Hello all,
Here's my experience with vinyl wrapping the lower lip of the facelift front bumper.
Difficulty: 4/10
What you'll need:
- 1x facelift Z4 (same method for pre-facelift)
- Vinyl wrap (not sure on size as I had some left over from my roof wrap)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321614960363? ... EBIDX%3AIT
- Felt tipped squeegee - £1.90
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321508705192? ... EBIDX%3AIT
- Clay bar / clay mitt - £10.94
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321803616839? ... EBIDX%3AIT
- Spray bottle filled with soapy water
- Heat gun / hair dryer
- Sharp craft knife
- Scissors
- Preferably a warm, dry day
Time to complete: 1-2 hours
1. Thoroughly clean & clay all areas of bumper in question (including underside!). I used a clay mitt for this (you can also get this exact one from Halfords). I highly recommend it. Make sure to lubricate with soapy water! Bumper should feel perfectly smooth, like glass.
2. Offer vinyl up to bumper and cut roughly to size. You'll need approx 30cm in width and leave extra for length too (always better to have more than you need!)
3. Thoroughly lubricate bumper with soapy water from your spray bottle.
4. Remove backing paper from vinyl sticky side.
5. Lubricate sticky side of vinyl.
6. Place vinyl onto bumper in roughly where you want it. The lubrication will stop it sticking, but slightly hold it from sliding off.
7. Cut strips into top of vinyl to help it conform around the lateral curve of the bumper. See picture for rough size (this is very rough).
8. Starting from the middle and moving to one end, use the squeegee to smooth vinyl out onto bumper. Create more relief cuts if necessary. Then repeat for other end.
9. Repeat for front face. Use more relief cuts were needed.
10. Tuck the vinyl under the bottom of the bumper and smooth out (this doesn't have to be perfect).
11. Use craft knife to cut to shape as desired.
12. Smooth out last few bubbles / creases
13. Remove top protective layer of vinyl and marvel!
Tips:
- For the beginning when you're constantly lifting and shifting the vinyl, keeping both the bumper & sticky side lubricated will definitely help. It will dry out as it goes, slowly gripping more and more. Using the heat gun speeds this up.
- Having your friend pulling on the vinyl to make it flat on the bumper while you squeegee it down helps.
- Slightly raising the front end will also help.
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How to wrap Z4 facelift bumper lower lip!
- Tcochrane92
- Member
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 3:30 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK
How to wrap Z4 facelift bumper lower lip!
Last edited by Tcochrane92 on Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Current: Imola Red 400bhp 640d & Ocean Blue BMW S1000XR Sport SE
Past: Silver Grey Z4MR, Silver Grey Z4C & Titan Silver Z4 3.0i
Past: Silver Grey Z4MR, Silver Grey Z4C & Titan Silver Z4 3.0i
- Tcochrane92
- Member
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 3:30 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK
How to wrap Z4 facelift bumper lower lip!
Current: Imola Red 400bhp 640d & Ocean Blue BMW S1000XR Sport SE
Past: Silver Grey Z4MR, Silver Grey Z4C & Titan Silver Z4 3.0i
Past: Silver Grey Z4MR, Silver Grey Z4C & Titan Silver Z4 3.0i
- Russ59
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1670
- Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:49 pm
- Location: Mansfield Woodhouse
How to wrap Z4 facelift bumper lower lip!
Nice work but why the soapy water? My mate has his own wrapping business and I help him sometimes but he doesn't use water.
2005, 3.0l Toledo Blue, sports seats, sports suspension, ZHP, MFSW,4 clear spot rear lights, clear side repeaters and third brake light , 19" AXE EX14 wheels, DIY carbon badges, interior parts gloss black wrapped, rear spoiler
- Tcochrane92
- Member
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 3:30 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK
How to wrap Z4 facelift bumper lower lip!
As an amateur (2nd time wrapping!), we didn't have the confidence that we could place it correctly the first time. We kept having to lift and reposition it for various reasons. The soap water helps that by delaying the vinyl sticking to the car
Current: Imola Red 400bhp 640d & Ocean Blue BMW S1000XR Sport SE
Past: Silver Grey Z4MR, Silver Grey Z4C & Titan Silver Z4 3.0i
Past: Silver Grey Z4MR, Silver Grey Z4C & Titan Silver Z4 3.0i