Project - Car Wrap, 2012 FSport Bumper, LED Headlamps and Turn Signal Mirrors
08-29-13, 10:55 AM
#19
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BayArea2RockyMountains
Posts: 3,597
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
Much respect for the hard work, dedication & amount of time a project like this takes. I like it overall but i think color matched mirrors would look better. But then again, it depends on wheels you get, suspension, etc.
08-29-13, 02:04 PM
#21
Intermediate
Thread Starter
I bought about 16 meters of the wrap, cant remember exactly how much it cost as i purchased it way in advanced, need to check my emails. The headlamps cost a total of £629 which is about $950. Doing a DIY wrap of an entire car is very time consuming. Wrapping the panels itself doesnt take very long, e.g. bonnet 30mins, doors 30mins each. The bumpers took a few hours each. However the most time consuming part is prepping the panels, carefully removing the panels and neatly tucking away the vinyl. I spent over 2 weeks on the entire project, took my time doing it and didnt want to rush it. Easier way to do it would be like the way the shops do it and not remove the major panels and do an entire side and bumpers together. Problem with this way is that its very hard to clean hidden areas which then contaminate the film and you dont get to tuck in the excess film neatly.
I understand why some prefer colour coding the mirrors, but once i've either upgraded or painted the wheels black and the callipers red, then the contrast will be there. Even now if you see the contrast in real-life with the tinted windows, gloss black roof it all flows really well and it would complete it with the black wheels and red callipers.
Black mirrors on base civics and base any cars are not gloss black btw, the are textured plastic and not painted. The gloss black options come on alot of french and german cars as part of the new two-tone black white contrasts.
UPDATE: Information regarding OEM ballast removal:
There seems to be alot of youtube videos and guides out there that instruct you to pry open your headlamp lens just to remove the ballast. I can confirm that this is not necessary. Why would Lexus be selling headlamp units without ballasts, if you then had to pry open the sealed lens just to get the ballast installed. The ballast can be transferred simply by removing the internal connector and fishing out the wire.
Last edited by ahmed24; 08-29-13 at 02:14 PM.
08-29-13, 09:08 PM
#23
car looks great the only reason i wont paint my side mirrors black is the way they come off the car. It parts from the door unlike the new 3 series where it parts from the window which is black so making the side mirror black blends in perfectly and gives it that sleek look. thats my 10 cents for ya
