Blue Batmobile Overlay Thread. Post your pics here!
11-09-2010, 05:09 PM
#20
Registered User
The basic install procedure is
1: thoroughly clean the surface to remove any debris (anything that gets stuck under the vinyl, will stay there)
2: spray down the surface with a water & soap 50/50 mixture. Some people use water and rubbing alcohol, but i prefer car wash soap
3: remove the vinyl from the backing, and spray the sticky side of the vinyl with your mixture to keep it wet.
4: place the vinyl on the surface being covered, and get it into position.
5: once you have it all lined up, start squeegeeing the extra water out from underneath the vinyl. Use a heat gun or blow dryer as well to stretch the vinyl and release the adhesive so it can stick to the surface.
6: do not overstretch it. If it rips, it takes a lot of skill to make it look clean still.
7:THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!!!
BE PATIENT
8: Wrap it around whatever curves and bulges that you need to until the entire surface is covered, and the edges are wrapped.
The following users liked this post:
Ndanny (05-22-2016)
11-10-2010, 08:51 PM
#21
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Posting my pics up in a few days! Received my CF finish trunk lid spoiler overlay but there was a little mix up over the GTR tail lights. Andy EASILY fixed this and offered a quick exchange. Was very easy to work with and responsive! His service is proving to be reliable so far unlike many Ebay vendors. I'll be getting the tail lights in a few days and post them up right after install.
. Cant wait for the pics!
11-13-2010, 10:21 PM
#25
Andy~ or anyone~ what do you think this combo? which will be better for my Black G37? I want a subtle change for my car. I will have either MIDNIGHT BLACK GRILL OR JUST PAINT MY GRILL GLOSSY BLACK.
(1) fully smoked 3/10 headlight + 3/10 GTR Taillight, not opaque (reverse cut out or no reverse cut out?)
(2) fully smoked 3/10 headlight + 6/10 GTR Taillight, not opaque (reverse cut out or no reverse cut out?)
which would match better?
I don't want GTR headlight overaly cuz the pointy part of the headlight is too dark. (or is there choice of 3/10 GTR headlight and 6/10 GTR headlight overlay too?)
(1) fully smoked 3/10 headlight + 3/10 GTR Taillight, not opaque (reverse cut out or no reverse cut out?)
(2) fully smoked 3/10 headlight + 6/10 GTR Taillight, not opaque (reverse cut out or no reverse cut out?)
which would match better?
I don't want GTR headlight overaly cuz the pointy part of the headlight is too dark. (or is there choice of 3/10 GTR headlight and 6/10 GTR headlight overlay too?)
12-14-2010, 02:45 AM
#28
word of advice... the gtr overlay and pretty much the taillight overlays (i would expect in general) is pretty much impossible to do without cutting so take it to a certified tinter :P i consider myself a perfectionist and i spent about 5+hrs on my left tail's gtr overlay.. didnt come out that nice because the sun went down and i coudlnt tell what i was doing -____- but i managed it fix it a little, today.
on my left side (this was my first time doing the GTR overlay so it was sort of a learning experience) 's front side with the holes came out nicely, just a couple of scratches and marring because i was still learning. the side where you have to tuck it in after the big crease and the top pointy part came out horrendous as i had to make 2 major cuts (fixed some blemishes today though). the right side, however, i annihilated the front side, as in it couldnt have come out any more perfect and on the side with the crease an point, i was able to do alot better because of the previous experience but i still coudlnt not get it to tuck in without cuts
on the bright side... it only took 2~3hrs.
here are some things i found if you wanna DIY...
1. a hair dryer/ heat gun is ESSENTIAL because it makes the vinyl expand and more pliable. However, there are a couple of things you want to note when you use a heating source...
a. to much heat can make the vinyl melt (when it burns your finger then thats too much heat applied lol - it doesnt take much)
b. when you stretch it while heating, it becomes permanently stretched to an extent. what i mean by this is that: it will never go back to its original dimensions (yes, if you let it rest or blow cold air it will contract but not all the way) meaning if you decided to heat&stretch it out and then start over again... you much run into some issues.
c. have someone apply the heat source while you use both your hands to stretch it out , it helps.
2. california drivers license (its really thin compared to other credit cards) are perfect to tuck in the edges because it fits in the crease.
3. when using the card to squeegee water out, use a microfiber... it prevents the scratches but not all of it.
4. consistently re-wet the vinyl. after working with it for about 4hrs+ i found that it lost its stickyness because it kept on drying and sticking so i had to rewet, peel, and move around.
5. patience pays off. seriously. remove and start from scratch if you have to.
6. it makes your car look DAMN GOOD and you get the satisfaction of having done it yourself (plus you save ~$50). trade-off is that it most likely wouldnt look as good as a professional tinters job.
difficulty: 8/10 (to make it look really nice)
valence on the other had was a breeze
difficulty: 3/10
will post pictures tomorrow.
p.s. hey bat, can i apply polish to the vinyl?
on my left side (this was my first time doing the GTR overlay so it was sort of a learning experience) 's front side with the holes came out nicely, just a couple of scratches and marring because i was still learning. the side where you have to tuck it in after the big crease and the top pointy part came out horrendous as i had to make 2 major cuts (fixed some blemishes today though). the right side, however, i annihilated the front side, as in it couldnt have come out any more perfect and on the side with the crease an point, i was able to do alot better because of the previous experience but i still coudlnt not get it to tuck in without cuts
on the bright side... it only took 2~3hrs. here are some things i found if you wanna DIY...
1. a hair dryer/ heat gun is ESSENTIAL because it makes the vinyl expand and more pliable. However, there are a couple of things you want to note when you use a heating source...
a. to much heat can make the vinyl melt (when it burns your finger then thats too much heat applied lol - it doesnt take much)
b. when you stretch it while heating, it becomes permanently stretched to an extent. what i mean by this is that: it will never go back to its original dimensions (yes, if you let it rest or blow cold air it will contract but not all the way) meaning if you decided to heat&stretch it out and then start over again... you much run into some issues.
c. have someone apply the heat source while you use both your hands to stretch it out , it helps.
2. california drivers license (its really thin compared to other credit cards) are perfect to tuck in the edges because it fits in the crease.
3. when using the card to squeegee water out, use a microfiber... it prevents the scratches but not all of it.
4. consistently re-wet the vinyl. after working with it for about 4hrs+ i found that it lost its stickyness because it kept on drying and sticking so i had to rewet, peel, and move around.
5. patience pays off. seriously. remove and start from scratch if you have to.
6. it makes your car look DAMN GOOD and you get the satisfaction of having done it yourself (plus you save ~$50). trade-off is that it most likely wouldnt look as good as a professional tinters job.
difficulty: 8/10 (to make it look really nice)
valence on the other had was a breeze
difficulty: 3/10
will post pictures tomorrow.
p.s. hey bat, can i apply polish to the vinyl?
Last edited by jujubii; 12-14-2010 at 02:51 AM.
12-15-2010, 05:11 PM
#29
Its an aquired taste. My installers dont have to modify the overlay at all, but everyone is different on how they approach applying them. Thats why I'm pretty good at doing extra pieces at discount. My installers take about 1-1.5 hrs to apply these, but again, if your not accustomed yo applying this material, it can get alittle tricky. I commend you on your efforts 
! I always encourage my customers to install themseves, and your right! You have the satisfaction of doing it yourself .
And yes, you can do a light polish, wax, quick detail to keep them looking fresh.
Bat
! I always encourage my customers to install themseves, and your right! You have the satisfaction of doing it yourself .And yes, you can do a light polish, wax, quick detail to keep them looking fresh
.Bat
