If you’ve been looking at my Model Y Performance lately, you know it’s rocking a stunning color-shifting wrap that transitions from blue to green to gold. I’ve been hesitant to drop this video because, while I love the color, the technical execution of this project was a massive lesson learned—one I want to share so you don’t make the same mistakes.
This is our third wrapped EV. We’ve done a Model Y seven-seater and our current Model X Long Range, both with Wrap Legacy in Upland. For this build, I tried to save about $600 by going to a newer shop in Montclair called Innovative Auto Works.
The technical fallout from that $600 savings is exactly what we’re going to discuss today.
Technical Red Flags and “Within Spec” Failures
One of the biggest red flags appeared before the car was even touched. A fellow club member told me he’d “let the owner know” so they’d do an extra good job on my car [03:00]. Technical Pro-Tip: A reputable shop should deliver the same high-quality technical execution for every customer, regardless of who they know.
Here are the technical flaws I discovered upon delivery [05:38]:
- Bumper Issues: The shop did not remove the front or rear bumpers. This is a critical error in wrap installation. Without removing the bumpers, the installer lacks the slack to tuck the vinyl deep behind the panel. This resulted in white body paint peeking through the seams and the vinyl lifting almost immediately [05:45].
- Overlap and Seams: Around the front grille and rear spoiler, the shop used multiple overlapping pieces rather than a single, seamless sheet [07:09]. This creates visible lines that shouldn’t exist on a professional wrap job.
- Hardware Neglect: The side-view mirrors were wrapped with visible overlaps [06:17], and the side camera repeaters were reinstalled without new double-sided tape, leaving them loose and vibrating [09:44].
- Spoiler Damage: When I took the car back for corrections, the installer was rough with the hardware. While removing the carbon fiber spoiler to realign it, he actually ripped the new wrap underneath it [16:09].
The True Cost of “Saving” Money
While I saved $600 on the initial quote, the “hidden costs” quickly added up:
- Time: I had to bring the car back twice, losing another full week of drive time.
- Repairs: If I have to replace the improperly mounted cameras, that’s $300.
- Mental Fatigue: Instead of loving the car 100%, I now look for flaws every time I walk up to it.
Final Verdict: Standardized Quality Over Budget
I give this specific wrap job a Grade C [18:31]. From 10 feet away, it looks incredible. Up close, the technical flaws are a constant reminder of the “lesson learned.”
If you are in the Southern California area, I cannot recommend the shop I used for this Model Y. Instead, I’ll continue to point people toward Wrap Legacy. They are “surgeons” with their craft—they remove bumpers, they use single-piece applications, and their technical pride shows in the results.
Don’t let a $600 discount ruin your $70,000 EV. Subscribe to the SherwinM YouTube channel for more honest reviews of the hardware and mods we put on our fleet!
