Project - Car Wrap, 2012 F-Sport Bumper, Led Headlamps And Turn Signal

[ahmed24]

I havent done much to my Lexus for a while now and hence have not been active on the forum. Here is my latest project:

I picked up a cheap second-hand 2012 f-sport bumper for £30 which needed a bit of filler work. So decided the amount of money that will go into a quality paint job, if I put a bit more on top I could embark on DIY wrapping project and fancied a colour change to Pearl white with gloss black roof, door handles and mirrors. I thought I would give the car a makeover to freshen it up.

Chose to do my wrap during the summer holidays, along with this I managed to source one second-hand 2012 LED headlamp and the other I purchased brand new at a discount from Lexus Birmingham. I also installed the new mirror casings that come with turn signals. I used the Hexis brand wrap.

I've wired The LED headlamps to work just like stock setup (full brightness with lights off, dim mode as soon as sidelights are turned on).

Information regarding OEM ballast removal:

There seems to be alot of youtube videos and guides out there that instruct you to pry open your headlamp lens just to remove the ballast. I can confirm that this is not necessary. Why would Lexus be selling headlamp units without ballasts, if you then had to pry open the sealed lens just to get the ballast installed. The ballast can be transferred simply by removing the internal connector and fishing out the wire.

I am planning to have the wheels re-finished in black and paint the callipers red.

Some tips for anyone wanting to do any sort of wrapping:

1. Do not wrap in extremely hot weathers, it's an absolute NO NO.

2. Do not wrap in cold weathers either, as the film won't adhere well and the adhesive will not cure properly

3. I know people say to use a heat-gun, but do not overkill it with heat-gun, try to naturally squeegee it in place, and save the heat gun method for complex curves and recesses.

4. Vinyl wrap will still be susceptible to stone chips just like paint. But advantage would be that your main paint will have an extra layer of protection.

Here is a photo gallery of the summer project:

[ahmed24]

Some more pics:

[ahmed24]

More pics:

[agent_dess]

Wholly sh*t that's sweeeeeeeeeeeet :)

Very nicely done..... i would never have the guts to rip my car apart like that lol

How long did it all take?

Out of curiosity do you have to inform DVLA of the colour change?

[TigerFish]

very impressive work. Any bits that haven't come out as well as you'd hoped (from a wrinkle free finish perspective)?

[David RX450h]

The transformation is truly amazing. What a great job!

[stevet]

WoW! Have you not got a tv? :)

[ahmed24]

How long did it all take?

Doing a DIY wrap of an entire car is very time consuming. Wrapping the panels itself doesnt take very long, e.g. bonnet 30mins, doors 30mins each. The bumpers took a few hours each. However the most time consuming part is prepping the panels, carefully removing the panels and neatly tucking away the vinyl. I spent over 2 weeks on the entire project, took my time doing it and didnt want to rush it.

Out of curiosity do you have to inform DVLA of the colour change?

Yes you do. There is alot info on the net about how it's a temp colour change and hence no need. DVLA now require any sort of colour change to be declared whether temp or not.

Any bits that haven't come out as well as you'd hoped (from a wrinkle free finish perspective)?

Only area is underneath the front bumper where the F-Sport fog spoilers fit, the design in that area is extremely curved and it is impossible to form the vinyl there without overstretching, so instead i worked it all out right to the bottom and created a few overlap creases. But this cannot be seen unless you go under the car.

[MrW]

Awesome job. Big wheels next?

[stevet]

I'd of just got a white ISF.

[Exdee]

I painted my calipers the other day and was feeling like a DIY Pro.

Ahh the ignorance....

Any issues with the AFS light blinking? Heard about issues with installing the new headlights on older cars.

[Bluesman]

What a brilliant job and a testament to your skill and patience. Mike

[ahmed24]

Some more pics that i forgot to include:

[IHgs300]

Awesome job, I'd be proud to drive that.

[ahmed24]

Awesome job, I'd be proud to drive that.

Thanks Ian

Any issues with the AFS light blinking? Heard about issues with installing the new headlights on older cars.

You are correct, the new LED headlamps no longer come with AFS either because of cutting costs to accommodate the cost of building the LEDs or lack of space due to the LEDs. Hence on the newer cars their is no AFS system so no need for the car to monitor the AFS system. By installing these headlamps on a car that has AFS causes our system to detect an AFS fault and hence the AFS OFF light flashes. This does not have any effect on anything, its simply an alert indicating that there is a malfunction on the AFS and hence the system has been turned off. I rectified this by applying a dab of black bodykit glue (silicone like) on top of the AFS LED inside the instrument cluster.

Awesome job. Big wheels next?

Well to stay within the small budget of the entire project, I am considering just having the existing ones refinished in black until i come across some nice bigger set of wheels. It's quite hard finding a nice set of black wheels to suit the finish. Any suggestions anyone?

[normski2]

An amazing show of talent, dexterity, skill and perseverance....well done indeed.

Dare I say...... You might want to look at the facelift rear light cluster. The design of the reversing light will mimic the DRL shape at the front.

[ahmed24]

An amazing show of talent, dexterity, skill and perseverance....well done indeed.

Dare I say...... You might want to look at the facelift rear light cluster. The design of the reversing light will mimic the DRL shape at the front.

Thanks normski2, Yes I am planning to have the facelift rear light clusters with the clear outer versions as apposed to the amber versions. There are two facelift versions pictured below, i'm planning on the second combo. Just waiting to get a good deal on a pair for second-hand. Cost must be low :)

[agent_dess]

I'm loving the rear of the car man... Can I pay u to come do mines lol

Good job once again :)

I did someone wrapping on the interior earlier this year:

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/80974-carbon-fibre-wrapping-my-is-250/?hl=%2Bcarbon+%2Bfibre

[normski2]

An amazing show of talent, dexterity, skill and perseverance....well done indeed.Dare I say...... You might want to look at the facelift rear light cluster. The design of the reversing light will mimic the DRL shape at the front.

Thanks normski2, Yes I am planning to have the facelift rear light clusters with the clear outer versions as apposed to the amber versions. There are two facelift versions pictured below, i'm planning on the second combo. Just waiting to get a good deal on a pair for second-hand. Cost must be low :)

Yep, either is good. It's that L shape that ticks all the boxes.

[normski2]

Incidentally, where are you in the UK?

Gonna keep a look out for ya.

[normski2]

I should say, I work in the field of vinyl wrapped products ( but in the furniture domain) so I am mightily intrigued to see what you have achieved at close quarters.

[normski2]

If any mods have viewed this post...can I propose that this post merits a sticky?

Seriously, this guy has shown extreme skill and vision that merits being right up there at the front of the forum.....well, in my humble opinion anyway.

[ahmed24]

Incidentally, where are you in the UK?

Gonna keep a look out for ya.

Thanks normski2. I thought I had my location on my Profile but seems not. I've updated it now. I'm in London.

[immortaltech]

awesome work that!

[IHgs300]

If any mods have viewed this post...can I propose that this post merits a sticky?

Seriously, this guy has shown extreme skill and vision that merits being right up there at the front of the forum.....well, in my humble opinion anyway.

I have just read all of this topic again and totally agree with you. Topic pinned.