Before making any big decision like getting your smart car wrapped, it’s best to do your due diligence and have a thorough understanding of what that entails.
Smart cars are wonderful compact vehicles with great gas mileage, and the last thing you want is to do something that would damage it.
Can Vinyl Wrap Cover Damage?
Like all vehicles, your smart car’s clear coat and paint are vulnerable to sun damage.
You can use a vinyl wrap to cover up faded paint so long as there aren’t large paint chips risking further damage when your wrap is removed.
If your smart car has badly damaged paint, you will still be able to see it under the vinyl since the wrap is incredibly thin and it may not adhere on very well leading to the vinyl peeling.
Although large paint chips and scratches will show up under a wrap and can cause additional damage, a wrap can be used to cover superficial scratches, dents, sun damage, and abrasions on your existing paint.
Will a Vinyl Wrap Prevent Damage?
When looking for protection, if you consider paint protection film vs. vinyl wrap, paint protection film wins hands down.
This being said, vinyl wraps provide a lot that paint protection film does not and vinyl still provides some protection.
If your smart car gets a scratch, the vinyl wrap will get scratched instead of your paint job which is much more difficult to repair.
There are various heat-inducing techniques that professionals can use to remove a scratch in a vinyl wrap. Sometimes, just leaving your vinyl wrap in the sun to heat up will be enough for an abrasion to heat up and reform to its original shape.
What Options Exist For Wrapping Smart Cars
The aesthetic options for wrapping your smart car is almost limitless. There are types of vinyl in nearly every color and texture available. Some of these include chrome, chrome deletes, color shifts, pearlescents, camouflages in every color combination, metallics, logos, and company designs.
If you want something more modest and are just looking to change the color of your smart car, there are vinyl options for all standard vehicle colors in gloss and matte.
You could even consider changing the color of just part of your smart car with a roof wrap. This option could set your smart car out from other smart cars without making a huge change!
Can You Wrap Your Smart Car Yourself?
Although you can find do-it-yourself instructions and videos on the internet, it is unlikely to be a good idea, especially if you have a smart car.
First, you may need imperfections in your paint job fixed or your clear coat removed if it is too badly damaged before the vinyl wrap is applied. Additionally, as evidenced by the photo on the left, it is difficult to apply vinyl wraps around corners, around the wheel arch, and around the gas flap.
To complicate matters more, unlike most cars, panels on smart cars curve towards you and away from you. These negative curves can be very difficult to apply vinyl wrap onto. Instead of accepting the possible consequences of trying to apply vinyl wrap without experience, it is wise to go to a local professional like StickerCity to get the best possible wrap job.
How Long Will It Last?
Vinyl wraps are not a permanent anesthetic option. Depending on where you live and the environment it is exposed to, and how you take care of your smart car’s vinyl wrap, you can enjoy it for many years.
Generally, you should expect about 5 years out of your vinyl wrap on average. Of course, higher quality vinyl wraps applied by a professional will last longer than an inexpensive vinyl wrap job done by someone without experience.
In places where your smart car will be exposed to extremes in temperature, the panels most exposed to the sun will need to replace sooner than the other panels.
How Should My Smart Car’s Wrap Be Maintained?
Since contaminants like dirt, bird droppings, squashed bugs, and grime can hurt your vehicle’s vinyl wrap just like it can hurt your paint, it is best to clean your wrapped smart car whenever it becomes dirty.
You can not use any rough cleaning methods such as brushes, abrasive tools, or hard scrubbing. Since most car washes utilize these techniques, it’s advised that you avoid them.
If something is proving to be a problem to get off, try letting hot soapy water sit on the spot. Next, you can try denatured alcohol to remove debris.
If all else fails, you may have to get a cleaning solution that is meant for vinyl wraps like 3M Citrus Base Cleaner. You should not need to apply wax on your vinyl wrap, and can actually hurt matte or textured wraps.
If you have a glossy wrap and just like the look, ensure you know how to apply wax on wrapped vehicles before trying it out.
Can Your Remove The Wrap?
You can remove the wrap, either going back to your original paint or switching to another vinyl wrap. This is significantly easier, cheaper, and faster than getting a new paint job every time you want an aesthetic change.
If your vinyl wrap job was professionally applied, and professionally removed, it should leave your paint in perfect condition after it’s well washed post removal. Do-it-yourself jobs tend to be more difficult to get off without causing damage.
Smart Car Vinyl Recap
Vinyl wraps are great options for smart cars. Not only may it be cheaper because of the compact nature of smart cars, but they can also allow you to achieve any appearance you want while providing some protection from scratches and abrasions.
To get the most life out of your smart car’s vinyl wrap, make sure to properly maintain it, have it applied and removed by a professional, and remove debris when you notice it so it doesn’t cause damage or become difficult to remove.
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