# 3M Carbon Fiber wrap



## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

I don't know if this really applies to this forum but it's a part of my build and something you guys may be interested in. It's 3m's entry into the dry-carbon fiber look vinyl and it's got the texture and look to match. So I bought a chunk and tried it out in a few places and here's how it went:


















It can be easily heat formed for contours while maintaining the pattern and could do a sub box or panel and give it a great accent for a fraction of the cost of real wrap. Here's some more pics of what you can do with it, I've got a mini and plan to do the roof as well:








































*I wrapped this piece and yes I know the top is backwards, I'm redoing it tonight!

This is similar to the 'Neffywrap' only it's a vinyl instead of a fabric so it's easier to contour and won't increase the size of the trim piece(which can make things a pain to put back together). On top of that it has the adhesive on the back, so you just peel and stick!

I'm sorry I get a bit excited and I wanted to share this stuff with you guys because it's already huge in BMWs.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-build-logs/62510-who-did-full-car-vinyl-wrap.html

I think I had emailed you on another forum about it. I did my hood and trunk and a bunch of pieces in my car over the past week. Will post pics soon


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Cool, I figured even though a lot of 'carbon fiber vinyls' have popped up in the past, I would shed some light on something that actually looks pretty realistic. Did you have the Evo or am I thinking someone else?


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

upperguy said:


> Cool, I figured even though a lot of 'carbon fiber vinyls' have popped up in the past, I would shed some light on something that actually looks pretty realistic. Did you have the Evo or am I thinking someone else?


i hav a bmw. just did the hood and trunk. took about 2.5hrs. I also have a quart of the Primer which makes things stick much better in any recess or curve and edges, so on some things you can do butt joints
then I did both dash panels, center console etc...


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## GregU (Dec 24, 2008)

upperguy said:


> *I wrapped this piece and yes I know the top is backwards, I'm redoing it tonight!


I think the top looks AWESOME like that. I think you should leave it. Seriously, when I saw it my first reaction was "That looks bad ass".


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## Mr B (Apr 21, 2009)

Where would the easiest place to get these be? Anywhere online?


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## arrakian (Jan 30, 2009)

Is that a laptop covered in this stuff?!!


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Yeah a friend wrapped his laptop in the stuff and it came out really nice. I've got a chunk of the material left over I'll list when I'm eligible in the classifieds.

Mic10: I picked up a quart of the primer as well and it was definitely helpful in the tight spots. Another guy told me it wasn't paint safe but it didn't seem like it would cause any issues. I plan on doing the roof but I honestly don't know if I would pull it off.

I'll post some pics in progress for the door panels when I install those Dynaudio components that I'm gonna win in the raffle.....


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## [email protected] (Jun 12, 2008)

how much does it cost and where are you buying it from?


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## 01eclipse (Apr 23, 2009)

so, where is this stuff available from? i am very interested(it looks much better than other offerings), but a google search only turned up the mini cooper site, and some other useless links(if it makes a difference, i searched for '3m carbon fiber vinyl')


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

It can be pretty difficult to turn up in small amounts. I held a group buy on another forum and have some left over that I'll list for sale in the classifieds once I get access to them. So unless you want to wrap your entire car I can probably get you whatever you need.

Shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do.


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## vwtoby (Oct 28, 2005)

any pics of the install process...


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

The installation is really straight forward, for most basic pieces it's literally as simple as cleaning the surface then peeling and sticking the vinyl. For more complex areas you really only need to apply primer, wait a few minutes and stick.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

its like vinyl wrapping any other piece, like actual vinyl wrapping not sticker vinyl.
some areas may require using some heat which makes this stuff stretch like crazy. You loose some of the texture feel but it maintains its visual pattern under most lights. under some fluorescent lighting you can see flat or dark spots where you had to stretch.
but its pretty straight forward as mentioned already.
It can be clearcoated as well to give it that glossy shiney look like resin'ed CF.

I also used high gloss vinyl protection and tire gloss to give it a really high gloss shine.


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## toyrunner (Sep 1, 2008)

It Look BAD ASS ! I need some in My X-SP 4Runner.


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## XllentAudio (Jun 29, 2009)

Wow that stuff looks really badass! Please keep us posted on where we might be able to get this stuff!

I think an application on a sub box would be pimp


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

I'm thinking about a way to integrate it into my rear seat delete panel. I don't want to over do it with this material though as I feel it's pretty easy to go way overboard.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-build-logs/63791-bmw-version-2-1-a.html#post804781


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

wow that looked really good! Not sure how I feel about the LEDs but still very cool


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

upperguy said:


> wow that looked really good! Not sure how I feel about the LEDs but still very cool


gotta have some bling when u compete or noone looks at a car that looks fairly inconspicuous.
interior is dark to begin with, so lights help attract some attention to at least let people know that there is more going on than appears. also good to help promote sponsored company products, get press coverage etc....


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Oh no I absolutely agree, I also felt a longing in the bottom of my heart when I saw the pics. My previous car was a 98.5 M3 with a Dinan supercharger. I sold it off for the mini and the buyer wrecked it within a few weeks

E* did you have any pics of the truck wrapped?


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

have to take them in the AM. Trunk looks better than the hood. Hood has 2 seams at the top edges b/c Vinyl isnt wide enough.


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Example of the material being installed


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## wazzy (Aug 11, 2009)

hhhmmm.... may have to put this on the wish list


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Why wait? I just found out that Eurodyne, which is a company that focuses mostly on BMW stuff, has this stuff listed at $65 a square foot! I'll split up the rest of mine for a lot less.

That being said, the longer I have it the more likely my bathroom and fridge are going to be wrapped...


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

discussion in the fabrication section... http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-fabrication/56162-carbon-fiber-fabric.html


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

That is actually a completely different material. That is an actual fabric where this is a much thinner self-adhesive vinyl.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

trunk pics up


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

So a friend who went in on a bunch of the material with me initially did his suby and then one of his friend's Miata. Here is the aftermath:


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Continued:










































About midway through the day his friend showed up in his 2 hour old miata, The rear piece was rhinolined with some crap. They sanded what hadn't chipped off and applied the wrap there:

























some general pics of the vinyl.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

damn those turned out well


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## [email protected] (Jun 12, 2008)

whats the aftermath when the weather beats the **** out of those and it ruined, does it mess the paint up when you pull it off?


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

BeatsDownLow said:


> whats the aftermath when the weather beats the **** out of those and it ruined, does it mess the paint up when you pull it off?


I'm sorry I don't know what to make of the first part of that post, but it's basically weather proof. This material is architectural grade vinyl and 3M rates it at 12 years.

If you've got previous body damage and your paint is spidering, yeah it will probably come off if you stick the vinyl on for 4 years. It all depends on the condition of the paint initially though. A good solid base paint will probably only have some residue that can easily be removed with goo gone or any other cleaner.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

upperguy said:


> I'm sorry I don't know what to make of the first part of that post, but it's basically weather proof. This material is architectural grade vinyl and 3M rates it at 12 years.
> 
> If you've got previous body damage and your paint is spidering, yeah it will probably come off if you stick the vinyl on for 4 years. It all depends on the condition of the paint initially though. A good solid base paint will probably only have some residue that can easily be removed with goo gone or any other cleaner.


actually this film is slightly different than regular body wrap vinyl. Product Bulletin 
says
Although DI-NOC architectural finishes may be removable, the application techniques and the
recommended substrate primers increase adhesion so that clean removal without substantial
substrate damage is unlikely. The better alternative is to apply new film or surface covering
over the DI-NOC film. 3M does offer some basic guidelines if you wish to attempt removal.
Refer to Instruction Bulletin 5.41.

also, warranty for outdoor weather is 4yrs. 12 yr warranty applies to indoors out of direct sunlight exposure.


and you cheated!!!! you did piece that didnt have huge recesses and complex curves...maybe I just got the wrong car...nonetheless great job on the vehicle wraps u guys did. maybe when I have to redo mine, i'll have u guys help out and get u guys a case of beer or something


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

The primer is available but not required, it's basically an adhesion promoter. Just playing around with it I figure it makes it about 3-4x stickier. Which is why I don't think it would do any damage coming off without it. I compared it to the vinyl we used for the Rally's and it was basically the same stuff(though with the comply channels) and that came off without -much- issue.

Mic, I'm seriously considering wrapping my car in satin white Don't spread the rumor though as it's still in the works. I want to wrap everything that's red in white and anything black/white in carbon.


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

I wanna do my trunk lid with this stuff, I DON'T wan an actual carbon trunk as i'm going to be running IB and can use all the weight and structure I can get.. (plus it's already fully deadened) 

But I also want to remove my wing and cover the holes, but not weld them... 

Maybe the hood and vents as well.. though I WOULD like a tru carbon hood, I don't want to drop 600$ for it.. +vents/scoop


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Just did the roof! I am blown away at how good it turned out, I am trying to decide if I want to wrap the spoiler or leave a few white accents pieces. Pics tomorrow when the sun is out.


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## Thetoad (Aug 24, 2009)

Interesting concept to wrap a car, 

how does the vinyl compare visually to real carbon?


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Thetoad said:


> Interesting concept to wrap a car,
> 
> how does the vinyl compare visually to real carbon?


The image that most people have of carbon fiber is a high gloss panel for the hood/trunk, compared to that this vinyl has a satin finish to it. It also has a slight texture which makes it shimmer when seen from different angles. I personally am not a high gloss person, I think that it's fine for some things but on my interior the only glossy things are the windows. All my plastic panels and accents are nearly flat in their finish so the normal glossy carbon fiber would stand out way too much.

If you look at the picture of the downtubes next to my radio you can see how well they flow with the whole car, rather than being a focal point. I feel stuff like this and even real carbon fiber should be an accent to enhance the ambiance rather than the centerpiece of the interior. Just like how you wouldn't want one part of your system to overpower the rest, it should just flow. 

Sorry about the little speech, my meds just kicked in
VVpicture for reference on downtubesVV


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

upperguy said:


> So a friend who went in on a bunch of the material with me initially did his suby and then one of his friend's Miata. Here is the aftermath:



I totally missed the pics somehow... I would be doing a GC Subie as well.. lol..


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

Here's a few quick pics of the roof:







< don't mind the missing trim, it's on order!
















UH OH! no more fish tank for me! Tinted by Ryan @ Car Optics and he did an amazing job!


Aaron, that looks really nice and I like the RX in the background too! I've never seen the STI wing on the GC before, though I heard it's not uncommon, I like how it all comes together.


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

Thanks Sir... 

Yeah the wing, that was all started on the early WRX's we didn't get here... They started the STi program in 93' IIRC, maybe earlier...

We didn't get the WRX until 02' and the STi in 04' 

The RS got the WRX here and the WRX got the STi here... it's been good for Subaru..lol... 

My friends FD is quite nice, aging well for being up here... Still faster than my Subie.. lol.. Not by much though... Once I learn to drag brake to build boost, we'll see... lol.


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

I know the thread is 2 weeks old, but this is worth it! I was bored on my day off and did a little project....

so boring...










oh noes what is this?!?!










Booyah finished product!


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

do you have any pics of all the pens and stuff at work i hear you wrapped?

Did Artie w/ the Red VW end up gettin any from you? I talked to him at the Pottsville MECA show and showed him the stuff on my car and he wanted to redo some pieces in his with it.


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

STALKER!!!

haha I don't think I can take good enough pics to show them off with my phone I really need to get an adapter for my camera I think I spoke with him briefly but I'll shoot you my number to give to him if you catch him around.


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## upperguy (Jul 31, 2009)

What kind of scraps are you looking for?


Side note: I would love to trade + cash for some decent gear! I just ordered my sound deadener so my project is on it's way. Beyond that, I've got nothing! I plan to change my deck(CDA9855 currently) and am looking at Focal 165KR's but nothing set in stone!


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## starboy869 (Dec 16, 2006)

Back from the dead to spark some interest.


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## yermolovd (Oct 10, 2005)

lordbaccus said:


> this is My art work printed on 3m and wrapped the amps with it


Looks more like a 10 year old with photoshop work.

And great wrapping going on guys! We need moar wrapping.


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## Nick337 (Nov 19, 2009)

anyone has any pictures of this vinyl with the resin on top?


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