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" Those cool matte finish paint jobs now in vogue are a royal pain to maintain. You could, for example, accidentally rub your car shiny while washing it. Forget about easy scuff or scratch repair. And just think of how dated things will look when the matte fad fades. Installing a vinyl wrap lets you try a different color with a few hours&amp;#039; effort and then yank it off when you&amp;#039;ve had enough. Bonus: While you&amp;#039;re enjoying the new look, your paint is protected from sun damage. The sticky stuff pros at 3M produce matte and satin finish wraps, including metallic and pearl colors\u2014not to mention patterns like carbon fiber, wood grain, and brushed stainless steel. We picked a 1988 Volkswagen Cabriolet as a test bed for 3M&amp;#039;s Scotchprint Satin Pearl White. The car&amp;#039;s lack of complex curves simplified things, but 3M still recommended we seek professional guidance. Lyle Beckwith of Vinyl Styles in San Carlos, California, has been applying wraps for almost a decade and was kind enough to teach us some tricks of the trade.  Image: To eliminate visible seams, we removed the car&amp;#039;s badges, mirrors, handles, trim, bumpers, and lights as well as the factory side skirts and fender flares. Think of modern wrap film as incredibly thin, forgiving contact paper that stretches easily and can be reapplied multiple times during installation. Wrapping an entire car is a big job, but it takes far less time and money than new paint. Chiefly, it&amp;#039;s something a patient do-it-yourselfer can do over a long weekend.  Image: Intricate details like this hood vent add significant time to the project. Be on the lookout and plan accordingly when deciding if a wrap is for you. Reversibility is also a plus: Provided your paint was in good shape to begin with, you can remove the wrap with no ill effects. 3M warrants its wrap&amp;#039;s finish for up to three years but says the vinyl lasts up to seven. The sole caveat is that removal becomes more difficult as the glue ages, a process that&amp;#039;s accelerated if your car sits outside in the hot sun.  Image:Corners are nothing to fear: First cut about an inch of overlap. Then make two incisions to form a V-shaped tab. Wrap it around, rip it off, done. The vinyl is far too thin to protect your paint from chips or scratches, and we&amp;#039;ve found that road grime and some oils leave a stain that requires a spritz of detailing spray and careful cleaning to remove. What&amp;#039;s the wrap like to remove once it&amp;#039;s aged? We&amp;#039;ll let you know in a few years. Pro Tips:  Do be sure the car is spotless before starting. The trade-off: Once done, upkeep&amp;#039;s a breeze. Just wash normally, no waxing required. Don&amp;#039;t forget to remove all trim and make sure\u2014again\u2014that everything is clean. Dislodged grit and static electricity can equal unsightly pimples in the finish.  Do have dents and dings removed before wrapping. Matte and satin finishes show these more clearly than gloss paint.  Don&amp;#039;t rotate the film. Some wrap finishes, like our pearl white, are directional. The change will be obvious.  Complex curves and shapes require no cutting\u20143M&amp;#039;s material stretches to 130 percent of its original size and holds shape once applied. Use adhesive primer on big-stretch areas (including film tucked around corners) to prevent lifting. Do be bold with your color choice. Just make sure it works with your interior. Don&amp;#039;t let the sticky side of the vinyl touch itself or the adhesive will transfer, leaving an uneven surface. Do minimize the number of seams by using the largest possible pieces of wrap. Align the seams along your car&amp;#039;s edges and contours to help them blend in.  Don&amp;#039;t stress about air bubbles. Unlike window tint, the film stretches and its adhesive breathes. Just squish bubbles with your finger. Do respect the VW Cabrio. It&amp;#039;s a MK1 GTI underneath. Its owner loves it, even if it does make him look like Debbie Gibson&amp;#039;s chauffeur.  Cost Comparison Price of show quality matte pearl paint: $10,000 Typical cost to have your car wrapped in vinyl film: $3000 One roll of film, a heat gun, primer, and basic install tools: $1000 DIY Wrap SPY SHOTS: Volkswagen Beetle R "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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