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Thread: [DIY] "OEM"-Look B Pillar Wrap/Vinyl

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    Lightbulb [DIY] "OEM"-Look B Pillar Wrap/Vinyl

    My first entry, of hopefully many DIY projects.

    First off: "OEM"-Look B Pillar Wrap/Vinyl


    I was trying to achieve this, this is an OEM image of it:
    Bigger picture:



    Disclaimer:
    I know some people have done this before, but this is just to show how I did it. Others probably have done it better. There are countless amount of videos you can watch in youtube.

    And yes, you CAN scratch your car if you are not careful in trimming your vinyl. You do not need to press hard on it.
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    Requirements:
    • Any(?) carbon fibre wrap that you could find
    • Knife
    • Soft Squeegee
    • Alcohol
    • Microfibre wipes or paper towel
    • Patience
    • Determination

    Duration
    10mins to an 1 hour per door.
    I have spent more time doing the cleaning (probably did it 4x time each door), compared to the actual time sticking the vinyl
    Quick Notes:
    The problem with patterned fabric/wrap/vinyl, is they may have specific "way" of how their pattern is created. I got me DesignerWraps Carbon Fibre - Black.

    If you take a cut of the same pattern and using it on the other side of the car, then you'll have the same pattern, not a mirrored pattern.

    As an exercise, take this picture below, save it. Crop the two rectangles, rotate one of them 90degrees.


    If you are like me, I made sure that both sides of the car will have the same-mirrored pattern. Luckily, their carbon fibre design has equal "squares" and "lengths" of the pattern. So rotating it results in similar visual pattern.
    Preparation: (OPTIONAL)
    I know some, will only cut and put vinyl on the flat area of the B pillar, but not me, I wanted to be sure the vinyl will be seamless and make's the two windows of the door as "one".

    Check the OEM picture above and you'll notice that near the bottom window runner channel of the door, the vinyl is cut-off.

    1. Put window all the way down.

      Front Door:
    2. Remove window runner channel by prying it out by hand.



      Rear Door:
    3. For some reason, the bottom runner channel on the rear door is locked in and you can only put the channel to the side


    Cleaning:
    1. Clean area where vinyl will be placed
    2. Wipe dry
    3. Alcohol-wipe ONLY the areas that will be used. AFAIK Alcohol removes wax, and vinyl does not stick properly to wax.
    4. Wipe dry


    Repeat all steps above as necessary, assuring it is clean AF.

    Note:
    • Any dirt, grime, whatever, that are not cleaned MAY leave a mark visible on the vinyl
    • Any vinyl NOT sticking on to the car is a failure waiting to happen.




    Next page...


    Attached Images Attached Images             
    Last edited by iamSkanob; 08-09-2020 at 02:29 PM.

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    Making the pattern
    Make a pattern that overshoots from the target area, I made about 20mm in each sides. and about 50mm top and bottom.

    1. Cut a rectangle from your vinyl, enough to cover
    First Part, Sticking the Vinyl
    1. Peel backing of the top area first
    2. Stick top accordingly to where it should be placed

    3. Use squeegee to guide the vinyl down, while pulling the backing downwards as you go.

    4. Use ruler to create a perfect straight, for the bottom

    5. Cut excess via knife.

    6. Use the molding of the doors as your guide to cut the top


      You should have this:
    Trimming excess vinyl
    1. Trim excess vinyl by following the inner door itself as your guide. Making sure that the top and bottom will overshoot the top rubber runner channel and bottom window grill.
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    2. Save your excess later on as we will be needing it later on.
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    3. You'll need a hair dryer and your squeegee to make it a little bit easier to stick the vinyl on curvy parts.
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    4. You'll need very small amount of heat to ease the vinyl, and immediately sticking the vinyl with the squeegee. REMEMBER: Heat shrinks the vinyl.
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    5. Make sure to not forget the vinyl that overshoots top rubber runner channel and bottom window grill.
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    Finishing off
    1. Trim the middle, at exact middle as you can.
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    2. Folding in the inner doors vinyl.
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    Attached Images Attached Images        
    Last edited by iamSkanob; 08-09-2020 at 02:21 PM.

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    Inner inside B Pillar: (OPTIONAL)
    Unfortunately, the rear door in the mirage is missing the rubber runner that other cars have that hides the inner B Pillar:
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    Note my wife's 2013 Mitsi Outlander's:
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    So I using the excess trims, I used it to cover just enough to "close" it:
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    TA-DA:
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    Last edited by iamSkanob; 08-09-2020 at 02:30 PM.

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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iamSkanob View Post
    and another one.. I'll finish this tomorrow..

    Looks good!
    Definitely gives your Mirage a bit of an edge with styling. You did a good job. Honestly I'm usually skeptical about some DIY because I see fails. But this looks genuinely good.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by dspace9 View Post
    Looks good!
    Definitely gives your Mirage a bit of an edge with styling. You did a good job. Honestly I'm usually skeptical about some DIY because I see fails. But this looks genuinely good.
    Cheers mate!

    Finished the guide. Why are the pictures rotated?

    Few more pictures:
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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iamSkanob View Post
    Cheers mate!

    Finished the guide. Why are the pictures rotated?

    Few more pictures:
    Attachment 18928

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    Yea eh I dunno, the first photo didn't load, but 2 did. The one with the impressive tree behind your car loaded. And then the close up of your B pillar with the carbon on it. That photo loaded up fine too.

    So dunno what is going on with the one photo.

    Car looks good though! Cool tree.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Great write up!

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    Did this on my son's Mirage

    Quote Originally Posted by iamSkanob View Post
    Making the pattern


    First Part, Sticking the Vinyl


    Trimming excess vinyl


    Finishing off
    Thank you for the step by step.
    Happy with the result of my own DIY based on yours.
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