May 03, 2005
Still here and very busy

I present to you some interesting MINIs I’ve done lately…

A checkerboard sunroof cover on a Chili Red MINI.

An Electric Blue Union Jack on a Cooper S.

I’ve got a couple more photos to upload yet and the big news is that the next MINI will be number 100! It seems that the steam roller is rolling right along. Last year I was averaging five MINIs a month and in the first four months of 2005, I’m averaging 10 MINIs per month. And to think I’m not even targeting a nationwide audience. I’m only putting graphics on MINIs in Kansas City.

Two years ago I never thought the enthusiasm would last this long and that I’d be making half my living off of MINIs. I’m very happy to be doing so and hoping it will last another two years.

Posted by todd at May 03, 2005 10:11 AM | Trackback
Comments

The big question is, is your sunroof cover perforated?
I would really love to have somewhere else other than cooperflags to refer people.

Posted by: Josh Wardell on May 3, 2005 01:08 PM

My sunroof cover is not perforated ‘yet’. I am in development of such a beast. I’m not positive I will bring it to market but I am testing it.

I’m sure you’ve read that some of the existing perf. covers out there have had issues - all in all they work as advertised but they only last a year or two before they fade or begin to peel. I’m not willing to sell the perf. items until I’m sure they will last and remain looking good for more than two years. New materials and inks are being developed to extend the life of such an installation.

The perf. vinyl that has been on the market over the last couple of years was designed for short term vertical applications like the side of a bus or the rear glass of a truck and not the sunroof of a MINI. According to 3M, their product only has a one to two year life expectancy on vehicles and that’s if it’s installed vertically. The relatively flat and horizontal surface on the top of a car presents issues with additional UV degredation and moisture remaining in contact with the material. With perforated vinyl on a horizontal surface, you’ve basically got a plane of tiny bowls that can hold water - granted it’s a small amount of water but we’re talking about water in contact with the edges of the vinyl. Over time, the water can take its toll on the life of the material.

That’s just a nutshell full of info on my venture into perforated vinyl installations. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by: todd on May 3, 2005 03:18 PM

I certainly understand all the issues. But it would be worth it even if it only lasted two years.

My perfed cooperflags sunroof also has a solid clear layer over the perf layer, which solves most of those issues. It basically is 3 layers. THat does cause its own issues though. My first application had horrible stretching and wrinkling issues. My second one went on great, and held up just fine to all elements, until my body shop got a hold of the car. When I got it back from them some parts of the top clear layer were missed off. The car had been baked after painting, so you can imagine this had an effect, if not I also suspect the guys who detailed it after, rubbing too hard and scraping off layers, probably a combination of both. Nothing more came off for months, and when it went back in to them again, more had come off. So in conclusion, I find the perf very durable, except in the hands of people who scrub too hard. :)

Posted by: Josh Wardell on May 4, 2005 08:47 AM
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