Wrapping or Painting: What’s the Best Look for Your Race Car?

Wrapping or Painting: What’s the Best Look for Your Race Car?

Wrapping or Painting: What’s the Best Look for Your Race Car?

Lucy Wyndham
22 October 2018

Car paint is essential for protecting the material beneath. While a steel or carbon fiber body would race faster without the paint, its durability would be significantly limited. When a car is used for racing, rust and corrosion is accelerated, so a thin coating weatherproofs your vehicle. However, what if you don’t like the color of your car? You have two options: either repaint or apply a wrap. Each option has advantages and disadvantages, so it depends on your personal tastes and requirements.

What Look Do You Want?

If you love cars, then you probably want them to look as authentic and fresh as possible. In this case, it is a good idea to decorate your vehicle’s body using real paint. This will allow you to achieve that fresh out the factory aesthetic. If your car’s paint has become scratched out on the racetrack, then a lick of paint is often a quicker option than a full panel wrap. However, if you are looking for a completely new car design, which is entirely unique, then wrapping is probably for you.

Wrapping is Usually Cheaper and Faster

Race cars are often being redecorated regularly, with each new competition demanding new colors, team names and sponsors across the bodywork. In this case, you will probably want to do what is cheapest and fastest. In most cases, a wrap will set you back between $1395 and $7250. This means it is affordable to do several times a year. A full paint job, conversely, can cost up to $10,00. It can also take up to three weeks before you can drive the vehicle again, whereas a full rewrap will have on back on the road within 3 days. This is perfect if you are on a tight schedule.

How Good is the Current Paint Job?

Another thing to bear in mind is the state of your current paintwork. If there are any imperfections at all, then a vinyl wrap won’t work. These tiny bumps will show up beneath the wrap, making it look messy. In this instance, you will need to repaint the car before wrapping anyway, at which point you may as well just leave it as it is.

Unless, of course, you want to protect the paint beneath. Even if your paint job is absolutely on point, wrapping your car will ensure that it remains perfect. This means that, when it comes to selling, you will have preserved much of the value of your vehicle, even after years of pushing it to its limits on the racetrack.

If you are looking to redecorate your car, then you have two options. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so it will depend on personal preference. Wrapping is often cheaper and much quicker. However, painting will keep your car looking shiny and new. It is also good for a quick repair of scuff marks. Whichever you choose, make sure your car looks great when it hits the racetrack.