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      04-19-2019, 11:03 AM   #1
DMAX745i
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Here i am posting Step-By-Step instructions on how to wrap your front Kidney Grills on your G11 or G12 vehicles. The instructions for both cars are the same, the only difference is cars that have Night Vision Camera as it is mounted in the grill and had wiring and a rubber line connected to it as well. Not sure if its a coolant line but as i recommend in the thread below, i show Step-By-Step procedure on how to remove your front grills safely without damage.

GRILL REMOVAL DIY

FULL Chrome delete Incl. DIY https://www.7post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1605506

Now on to wrapping the grills. I will go over Step-By-Step process on how to wrap your grill yourself and will also include the links to the materials i purchased on Amazon to complete the task. Also I used a household HairDryer to show that it can be done if you dont own a HeatGun. A heat gun will heat the material quicker but can also cause blemishes on the vinyl if you heat the material too much. Hair dryer will apply heat slower and if left on high, will heat the material well enough for a good stretch without damaging the vinyl.

NUMBERS WILL BE IN ORDER OF THE PHOTOS

1- Prepare an area clean and free of dust with enough space to do all your work. You dont want to be moving things around while your working risking debris to get in between the vinyl and the grill.

2- High gloss black Vivid vinyl wrap purchased from Amazon. Heres the link from what i bought. $23.99

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B017BVZE5G?...p_mob_ap_share

3 & 4- Vinyl Wrap Tool Kit $12.49
Heres the link too.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0719J99HL?...p_mob_ap_share

5,6,7&8- Here you want to lay out your vinyl face down so you can size out how much material you will need to wrap your grills. Using the supplied Slide Knife, make your cuts leaving you with two pieces so you can wrap the grills and not waste too much material.
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Last edited by DMAX745i; 04-19-2019 at 11:25 AM..
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      04-19-2019, 11:27 AM   #2
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9 & 10- At this point, you want to use your heat gun or hair dryer like i used and warm up the material as it will want to follow the curling from being inside its packaging. Objective is to make vinyl flat so it does not want to curl back into a ball.

11,12&13- Forgot to mention, before wrapping the grill, you will need to thoroughly clean it with a degreaser and inspect it to make sure there is no stains on them as you can see in one of the photos. Make sure no fingerprints or dirt as they can cause vinyl to peel back over time.

14- Start with a small hole in the centre of the vinyl which will allow you a grabbing spot while you handle the vinyl at this point.

15- With your grill facing up, you will want to place the vinyl glue side down, center the piece making sure it will reach all edges of the grill and fold it over to one side exposing half the grill.

16- If this is your first time trying to wrap a piece with vinyl, you can mix water with one or 2 drops of dish soap in a clean spray bottle which you will lightly spray on the vinyl and work surface to make it easier to peel back mistakes when applying. I will show in later steps.
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      04-19-2019, 11:50 AM   #3
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17- Now for the fun stuff. I must mention that all these steps should work on most available car wrapping materials. Just check reviews if you plan to purchase different brands of vinyl. What your looking for is a material with a good 4-Way stretch.

Make sure your piece is again perfectly centered so you dont come short on edges.

Now you can peel back the backing covering exposing the sticky side of the material that will stick to the grill surface

18- Using scissors or the slide knife, cut off the backing to the material making sure to have the piece centred. Remember, you dont want to be stuck short of the edges. 🙈 and be careful not to touch the sticky side with your hands as oils can transfer onto the glue and affects the stickiness of the vinyl to the grill surface.

19,20&21- This step is optional, but if your new to wrapping, id recommend it as it makes it easier to peel back mistakes. Lightly spray the water/soap mix to both the grill and the vinyl. Not too much as youll be popping water bubbles forever once your done wrapping the grill. 😂😂

22,23&24- Now you can fold the vinyl over onto the grill and starting from one corner, work your way around the top face of the grill making sure the vinyl piece is still centered so that you dont come short on any edges.
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      04-19-2019, 12:35 PM   #4
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25 & 26- Now fold over free piece of vinyl, peel off the protective backing and again (optional), spray your water/soap mix lightly onto the back of the vinyl and grill again remembering that it makes peeling back mistakes easier.

27- Now fold back over the piece of vinyl making sure that the piece is able to reach all edges of the grill as now is when you would want to peel it back and correct your positioning making sure again to reach all the edges. Sorry to repeat myself but better be safe than sorry.

28- Now using the mini squeegee, work from one side to the other keeping in mind that when you reach the end, you might need a little heat and to do a light stretch on the vinyl to have a wrinkle free finish.

29- Now with your heat gun or Hair dryer, you want to start to apply heat to the material which will soften the vinyl and then with your fingers you can start to massage the vinyl around the face of the grill. Now you will start to see the impression of your grill into the vinyl. PLEASE make sure you have no air pockets or water bubbles under the vinyl. If you do, gently peel back and reapply the area with the imperfection.

30- Now you can enlargen the hole you made in the centre to allow material to stretch around centre of the grill. When i did my second grill, i waited to cut the centre till i was finished doing the outside which i found easier.

31 & 32- Start applying heat to the material and start to massage the material around the edges. You can use your fingers to get started but use the squeegee to squeeze air/water bubbles out from under the vinyl.
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      04-19-2019, 08:40 PM   #5
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33,34&35- Warm up the vinyl with heat gun/hair dryer and start to pull the material. I started at the top of the grill and made my way towards the corner.

36&37- Work your way all around making sure to use a little more heat around the corners to allow the material to stretch without causing any wrinkling. If you find that your having a hard time getting the vinyl to male it around a corner, peel back the material a bit, add more heat and get more stretch out of the vinyl and you will avoid any wrinkling in the final product. If using a Heat Gun, be careful not to overheat the material as it will cause permanent blemishes in the finished product. Work your way around the whole outside of the grill focusing on the outside of the frill first.

38- Prior to wrapping the inside, youll need to make small relief cuts to allow the material to stretch around the inner circles. Extra heat will be needed to get the material to stretch enough around the inner corners. This is why you need a good 4 way stretch vinyl. Work your way all around the inner edges.

39- This photo is of the other grill but i wanted to show how you fold the vinyl over and then trim off the excess. When doing the final foldover of the vinyl, youll want to use a lot of heat to ensure good activation of the glue. Fold the material over and press firmly. Dont worry about extra material or making it pretty, the excess will be trimmed off after with the Xacto knife. Do this on the inside and outside edges and VOILA 💪

40&41- Your grill is now complete. Do the same thing for the other side and your ready for re-installation.
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      04-19-2019, 11:48 PM   #6
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Booooooooooooooooooom

Job Complete

LAST STEP, smash that "APPRECIATE" button, close your hood, make sure its locked properly on both sides, and go for a nice cruise enjoying your favourite tunes.

Hope this DIY was simple to follow. If you have any questions, please feel free to post anytime and ill do my best to reply asap. And please do post pictures of your wrapped grilles. Thanks

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      04-20-2019, 09:29 AM   #7
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They look great! Congrats. But there is not a chance in the world that i would trust myself to do what you have done. All I can imagine is a the total mess I would create, followed by an embarrassing trip to a shop that will charge me extra for fixing the mess.
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      04-20-2019, 09:57 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlteBMW View Post
They look great! Congrats. But there is not a chance in the world that i would trust myself to do what you have done. All I can imagine is a the total mess I would create, followed by an embarrassing trip to a shop that will charge me extra for fixing the mess.
Youd be surprised how easy it was.
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      04-26-2019, 09:31 PM   #9
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Changed read strip from Black wrap to Carbon Wrap. What do you think? Im thinking of doing front grill in carbon too? Curious for opinions.

Posting carbon and black photos. The black looks sweet too. Tough to decide which looks better.

Spoiler is carbon so u know. Have Carbon mirror covers, carbon roof antenna too. Did chrome strip with carbon aswell. Looks pretty juicy.
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      05-21-2019, 02:37 PM   #10
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Hi, may I just ask how do you took the rear strip off to wrap it, both the boot one and the one on taillights? Thanks
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      05-21-2019, 06:33 PM   #11
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Hi, may I just ask how do you took the rear strip off to wrap it, both the boot one and the one on taillights? Thanks
Rear chrome strip and side pieces were done on the car. Didnt remove. Top of chrome strip you use felt side of your squeegee to expand the vinyl when you push it in. Bottom is just a clean cut. Side pieces were very easy. They sell a knife-less tape that makes cutting your vinyl extremely easy. I watched 2 youtube videos on how to use knife-less tape and was amazed. I didnt use that knife-less tape when i did mine but used it to do other parts of my car. Works great.

WrapCut Vinyl Wrap Matte, Carbon,... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00L3O9OQS?...p_mob_ap_share
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      05-29-2019, 02:52 PM   #12
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What an awesome post/thread. Amazing detail.
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      05-29-2019, 11:53 PM   #13
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The rear end looks so much better without the chrome for sure.
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      07-01-2019, 10:18 AM   #14
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What an awesome post/thread. Amazing detail.
Thanks 👌
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      09-08-2019, 12:49 AM   #15
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This thread has car with Night Vision camera in grill included in Diy grill removal.
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      09-08-2019, 04:27 AM   #16
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That looks really good!
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      09-09-2019, 07:46 AM   #17
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Looks Great!
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      09-09-2019, 05:12 PM   #18
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Looks Great!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mani59 View Post
That looks really good!
Photo at BMW Dealership
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