Hard Top on Black Gladiator

[5chema]

Like this?

Yes! Perfect roof and body match... but the tires are almost too shiny and the hinges are worst!!!


Do you know if the black plastic (roof, bumpers, etc.) has been painted with the new paint or this paint is matching exactly the original plastic colour? The mirrors seem a little bit different...

Okay, I’m “way too” perfectionist...

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[homerun]

Yes! Perfect roof and body match... but the tires are almost too shiny and the hinges are worst!!!


Do you know if the black plastic (roof, bumpers, etc.) has been painted with the new paint or this paint is matching exactly the original plastic colour? The mirrors seem a little bit different...

Okay, I’m “way too” perfectionist...

Its not paint, its a wrap. Depending on the company its called stealth or satin finish or something.

Here is what I know, did lots of research because I love the look.

- 3 main companies to choose from xpel, 3M, or suntek/llumar.

- All 3 companies make a great product the results are much more depenant on the installer’s experience and craftsmanship.
-Very hard to judge before hand as no on is going to tell you “don’t have me do it I suck at it”. A good installer can work with the hinges better, but probably the first area to show wear and peal off (only guessing here).

-The whole thing can cost between $2,500 and $6,000.
-Keep in mind quality work is more important than the actual product generally this means you need to spend more.

-Life expectancy can very deepening on how well you take care of it, how much time the Jeep spending in a parking lot vs garage, the climate and you local driving conditions, and again the initial instal.
-General consensus is they will last about 5 years, 3-7 being the typical range.

If I new this wrap was good for the life of the vehicle I would have no problem spending big on it, however as much as I love the look I think I am passing.

If anyone has direct experience and disagrees with my research please let me know. In fact I am begging someone to change my mind cause right now I am not doing this.

Edit: I would choose different wheels as well.

 

[5chema]

Its not paint, its a wrap. Depending on the company its called stealth or satin finish or something.

Here is what I know, did lots of research because I love the look.
[...]
If anyone has direct experience and disagrees with my research please let me know. In fact I am begging someone to change my mind cause right now I am not doing this.

It is similar to the info I had about wrap. I think now it’s a war between traditional paint job, wrapping and plastidip or similar products...

I heard that wrap is self-repairing with some type of scratches and cuts. However, I’m not sure it’s always working in cold climate.

Did you know something about textured Kevlar spay liners or Raptor products used all over the body? With a fine grain wouldn’t it match even more the black matte plastic appearance?

 

[Ian cj10]

raptor liner & linex are becoming very popular over here as they are very scratch resistant i used a similar product & applied it with a spray putty gun it came out really well but i will use a better product next time ive already bought the raptor liner for my cj5 project

 

[WakesurfVT]

After seeing the pick of the black one mentioned in this thread, it solidified my selection for the non-painted hard top. I plan to ride soft top/topless from June - October but when winter hits that’s just more paint surface to manage. One of my main reasons I didn’t go with the LE.

 

[5chema]

raptor liner & linex are becoming very popular over here as they are very scratch resistant i used a similar product & applied it with a spray putty gun it came out really well but i will use a better product next time ive already bought the raptor liner for my cj5 project

Is it possible that this JL was sprayed with something like raptor liner or linex?

 

[homerun]

Is it possible that this JL was sprayed with something like raptor liner or linex?

Yeah I like that look for my 96 XJ now that the paint is completely faded and in poor condition, but I would never do that to a new vehicle.

 

[Ian cj10]

yep i think that would be linex by the look of it

 

[5chema]

After seeing the pick of the black one mentioned in this thread, it solidified my selection for the non-painted hard top. I plan to ride soft top/topless from June - October but when winter hits that’s just more paint surface to manage. One of my main reasons I didn’t go with the LE.

It’s a good point even if the Gladiator top is smaller than a 4-door Wrangler! And there’s also the paint chipped from the road anti-skid/abrasive used in winter!!! I remember that our JK 2nd or 3rd winter was a real carnage... it’s when you realize that the base is really dark under the white paint!!!

 

[5chema]

yep i think that would be linex by the look of it

With this Jeep paint described as line-x, the black plastic almost seems glossy!!!

 

[Ian cj10]

linex do have a few different products that matt grey 1 could have even been the bully liner i used on my fsj i did mine in a rusty brown colour they call burnt red
the raptor liner i think only comes in a glossy textured finish similar to this rubitrux linex 1

 

[Ian cj10]

hope this link work should give an example of linex on a isuzu dmax

 

[5chema]

hope this link work should give an example of linex on a isuzu dmax

They don’t have top and body colour matching problem: It’s a complete full-body job!

And when you watch the others video they published, they explain the different mixes they used on this truck depending of the protection level they want...

Seems to be a great protective coating... with a lifetime warranty against cracking any chipping?!?

 

[Ian cj10]

yeah i think linex is probably as good as youll get but you have to get them to do it unlike raptor liner that can be bought from an automotive paint supplier at least we cant buy linex products off the shelf here in oz

 

[5chema]

yeah i think linex is probably as good as youll get but you have to get them to do it unlike raptor liner that can be bought from an automotive paint supplier at least we cant buy linex products off the shelf here in oz

I think it’s the same thing here in Canada. We must go to a line-x partner.

But to get back to the hard top choice, I think it’s not important, as long as you do a liner job to the whole Jeep including the hard top! And if you choose matte black liner, the soft top will fit as well... without liner!!!

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