Can’t afford a custom wrap? We reckon these self-healing DIY bush pinstripe protection kits from Slick Azz Protective Films could be the next best thing.
Called Bushwrapz these kits are a DIY version of the custom wrap the team at Slick Azz Protective Films has been applying for the last four years. The “temporary” Bushwrapz film is more or less the same as the clear PPF (Paint Protection Film) used on a custom wrap job although that stuff is designed to last for 10 years whereas these kits are warranted for one year but can be left on for two years.
MotoFomo had a quick chat with Slick Azz owner and the brains behind Bushwrapz, Maddi Lawrence, and she told us the idea came about because people had been asking for something cheaper and temporary.
“We had started wrapping four-wheel drives with PPF, and within a couple months of advertising, I had people calling and asking for a cheaper/temporary option. I had three calls in a month asking for a disposable kit out of leftover film so they could do The Cape and then rip it off. It was cool for customers to come to me with an idea, so I sort of just followed what they wanted.
“It took me a year to find a suitable film and test it out. We then made simplified versions of the existing templates we had created for the professional installs we do at SlickAzz.”
And the kits are pretty cheap too. Slick Azz has produced kits to suit all the major makes and models of dual-cab ute through to 4×4 wagons like the 200 Series and Toyota Prado (from $380).
“The film is manufactured in the US. We design, cut and pack the templates here in Brisbane,” Maddie told us.
“The hardest and most time consuming part of Bushwrapz is the template design and videoing the tutorials. And we never seem to catch up with models people request”.
Where a custom wrap will include all body panels, these Bush Wrapz DIY kits only cover the sides of the vehicle, so, the front and rear fenders and doors, because these are the bits most likely to be touched by scrub. That said, you can buy the film by the metre.
All Bushwrapz kits are clear and Maddie reckons you’ll hardly see the edges (set back by 5mm to allow for variations and prevent the edges from peeling) on dark cars, but says white will show a shadow line around the film.
Remember we said this stuff could heal itself? It can. See, the PPF that Maddie uses is called FlexiSheild which is made up of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) which is a combination of hard and soft co-polymers that react with heat to rebind and retain their shape causing the film to reseal and heal itself, as long as the scratch hasn’t gone through the top layer of film. Maddi told us that the self-healing properties of the DIY film is less than the custom wrap stuff she uses because it’s thinner.
Now, we don’t have first-hand experience with Bushwrapz, but we’ll be ordering a set for Sam’s HiLux, but the demo video shows a stiff bristled brush being used to make swirl marks in the film; the sort of scratches you’d get if you pushed past some scrub. According to Slick Azz, hot water is enough to make the scratches disappear. Can’t wait to deliberately try and scratch Sam’s HiLux and then pour a kettle full of boiling water all over it. LOL.
Anyway, we reckon $380 for a DIY kit is pretty good value and can’t wait to try it out for ourselves. If you’ve used them yourself, let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below, and stay tuned for our full test.
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