those who have installed vinyl on there prius a little help...

Discussion in 'Prius c Accessories and Modifications' started by estebinbin, Sep 26, 2012.

  1. estebinbin

    estebinbin Member

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    hello, please some advice from anyone who has installed vinyl on there cars, namely the prius c. today i attempted to install vinyl on my front bumper and things were going good, i was being patience and ran into some trouble spots (posted some pics of my results). first i got some air bubbles i couldn't get rid of on the corners of the plate indentions no matter how hard i tried and heat i applied. second my top corner ends did not come out neat even thou i used knifeless tape which i found frustrating to start with. thankfully this experiment only cost me 16 plus dollars but i would like to try again and succeed. bumper1.JPG bumper2.JPG bumper3.JPG corner1.JPG corner2.JPG any words of advice would greatly be appreciated...
     
    #1 estebinbin, Sep 26, 2012
  2. Native2PS

    Native2PS Member

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    I was going to do this, but I read about these problems, so I just had a body shop paint it flat black
     
    #2 Native2PS, Sep 27, 2012
  3. dellrio

    dellrio Im pretty much awesome

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    Several users have used plastidip for this task. Its a rubberized paint (I think thats a good description) that you paint on, then if you want to remove it - it peels off. Just mask off the areas you dont want painted - spray, remove masking, then let dry.

    those creases would be tough to get vinyl to stick without lots of experience working with vinyl and the right tools for the job.
     
    #3 dellrio, Sep 28, 2012
  4. ageless

    ageless New Member

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    How was the area prepped for install? The bubbles could be fixed with tiny hole in it with some heat to it IF you're using a quality vinyl. The corners could have been trimmed with an exacto blade to form nice edges. If you try again I would only buy 3M Di nor vinyl, it is very forgiving
     
    #4 ageless, Sep 28, 2012
  5. estebinbin

    estebinbin Member

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    i did use 3M vinyl and with heat it was manageable. if i have problems on the retry i will use a pin hole method as you suggest. i was afraid to use the exact on the edges of the bumper that is why i used the knifeless tape, guess i just haven't got the hang of using it yet.. thanks..
     
    #5 estebinbin, Sep 28, 2012
  6. estebinbin

    estebinbin Member

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    thanks for your suggestion, i have considered it but wanted a less permanent solution but it is something to reconsider
     
    #6 estebinbin, Sep 28, 2012
  7. estebinbin

    estebinbin Member

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    i also was considering the plastic dip route, am still considering it for my hubcaps but read about many individuals having problems with the edge and the dip wanting to stick to the tape when done. just decided to go another way...
     
    #7 estebinbin, Sep 28, 2012
  8. estebinbin

    estebinbin Member

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    i am going to retry the vinyl once it comes in the mail, i hope i have better luck. i have watched countless hours of installation videos and they make it look so easy but they never go into in depth detail. again any advice would be greatly appreciated...
     
    #8 estebinbin, Sep 28, 2012
  9. RocMills

    RocMills Active Member

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    No matter what the product or project, those how-to videos always make it look so easy your dog could do it... and you always end up feeling like an idiot when you either fail or your results are less than perfect. Those people who do the demonstrations have probably done it a hundred times, and they probably made a royal mess of things the first few attempts, too.
     
    #9 RocMills, Sep 28, 2012
  10. ageless

    ageless New Member

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    Can you remove the vinyl from first attempt and use it as a pattern for the second?
     
    #10 ageless, Sep 28, 2012
  11. estebinbin

    estebinbin Member

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    i'm sure if one takes it off carefully enough you can reuse it but i just tore it off when i was done. the vinyl was reapplicable...
     
    #11 estebinbin, Sep 28, 2012
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  12. ageless

    ageless New Member

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    LMAO--roger that!!!
     
    #12 ageless, Sep 28, 2012
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