[6MT_Addict]

Hey all,

Long time Bimmer owner, first time posting on the X3 page. Picked up a 'new to me' 2015 X3 35i back in 2018, Space Grey with the M Sport and Tech packages. When I was searching I really wanted either a red or blue one, but there are only so many on the market and the Space Grey had everything I was looking for as far as options go at a killer price so I pulled the trigger.

With Covid happening I'm on reduced hours/working from home so I've got some time to kill. Having taken care of a ton of house work, caught up on some vehicle maintenance, and generally getting low on my to-do list, I decided it was time to have some fun. And why not learn how to wrap a car... I am fortunate to have a great friend who does this for a living and loaned me some tools/gave tons of advice. Youtube was also great for learning, and after going through my colour swatch book of 3M 1080 I picked up years back when I wrapped some interior trim on my E82, I ordered 1 yard of 3M 1080 Cosmic Blue Metallic, and 1 yard of Dragon Fire Red Metallic as samples from ND Graphics, a Canadian company who receives product direct from 3M.

Comparing the two, the answer was clear to go with Cosmic Blue; it has tons of depth and the Dragon Fire Red ends up being very 'flat' by comparison, not in the gloss vs satin sense, but rather it doesn't have the same level of highlights the blue did.





After placing the order, the wait was on to receive the shipment... and once it arrived I got busy taking off all the exterior bits, washing and clay barring them, and other general prep.

What I initially thought I could do in a weekend (wayyyy too optimistic) ended up taking 13 days over two weeks (one rest day), of only work/eat/sleep/wrap. About half way through I was really questioning my decision but I powered through and absolutely love the results. The early panels took way longer and have more mistakes but by the end I'm happy to say I was a well oiled machine.

I also was not happy using the one-time-use plastic trim rivets in the wheel wells, so I replaced all 32 of them with 8mm screws and metal retainers from BMW - they are the same ones on all the E chassis vehicles in this spot as far back as the E30 or E46, and with some minor modification in a couple places worked perfectly. Glad I did this as I had to pull some of the wheel arch trim off afterwards to replace broken retaining pins with new ones I grabbed a week later from my local dealer. FWIW, cost of the new screws/clips was around $90 CAD with a discount from my dealer (I am often able to get reduced pricing with them), and the cost of 32 new pins was around $110 CAD, again at reduced cost. List was around $4/ea CAD, so $140ish at full price. Clips and screws also worked out close to the same ($4/set) at full price.



Without any further delay... the results.

Body: 3M 1080 Cosmic Blue
Roof/Mirrors/Trim: 3M 2080 Gloss Black
Rear emblem: Satin Black paint
Rear roundel edge: Black plasti-dip
Front grilles: Black plasti-dip, done previously

Before Shots:






In Progress Shots:














Final result:

[NYCX5M50i]

nice work dude.

[Bowtiefanatc]

Great work!! I was looking at trying that too but it’s a bit daunting.

[6MT_Addict]

Originally Posted by Bowtiefanatc

Great work!! I was looking at trying that too but it's a bit daunting.

Thanks! It's an undertaking, and you need to be able to live without the vehicle for the length of time it takes to do it. It's also incredibly meticulous... the panel faces aren't too bad for the most part, it's the edging and seaming that's gets super time consuming. The rear liftgate for example is 4 pieces; piece above the glass, 3 pieces below the glass, all lapped and cut with 3M knifeless tape. Getting the tape set, edges primed, etc. bad then terminations done requires a steady hand and patience.

I say go for it just do your research and try to get a good picture of what you're in for. Maybe grab a yard and try doing a door or something as a test if you're uncertain.

Bumpers are a PIA by the way lol.

[HPR]

Looks like excellent work. More than I would attempt...that's for sure. Flat panel areas don't look like they'd be too difficult, but the bumper covers really do look like a PITA as you said. Very nice looking end product. Kudos.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Wow, and you did that yourself? Bravo! Well done. And here am I debating whether or not put some racing stripes on my 2006 Mustang,...

[pungo]

Very impressive work, especially for a 1st timer. That blue really pops

[383vett]

Nicely done! Can I bring my X3 over next weekend?

[Bowtiefanatc]

Originally Posted by 6MT_Addict

I say go for it just do your research and try to get a good picture of what you're in for. Maybe grab a yard and try doing a door or something as a test if you're uncertain.

Bumpers are a PIA by the way lol.

I was wondering if the vinyl would cause any issues with the parking distance sensors at all.

[6MT_Addict]

Originally Posted by Bowtiefanatc

I was wondering if the vinyl would cause any issues with the parking distance sensors at all.

Nope! As long as they are stuck to the face it's fine. When people have PDC issues after a wrap it's usually related to the wiring, maybe someone forgot to reconnect something for example.

[6MT_Addict]

Originally Posted by MADBMWX3

Wow, and you did that yourself? Bravo! Well done. And here am I debating whether or not put some racing stripes on my 2006 Mustang,...

Thanks!

I say go for it! Get yourself some 3M design line knifeless tape though, it'll make that job a breeze. Check out YouTube to learn how to use it, it's really cool stuff.

[6MT_Addict]

Originally Posted by HPR

Looks like excellent work. More than I would attempt...that's for sure. Flat panel areas don't look like they'd be too difficult, but the bumper covers really do look like a PITA as you said. Very nice looking end product. Kudos.

Thanks! Yeah the bumpers are really an art form by the professionals I think. My buddy suggested doing the front in about 5 pieces and lap edges, which I did. The fog lights are a separate piece for example as are the recessed area for the radiator grilles, then it all laps over. The majority is one piece though, it took three days to do the front bumper and three to do the rear liftgate + rear bumper. Those concave areas get really tricky.

[Kitzhabersucks]

Beautiful Work!

[dtox9]

Excellent Job !!! Looks Amazing in those photos!

[Habsone]

Excellent work.

[Phil Devtec]

Great job man!

[Jsidriver51]

It looks fantastic! I wrapped my BRZ before with my wife and it came out pretty ok (not as good as yours). We just got an X3 M40i and are considering wrapping it. How much wrap did you order for the project and did you end up using all of it?

[6MT_Addict]

Originally Posted by Jsidriver51

It looks fantastic! I wrapped my BRZ before with my wife and it came out pretty ok (not as good as yours). We just got an X3 M40i and are considering wrapping it. How much wrap did you order for the project and did you end up using all of it?

Nice! Post up some pics of you do.

I don't remember the quantity, I estimated the entire perimeter plus length of the hood and roof, plus a 10% extra contingency and used pretty much all of it. I only have small scraps left.

[JSGR8]

Stunning.

[6MT_Addict]

FWIW, had a tree fall on my hood back in August 2020, minor denting to the hood but the wrap saved the paint. The tree scratched and tore the wrap but it took the brunt of it.

PDR and a polish had it all fixed, plus a new piece of wrap to the hood, all covered by insurance!