Wrapping your X. Have you encountered this issue?

[ElmoHongZito]

Picked up my my 2022 model X yesterday after leaving it to be wrapped and ceramic coated.

Film color I selected is called Satin Manhattan Grey and made by company called Evolv. My wife likes the color a little more than I do. Still needs to grow on me.

But here is my issue. I assumed that I would not be seeing any seams and that each panel would be wrapped with one piece of film. However on the front bumper that does not seem to be the case. Specially on the front opening of the bumper (pictures below). I asked about this and they said that the Tesla Model X bumper has curves that are too aggressive to apply just one sheet of film with no seams and that when they have done it on the past with other vehicles (didn’t mention specifically Tesla), the wrap begins to lift and forms a huge long bubble and that the wrap starts to peel off from there.

They also said that many other companies that wrap vehicles use glue all over the vehicle in addition to the adhesive backing that the film provides in order to provide a better adhesion. They told me that they are known for wrapping without using glue and that the glue can damage car paint under the wrap and also becomes an issue the day you decide to remove the wrap.

Honestly all I know is that I absolutely detest those seams. They really look like crap and not even nicely contoured so that it looks aesthetically composed.

They offered for me to bring it back one day and they try to cut out a black mat strip that they can place on the bottom to make it look like its one of the plastic black trims of the car. I don’t love that idea but its a better option that whats there now.

Please share with me your thoughts and experience. I really hope I can get this fixed. Price paid for wrap was 4k ($3200 for satin wraping plus $800 to ceramic coat the surface after wrapped).

 

[rmaz]

They're not lying about the seams (especially if they use pre-cut panels v.s. custom), but the way its applied on your car looks terribly done.

Lines should always be straight (this just looks "cut off" quickly). There's also a huge amount of air under your right side, which combined with the way its installed will lead to a huge gap (and even potentially the entire thing ripping off at high speed) once you've washed the car a few times.

Can't really judge on costs as im from a diff geo, but the would be immediately sent back by me (and have had 10+ different wraps installed over my car life).

 

[bmah]

I don't know a lot about wraps (my X is MSM with clear PPF) but I wouldn't be very happy if it looked like that.

Bruce.

 

[zoomer0056]

Seams are normal there but could be done without but requires more skill than these guys have. Those seams are bad. They overlap instead of being buttjoined. What about that booger under the film to the left of the right seam and the huge bubble to the right? You can see original white color on the left seam. That patch job on the left seam is like a black eye, very noticeable. I wouldn't let them butcher it some more before taking it to another shop for another opinion.

 

[Nizzore]

That looks like absolute garbage. They should've used a knifeless tape to get a perfectly even, straight (invisible) seam. Look up on YouTube how real pros do this. It's not this. Take it back and demand it be done right or get some cash back to take it elsewhere.

 

[ElmoHongZito]

Seams are normal there but could be done without but requires more skill than these guys have. Those seams are bad. They overlap instead of being buttjoined. What about that booger under the film to the left of the right seam and the huge bubble to the right? You can see original white color on the left seam. That patch job on the left seam is like a black eye, very noticeable. I wouldn't let them butcher it some more before taking it to another shop for another opinion.

Yeah I noticed all that as well. They are going to redo but in my conversation with them yesterday I was told that the extreme heat we have had in the last few days made the film settle back more than it normally would. Like when I picked it up the day before I took that picture it did not have the bubble and you could not see the original white color. Not trying to defend them at all. They did a pretty shitty job on that panel. Period. The “bugger” you see under the film I saw when I picked up and they told me that its the bumper itself that has that little imperfection and they can’t sand it down they would be removing clear coat and paint. I am skeptical. To me it looks like a little pebble sediment stuck to the wrap when they were placing it and they noticed a little too late.

They also claim that most places use primer/glue to make wrap stick to vehicles and that when they redo a wrap of a vehicle they previously wrapped, it takes 3 hours to peel off the wrap versus 3 days when another company did the wrap (due to primer/glue) and that clear coating and paint tend to come off original car as they are pulling wraps done by other companies.

They also say that the lambo dealer and other high end dealers in the area (mercedes, ect) send their vehicles to get wrapped with them. I know thats hard to believe looking at the picture I sent.

I am going to give them some benefit of doubt since I kind of have no other option at this point.

I told them if they have to use primer/glue on this panel to get it done right with one piece (no seams) then so be it. I guess I’ll deal with any repercussions ata future date.

The biggest hassle for me is that they are close to an hour away from where I live. Having to coordinate to drop it off with my wife and our other vehicle and same for picking up has been a nightmare. I only went to them because the owner of the dealer where I purchased the car referred me to them saying they are legit and he got me a discount of about $600 which may not have been much of a discount anyway since it appears that they charge on the higher end compared to other places. But again, I went to them because it was a referral and I wanted it done right. So far that has bitten me in the rear end. Live and learn I guess.

 

[Falcon73]

I'm a novice when it comes to wraps, but I've put some on our MX (not the front), but this doesn't look like the work of a pro. It looks like what would happen if I tried to wrap the front as an amateur. There's no way I'd settle for this if I had paid, especially $4k!

 

[everydaychris]

was told at the shop that you have to do that. although mine looks way cleaner with just one slit. But yeah you can't do it in one piece

 

[Jarends]

I've seen wraps, this is a poor job...