Need advice on wrap

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#1

Hey guys after many years of fooling around with this stuff I need to do my first wrap
the car I’m working on right now has no passenger windows. In the past we have put a vinyl sticker on it the replicate the shape of the window. I don’t care for it. being as old as I am I like the real deal.

I bought some Textreme the thinnest I could find and want to wrap it for the faux window.
I would normally think of vacuum bagging it but it has a shut line in the middle and I want to keep the weave aligned

the Question is once I wet it out can I use something to lay on it to keep the top finish smooth and flat or do I just build it up with resin and clear coat it. the whole car will be repainted when I’m done.

Please school me

you can see half of the old sticker in this pic


#2

hmmmm, ive done vacuum bagging onto foam cores using a mylar and the finish is great

i dont see why it wont work in your case

cut a sheet of mylar (thick plastic) to the shape of the window …
do your laminate onto this plastic sheet
place laminate onto body work with kitchen towels ontop (breather)
lay large plastic bag over everything and seal

vacuum down

peal of mylar the next day … revealing a shiny finish

#3

That is kind of what I’ve been thinking about for the surface
but the problem I think I might encounter is the shut line and would be tricky to bag on the car in one bag. I want the weave to match from one side next to the other

no need for towels I have a roll of airweave

#4

Tom,

Here’s how I would go about achieving what you want:
1.Cut out the two pieces of mylar. Set them next to each other and layout a line(s) in sharpie across both.
2.transfer them as templates to a piece of wetout plastic including the line(s) across.
3.Wet out you cloth as one piece on the plastic then cut out the two pieces.
4 Transfer to the mylar and apply to the part using the lines on the plastic and mylar as guides.

#5

Sounds good
I’m thinking that I can lay up the cloth oversized of the size of the window, shoot clear over it. then mask off the shape of the window when I paint the car

Right now I’m taking all the old paint down to the gel-coat and fixing battle damage. this car body is a mix of carbon and Kevlar. I compare sanding Kevlar to sanding sheep.
this thing has 6-8 coats of paint and it will save a lot of weight on the bodywork when I’m done.

Meanwhile I’m working the March (INDY car) this weekend. it had a nasty fire last time out, and it was warped badly. I did what I could to save it and still keep it within a reasonable budget for the owner. Here is the floor pics
before and after. I made tooling caul plates with my English wheel, vac bagged the whole thing replaced the alum honeycomb, use scraps of C/F I had laying around

#6

Looks like you’ve got your hands full!

#7

Well the first thing I need to say is I now have a lot of respect for the guys that do wraps.
mine did not turn out that good but it will do. the car leave today for NOLA raceway park.
thank for the help