am a paint or wrap only, but mostly paint due to the reliability factors. I will be painting my 818 myself, but I have years of bodywork under my belt. I due feel it will look the best, last the longest and be the best value option. I also think it will cost about 500-600 at macco, 1500 at a body shop, because you can prep and prime and sand the panels to get ready for paint to cut cost. i don't see more than 3k to paint unless your using house of colors paints etc.

[Xusia]

Assuming the body is in panels, I'm leaning toward the plasti-dip option if I decide I don't want red:

• I can do it myself
• I'm thinking about basic colors like white (or possibly red, depending on how I feel about the gel coat)
• If I mess it up, I can peel it off and try again
• It seems like it would add some protection as well
• It will be a daily driver, and parked outside all day, so durability is a necessity

[Nuul]

I didn't even know dipping was an option, I learn something new every day on these forums. How does it stand up against a vinyl wrap? I can't see it being any more resistant to sun fade and that's the big thing for me since it will be parked outside when I'm at work.

[mrvwcastner]

Why the assumption red is only option from factory five? I thought they had many colors on display during SEMA. Did I miss an official Ford like statement "you can have it in any color you want as long as it is red"

[bnr32jason]

Why the assumption red is only option from factory five? I thought they had many colors on display during SEMA. Did I miss an official Ford like statement "you can have it in any color you want as long as it is red"

I don't think it's been officially confirmed anywhere, but I think in the Moochfest discussion thread there is some talk of it possibly being the only available color, at least initially. Hoping since mine is a year out that there will be more options by then.

[Mechie3]

Why the assumption red is only option from factory five? I thought they had many colors on display during SEMA. Did I miss an official Ford like statement "you can have it in any color you want as long as it is red"

Those were sherwin williams new line of paints for FFR.

[spaceywilly]

maybe the sherwin williams paint line tie in means they are going to have pre-painted body panels available?

[07FIREBLADE]

Plasti dip was a option I brought up a couple days ago in another thread. Seems pretty durable and easily fixable if you dont do a custom on3 off color. Since the car is in panels. I've seen wheels dipped and the finish is good and it last and has to deal with road debris and brake dust. I have experience doing both wraps and plasti dip. And for me dip is easier if doing a whole car but for panels wrap shouldnt be to bad because you can easily handle them.

[Oppenheimer]

Unless something new came out at Moochfest, the plan was always to have several different colors to choose from. Dave has confirmed this several times.

[Mechie3]

Unless something new came out at Moochfest, the plan was always to have several different colors to choose from. Dave has confirmed this several times.

That's what everyone is kind of waiting to hear about. The original plan was colored thermoplastic panels. The new plan appears to be FG, and possibly only red for now? Still waiting for that email that was supposed to go out around moochfest time.

[metalmaker12]

Lets try to clarify and hopefully they will send something out soon. I have been told by JIM FFR, FRED from SMG and Tony Zullo FFR in Emails and in person at Moochfeast, that at launch and for some time FG gelcoat will be the only thing offered. Jim mentioned the plastic process is good for small sized pieces, but when they tried bigger panels it did not come out of the mold as they had hoped, (the quality was not up to their specs). This is why FG only at this point, and as it looks like for good. FG gelcoat can come in many different colors, but they kind of mentioned it may be just red at first, but they were uncertain of that. I hope it comes in a many colors which could promote the paint-free option. Lets wait and see

[Mechie3]

I'd be happy with one color....as long as it's blue.

[philly15]

I'd be happy with one color....as long as it's blue.

i second this lol im really really hoping for color options if not i got a friend in vinyl wrapping and that might be the route i go and it will most definitely be a blue of some variety who knows though if i can get someone to paint the whole thing world rally blue for a decent price id do that but only or world rally blue

[Silvertop]

That's what everyone is kind of waiting to hear about. The original plan was colored thermoplastic panels. The new plan appears to be FG, and possibly only red for now? Still waiting for that email that was supposed to go out around moochfest time.

Thermoplastic panels were not really the original plan. They were more of a possibility which FFR was investigating simultaneously with tried and true fiberglass, and (at least to my perception) kind of a wild card. I believe the likely choice was always fiberglass. The idea was that independent of the ultimate choice of body material, the specific body panels would be designed in such a way as to have no seams that would require bodywork, making a paint-free body possible, whether accomplished by gelcoats or by colored plastic panels. The paint-free idea has been a cornerstone of the 818 project from the get-go, and the expectation (and promise) has always been that there would be multiple colors available.

To my mind, failing to come through on keeping the car paint-free would constitute a significant failure of FFR's design goals. Here's hoping that doesn't happen.

[flynntuna]

Thermoplastic panels were not really the original plan. They were more of a possibility which FFR was investigating simultaneously with tried and true fiberglass, and (at least to my perception) kind of a wild card. I believe the likely choice was always fiberglass. The idea was that independent of the ultimate choice of body material, the specific body panels would be designed in such a way as to have no seams that would require bodywork, making a paint-free body possible, whether accomplished by gelcoats or by colored plastic panels. The paint-free idea has been a cornerstone of the 818 project from the get-go, and the expectation (and promise) has always been that there would be multiple colors available.

To my mind, failing to come through on keeping the car paint-free would constitute a significant failure of FFR's design goals. Here's hoping that doesn't happen.

well said

[Mechie3]

I'm not personally concerned. I'm mentally preparing for various options, but still planning that my first option is paintless/vinyless/dipless blue gel coat.

[Silvertop]

......................still planning that my first option is paintless/vinyless/dipless blue gel coat.

That's my first choice, too.

[metalmaker12]

Silvertop, Thanks for helping me get this point across. I too am hoping we get some color options, I think we will

[Silvertop]

Silvertop, Thanks for helping me get this point across. I too am hoping we get some color options, I think we will

I think so too. I will be VERY disappointed if additional colors do not materialize. The car looks nice in red, but it's not what I'm looking for personally, and not having to invest in a paint job is part of the economics of the project for me. It allowed me to spend several thousand additional dollars on a donor pallet, which is already sitting in my garage. I'm hoping that FFR clarifies this issue (which wasn't an issue prior to Moochfest) soon.

[Mechie3]

I'm sure it's not an issue. They've said they're on track. Paintless was a big selling point. My guess is they just don't have it fully sorted out (and still have have 5-6 months to figure it out and give us an answer.

[metalmaker12]

I am thinking we will get an update tomorrow, but this is wishful thinking

[flynntuna]

Seems options for color on our 818's has been a discussion topic lately, so figured I would make a thread laying out the options.

First option is to do a little buffing on the factory gel-coat if you are ok with red. This option is great because it's free and requires the less work than the other DIY options.





Option #2 is to take the car to be professionally painted. Depending where you go, this can be pretty cheap ($500 or so at Maaco) or very expensive ($3000+) if you want a truly high quality paint job with custom colors such as my favorite (Porsche Atlas Grey). Option 2B is to paint the car yourself, this all depends on your skill, tools, and facilities as to how cheap/expensive it will be and how nice it will come out.



Option #3 is vinyl wrapping. This is very popular today because it allows you to change colors at will and if you can do it yourself it's very cheap $250 for cheap vinyl or about $500 for high quality 3M vinyl. Having a shop do it will cost you anywhere from $1500-$3000 depending on the shop. This is especially useful if you want a matte color or some crazy chrome like color. Durability is questionable, some say it's lasted them a few years and still looks great, others I've seen say it looked bad within a year. I think this depends how your car is stored, where it is parked most of the time, and if you daily drive it.




Option #4 is called Plasti-Dip. I don't know much about this particular option, it appears to be essentially a spray on material that ends up with a vinyl-like consistency. Perhaps a good alternative to vinyl wrap, especially on our cars since all body panels can be removed and sprayed without having to worry about masking anything off. This has the potential to be the cheapest option here, but also the most troublesome. You can do a full size car for less than $200. Here is a video showing the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jayyTUy3GTw







DISCUSS!

Personally I like the plasti Dip option, unfortunately it's not legal in Ca. Eastwood has a new product (Elasti Wrap) which is available in Ca. Has anyone used this product yet?

[Evan78]

Plastidip isn't illegal in California, just in gallon containers it appears.

Here are California installers:
https://www.dipyourcar.com/California.html

I haven't used the stuff, but just started looking into the issue because I've seen numerous dipped cars in California and figured there must be some legal method. It appears you can't buy the "ready to spray" (already thinned out) stuff in 1 gallon containers, but pro shops might be getting it in large containers. You can buy it in rattle can size, though I have no idea how many it takes to cover an 818 size car.

If you can find an appropriate thinner in California, you can buy plastidip by the gallon in unthinned form and just thin it out yourself for spraying.

[Tony Zullo]

I have done about three cars with it and it works and holds up very well....

[flynntuna]

Tony, was that the PlastiDip or the Eastwood ElastiWrap?

[fireman2343]

That plastidip you don't have to dry after you wash it. I had matte black on my honda, and you get washed and rinse, then let it air dry.