DIY: Wrap b-pillars and mirrors in 3M 1080 carbon textured vinyl
 

1st of all, I need to apologize about some of the pics being blurry (iPhone5).
2nd of all, the 3M product is not a replacement for true carbon fiber. It does not look the same as good carbon fiber, and if you don't prime and prep your surfaces, it will come up and off in hot/humid temperatures.

Materials/Tools:
3M Di-Noc Matte Black Carbon Textured Vinyl (24"x48"): Link
Squeegee: Link(preferred squeegee I like) Squeegee in DIY wsa from an old kit I had in the attic (BlackMagic tint kit with squeegee)
Watch tool used for various applications (VERY useful): Link1 Link2
Alcohol (not the drinking type - unless you are from Alabama/Tenn/Georgia/Virginia)

Start with the b-pillars, as they are the flattest and require the least amount of manipulation of the vinyl:


B-PILLARS:

1. Trace the outline of your b-pillar exactly, not the sides or where the marking utensil meets the molding or glass.
2. Cut out the tracing and use as a stencil for the back of your 3M product. (I put an "A" on one side of the stencil and a "B" on the other to assist)
3. Mark the back of the 3M material with an A and B as well.
   http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8366/8...04038186_c.jpg
4. Cut the product 1/4" larger than your stencil.
   http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8503/8...f02a7c56_c.jpg
   
5. Get the rest of your tools prepared. -3M "94" primer, utility knife or equivalent, 3M squeegee or equivalent, alcohol, cloths, hair dryer or heat gun. (iPhone blurry pics - sorry)
   http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8363/8...d9d42e1c_c.jpg
   http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8076/8...ece2f723_c.jpg
6. Prepare the surface by lightly rubbing a alcohol-damp cloth over the b-pillar to remove dust, excess wax/sealer.
7. Open your door for the rest of the installation.
8. Get another cloth and fold to get a clean corner and dip into primer. Spread onto b-pillar at the top only and then grab your cutout for the side you are working on.
9. Line up the cutout and peel back the top half of the 3M backing. Tack down the top of the cutout.
10. Lift the cutout up, not too much as to pull it off the b-pillar, and begin applying the primer (using a clean corner each time a dip is required) and carefully lay down the product - chasing any bubbles as you go.
11. Once laid, run the squeegee over the vinyl, starting from the center and going to each edge/corner.
12. You now have a sticker that's planted flat on your b-pillar, extending 1/4" over in each direction.
13. Use the squeegee and run the edge back behind the b-pillar. I used the heat gun here to assist in activating the tacking agent on the vinyl.
    http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8084/8...f10cb975_c.jpg
14. Perform the exact same actions for the top and bottom overlays.
    http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8...aee73144_c.jpg
    http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8...a56f90db_c.jpg
    NOTE: I used heat at the corners to activate the tacking agent on the vinyl and make it malleable to wrap around the backside.
15. Stand back and admire the b-pillar!
    http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8...e9eda5d2_c.jpg

Mirrors:

1. Cut out 2 pieces of the 3M 1080 product: 14"x10"
2. Prepare the mirrors as you did with the b-pillars except for the primer.
3. Pull the outside half of the backing off (furthest from the window) the vinyl and tack the center of the vinyl to the mirror.
4. Start laying the vinyl 1"-2" towards the top of the mirror, using the heat gun/hair dryer to ensure no creases start forming.
5. Switch to the bottom, laying to the bottom of the mirror using the primer under it this time.
6. Switch to the side, only laying 1"-2" of the material using heat and ensuring no creases begin. (Pull back the vinyl and use heat to make the product go back to form if necessary).
7. Each time you get to the edge of the mirror, apply some primer.
8. Go back to the top again and repeat until the product covers all of the outside cover.
9. Pull off the remaining 3M backing and repeat the process on the inside hlaf of the vinyl until the mirror is covered.
   http://www.the370z.com/members/cdepp...-vinyl-wip.jpg
   http://www.the370z.com/members/cdepp...-vinyl-wip.jpg
10. Using the heat gun/hair dryer, use a good amount of heat around the edging of the mirror for 2 purposes: to activate the tacking adhesion, and while it's very warm, press hard with a squeegee or your fingernail so you can see the edge of the mirror.
11. VERY CAREFULLY trim the product to the mirror using your utility or exact-o knife.

Admire your work::tup:
http://www.the370z.com/members/cdepp...1080-vinyl.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8...99f6ab7b_c.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8188/8...179afebc_c.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8360/8...9040ab9b_c.jpg

If this doesn't get me Rep points, then I may have to resort to selling myself on the corner for them. :ugh2:

For anyone in the Charlotte area wanting to do this and needs assistance, PM me. I won't charge, but I will need your assistance as well for the fangs and the rear area around the fog. (asking the fiance for help is requesting my own death sentence)

Very COOL! +1

Good DIY. :tup:

Yeah, but does your milkshake bring all the boys to the yard???

And how much do you charge???

have you done the fang yet?

Not yet. Besides the weather turning real quick in the wrong direction for me wanting to do my own on my own time, I have to order some more material. I expect by April or May to have this. If anyone wants to do theirs, I'd be willing to help if they have all the materials in hand (primer and vinyl).:tup:

pm me, i might make the drive from raleigh to do this

Do you know if the primer will damage the paint? At some point I may want to remove or replace the vinyl and want to make sure that this doesn't ruin the painted surface underneath. Is the primer reovable?

I haven't seen it leave any permanent damage. In my few years of working with vinyl, the worst my boss and I saw was someone using a stronger grade primer. I light buffing with a paint thinner-damp cloth took it off without damage to the clear coat. However, the Nissan paint "is" quite softer than most I've worked with. I'll take off the vinyl and post some pics of the covers without cleaning them and list instructions how to clean them is needed. Most cases I've seen, the primer, which should be applied very thin, will come up with the overlay, and a quick wipe with alcohol will get any residue.

For reference, it was easier to get the primer off than it was to remove double sided tape from badges.

3 minutes total time to remove:

Results-
http://www.the370z.com/members/cdepp...0765-image.jpg
Light residue, removed with a light wiping from an alcohol-damp cloth
http://www.the370z.com/members/cdepp...0766-image.jpg
A little chilly outside, so the vinyl ripped. Always pull at a 45-90 maximum degree angle up, and never pull over the stuck material. I'm not certain how better to explain that, but if you're pulling the media up and you find yourself pulling over 90 degrees from the part that still applied, you run a high risk of the glue separating from the vinyl and not the paint.
http://www.the370z.com/members/cdepp...0767-image.jpg
Driver's side came up MUCH cleaner than the passenger's. I actually took this side off first.

Although I've never required it, 3M makes an adhesive remover, but I trust alcohol better.

"Clean up: 3M primer 94 can be removed with isopropyl alcohol. Vigorous scrubbing may be required."-I've never had to scrub.

Sounds good. I believe there was another who reached out to me, maybe we'll make it a meetup/lunch/mod-day later in the year.

Appeciate the explanation on the ad pro. Didn't mean for you to have to peel off your vinyl to demonstrate!

It's not a problem. It also helps for me to know how resilient the soft paint actually is. They have now been on in snow, heat/sun, and rain. I would suggest that if any vinyl has been applied to any surface for over a year to do it in very warm weather or gently warm the material with a heat gun or hair dryer.

I can prolly redo the mirrors in 15-20 min tops.

For those interested: I've been running with these for about a year now and the 3M vinyl has held up very well. Even through an ice storm I drove through, one bad enough where the windshield wipers froze 5 miles from home:
http://www.the370z.com/members/cdepp...1027-image.jpg