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  • Has anyone wrapped a 1996 BMW 5 series saloon, advice needed

    Posted by Ian Davies 2011 on October 15, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    We have a BMW 5 series saloon 1996 model to wrap this coming week, just wondering if anyone has wrapped one of these as if you have you will know there is no rain gutter or trim along the edges of the roof therefore a join is required at the pillars. Aware that any join needs to be away from leading edge and overlap from the highest side etc but wondering if anyone has an elegant solution. Unfortunately a stripe or other detailing is not an option as customer wants stealth look. Can take a photograph if anyone wants to see what it looks like. Appreciate any advice.

    Thanks Ian.

    Ian Davies 2011 replied 12 years, 5 months ago 8 Members · 12 Replies
  • 12 Replies
  • Nicola McIntosh

    Member
    October 15, 2011 at 11:16 pm

    sounds like you have asked and answered your own question? 😀

  • Ian Davies 2011

    Member
    October 15, 2011 at 11:25 pm

    I have a habit of doing that, should have been more specific, just wondering if anyone else has done one and exactly where and along what line join was made as want it to blend in with lines of vehicle as well as it can, there is kind of a bodyline on the roof edge but reluctant to use that as is an area where water could sit.

    Thanks Ian.

  • Robert Lambie

    Member
    October 15, 2011 at 11:44 pm

    i cannot help sorry, but i know a man that probably can! :lol1:

    heres some pictures of Andrew Gambles car…
    I was looking at this in the flesh on Wednesday afternoon, very impressive wrap and its been on for a while, still looks great!

    https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … highlight=

    https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … t=bmw+wrap

  • Ian Davies 2011

    Member
    October 15, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    Thanks for the links Robert but unfortunately the one we are doing is a 1996 model, not sure of the E model number. Funny thing is the wrap is costing more than the car is worth (customers own words)

    Ian.

  • Gwaredd Steele

    Member
    October 16, 2011 at 8:37 am

    E34 will be the tricky shape – & sorry, I have no solution, but it looks impossible to do without a join, & the narrowest part is the C pillar.

    Here’s a link of an E34 wrap on youtube, but conveniently, they don’t show much of the C pillar, but you can tell that they joined it a the top of the A & C pillars.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5qTbPs2AHY

    Pic for others reference.


    Attachments:

  • Jon Marshall

    Member
    October 16, 2011 at 11:29 am

    If you’re doing matt black then that hides joins pretty well.

  • Matty Goodwin

    Member
    October 16, 2011 at 11:34 am

    I agree with Mr. Marshall, Matt black can hide a multiple of sins if the join is put in a discrete body line.

  • Andrew Gamble

    Member
    October 16, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    Ian,

    These are a difficult vehicle to wrap in terms of roof lines, and there is no obvious place to hide the join as you may be governed by your choice of media width… All I would recommend is, contrary to the ‘standard watershed rule’ of applying bottom up over to make the overlap the correct way for water etc is actually go against this rule, or give the customer the choice and explain your reasons….. I would personally create an overlap on this vehicle around an inch in from the roof edge above the door edges… However, I would apply the roof section first, which goes against the watershed rule, however i think the likelyhood of the lower half of the vehicle ever being damaged is far greater than the roof, therefore if the customer ever requires for example the rear quarter repairing, you wont need to strip the roof also in order to remove the panel that needs re wrapping…. Worth thinking about??!

  • Ian Davies 2011

    Member
    October 17, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Thanks for all the advice, car is now in the workshop and have been playing around with overlapping some offcuts etc around the roof edges and c pillar. Will have the roof and quarters done tomorrow so will post a picture of what we end up doing as still undecided, asked customer and he said whatever you think is best.

    Ian.

  • Robert Lambie

    Member
    October 19, 2011 at 10:15 am

    yeah, would be interesting to see what you do mate, look forward to the pictures and any further feedback on the subject.

  • Daniel Warren

    Member
    November 29, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    Any update on this? Be interested to hear how you got on.

  • Ian Davies 2011

    Member
    November 29, 2011 at 8:19 pm

    Went rather well, with the roof we joined across the C pillar with 3mm overlap from front to back after discussion with customer and trying various methods with offcuts before doing it. The fact that it was matt black helped as it blended in quite well and after some post heating looked even better. You could only really see it by going up close and even then it looked fine, did take some pictures just need to find them, as soon as I do I will post them. Wrapping a motorhome at present, lots of fun.

    Ian.

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