Which Panel Should I Start With? (DIY How-To)
If you’re just starting to learn how to wrap a car, start small! The best panel you can start with is the front fender. The front fender is the perfect combination of all the things you’ll need to learn. It’s small, has flat surfaces, body lines, curves, and corners.
“What can I learn from wrapping a fender?” Everything you need to know to wrap the rest of the car! You get to practice measuring the right size of wrap for the panel while learning how to lay down vinyl (a.k.a “glassing” the material), learning how to work with complex curves and body lines, and the most important part, cutting and tucking in your edges.
When it comes to cutting the edges, make sure that you cut on the opposite side of the panel that you’re working with. In doing so, you’re giving yourself enough vinyl to cover the edges of the panel, thus ensuring proper concealment of your car’s original color. Full coverage over your car’s original color is what makes a wrap job appear more paint-like.
The front fender also gives you a chance to learn how heated vinyl behaves. In areas like the wheel well it’s crucial that you heat the vinyl so that it stretches over the edge of your fender. Without heat, the vinyl won’t conform to the shape of the wheel well and you have a chance of the vinyl not sticking and visibility drooping down (a big no-no).
Finally, the corners. The part that makes vinyl wrap look like paint. First, you want to stretch the vinyl over the corner. If you have space to hook the vinyl under the corner then all you need to do is apply heat and trim the excess. However, if you don’t have space to do that I recommend heating the vinyl and squeegeeing it starting with the corner and working your way out to the flat edges of the fender.
Now that you’ve had some practice working with vinyl wrap and gaining confidence, you can tackle any panel you’d like! Pat yourself on the back for completing your first panel, you’re getting closer and closer to being a pro at wrapping cars!