Wrap Hood W/ Clear for Protection

[fresh]

I have a client who requested we wrap his hood with clear for protection from road debris. What material should we use? I was thinking we could just use cast overlaminate, but my partner just reminded me that 1. its thin and tears easily and 2. its not air egress. The hood is pretty swoopy, and they want the entire thing wrapped.

What do you recommend?

 

[Dan360]

3M IJ180mC-114 is a clear wrap vinyl with Comply. I think if you just do laminate it would have to be wet application.

 

[AKwrapguy]

I have a client who requested we wrap his hood with clear for protection from road debris. What material should we use? I was thinking we could just use cast overlaminate, but my partner just reminded me that 1. its thin and tears easily and 2. its not air egress. The hood is pretty swoopy, and they want the entire thing wrapped.

What do you recommend?

There is material that is specifically made for this. Several manufactures have them including 3M. If it's not something that you do regularly than I would suggest you farm it out. It's a bitch.

 

[rjssigns]

Friend of mine does semi's with XPel PPF(paint protection film) Said it's the best he's used, but as mentioned there are tricks.

 

[fresh]

There is material that is specifically made for this. Several manufactures have them including 3M. If it's not something that you do regularly than I would suggest you farm it out. It's a *****.

we are confident wrapping, but we've never done this. Why is it harder?

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I don't see why someone would do this.

 

[Dan360]

I don't see why someone would do this.

Same, I would just spray it with something like 3M Paint Defender.

 

[fresh]

I don't see why someone would do this.

IDK, its a new car, but nothing that special (just a ford fusion), and he said his old car's hood had a lot of damage from road debris. We are lettering the car and adding graphics to the hood, but he wants us to wrap it first. I'm just trying to do what they asked... its a great customer or else I might say nope.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I'd think the hood would look like its in worse shape after it's been on there for 5 years. Then try to remove it and that would be a pain. Would the hood then be a different color from the restbof the body because it was protected? Seems like an odd waste of $$..but hey if you getting the wasted $$ white really cares?

 

[Joe House]

I don't see why someone would do this.

Paint Protection Film (PPF) is quite popular around here. It's typically made from urethane rather than vinyl and is almost bullet proof. It will take a rock hit at highway speeds and not even show a mark. It mostly gets applied to the leading surfaces like your grill, side view mirrors, etc. I don't think I've seen a whole hood covered with it. It's quite expensive.
It's not just a clear laminate and a spray coating would be no better than the factory paint that you're trying to protect. It can actually be a great add on for anyone doing wraps, but I see it mostly done in shops that do window tint.

 

[AKwrapguy]

I don't see why someone would do this.

In some areas where they lay down gravel for ice and snow, tires kick up small pebbles and rocks that take dings and small nick's out of the hood, front bumper, and front quarter panels. This leads to paint issues down the line and re-sell issues.

 

[AKwrapguy]

we are confident wrapping, but we've never done this. Why is it harder?

Yes, it's very much a different beast. The material is not air release, has to be slightly wet applied.

 

[Gino]

Why not a bra or a deflector ??

 

[Johnny Best]

The Audi dealership offered the film on the hood when I bought a SQ5 for my wife. It cost an extra $250 and it just on the front part of the hood. You can't really even see it but it is pretty tough stuff and does protect from road debris.
Gino, on a woman's car it is a bra, on a man's car, a bro, according to Kramer.

 

[AKwrapguy]

Why not a bra or a deflector ??

Some people don't want either of them on their vehicles as they can look dated or tacky and some don't age well in the sun. The deflector is more for windshields and hoods not bumpers, or quarter panels.

 

[Gino]

Some people don't want either of them on their vehicles as they can look dated or tacky and some don't age well in the sun. The deflector is more for windshields and hoods not bumpers, or quarter panels.

Sorry, I thought he was looking for protection for on the hood.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

For the hood though? I can see something to block the front of the car or mirrors where all the bugs and stuff hit...just never noticed stuff hit the hood. BTW, this is what a Love Bug swarm will do to your car in about 1 hour.

 

[crystalcoastgraphics]

As previously stated, PPF is the correct material to use. The brand we install the most of Xpel. Many of the major manufacturers have some form of this. 3M, and Oracal both have it as well. I prefer the Xpel. While it has some things in common with wraps, it is a different process and application technique. Xpel has a gel that works really well for application. It doesn’t run like water/baby shampoo. You can make some good money at it, if you can minimize mistakes and get some clientele that will pay the high cost. It needs to either be precut before installing or use something like PPF line from knifeless tape. Can’t use the regular knifeless like finish line, as Jt won’t cut it wel because of the thickness. Good luck

 

[AKwrapguy]

For the hood though? I can see something to block the front of the car or mirrors where all the bugs and stuff hit...just never noticed stuff hit the hood. BTW, this is what a Love Bug swarm will do to your car in about 1 hour.

That's nice..... we have to deal with this

 

[T_K]

IDK, its a new car, but nothing that special (just a ford fusion), and he said his old car's hood had a lot of damage from road debris. We are lettering the car and adding graphics to the hood, but he wants us to wrap it first. I'm just trying to do what they asked... its a great customer or else I might say nope.

If you're going to use PPF, then it really should go OVER the graphics, IMO. Every PPF that I've seen is calendered and would need to be replaced with the graphics anyway. It's not like the PPF would benefit the car when removing the cast vinyl wrap.