El Cajon, California's Triton Imaging, where innovation is reflected in Triton's motto of "assassinating the competition through a versatile arsenal of technique," offered us a look into a new process the company has developed to imitate the look of high-end custom paint while using priced-right vinyl as a base.
Flames are a traditional way...
Flames are a traditional way to change up your truck's look, but what do you do when your custom truck is your daily driver and you can't afford a rental car for a few weeks, or even worse, can't afford the paintjob itself.
After being lowered with wheels...
After being lowered with wheels and tires, our white '03 F-150 needed a little something extra to finish the look.
We wanted to look through the hype and see if the vinyl graphic could really be a comparable equivalent to paint. Triton Imaging's process takes vinyl sheets scuffed with steel wool pads and has Kevin Mickaelian of KM Graphix, in El Cajon, airbrush them with House of Kolor's pearl automotive paint before covering them in a protective automotive-grade clearcoat. Once the vinyl is painted, it is weeded and ready to apply using a special Triton Imaging-supplied Application Juice. We were impressed with the finished look of the F-150. Because pearl paint is used over the vinyl, in the right light, the body-colored sections of vinyl stand out like ghost flames. Unless you are right up next to the truck, it is hard to tell the flame job comes from sheets and not a paint booth.
Follow along as Triton Imaging adds vinyl flames to our F-150 and turns our plain-Jane into a head-turning flame-licked road-burner.
Before applying vinyl to our...
Before applying vinyl to our F-150's paint, the truck needed to be wiped clean.
In Triton's kit, the vinyl...
In Triton's kit, the vinyl flames are already painted and come ready to apply in large sheets.
Before the first vinyl flames...
Before the first vinyl flames were applied, the sheet was placed against the truck to mark its final position.
Triton Imaging provides its...
Triton Imaging provides its special Application Juice with the vinyl flame kit, making for an easy install.
Using the special juice, the...
Using the special juice, the vinyl was separated from its backing.
The wetted-down sheet was...
The wetted-down sheet was then placed onto the truck.
Liberal use of the Application...
Liberal use of the Application Juice allowed the flames to slide around on the paint and into position.
Once the flames were set where...
Once the flames were set where we wanted them, a squeegee was used to smooth out the vinyl and remove any air pockets.
Next, the vinyl flames were...
Next, the vinyl flames were carefully separated from the backing to reveal Blue-Pearl flames.
After the flames were applied,...
After the flames were applied, they needed to be trimmed to match the shape of the fender.
The flames were cut, and the...
The flames were cut, and the corner of the squeegee was used to wrap the extra material into the fender gaps.
The squeegee was used on the...
The squeegee was used on the vinyl to remove any lingering pockets of air and moisture.
To make the flames appear...
To make the flames appear painted on, the vinyl was carefully worked into the corners of the F-150 badge.
A heat gun was used to help...
A heat gun was used to help work and dry the vinyl, allowing it to tack.
The vinyl covering the door...
The vinyl covering the door gap was cut down the middle.
The excess vinyl was wrapped...
The excess vinyl was wrapped around the backside of the fender and door seams.
Once the first set of flames...
Once the first set of flames was applied, the process was repeated with the last set.
The last lick was added to...
The last lick was added to the bottom of the fender, finishing this side of the truck.
With the fender complete and...
With the fender complete and looking good, it was time to move to the hood.
After the vinyl was centered...
After the vinyl was centered on the hood, the backing was removed.
Because of the curvature of...
Because of the curvature of the body and gaps between the hood and fender, care was taken when adding the vinyl to the edge of the hood.
Once again, extra material...
Once again, extra material was trimmed and hidden in the body gaps.
To get the vinyl to wrap around...
To get the vinyl to wrap around the curve in the hood it had to be carefully pulled and stretched into shape.
Pieces of clear were placed...
Pieces of clear were placed over all of the wrapped edges to keep them down while they cured.
Foam glass cleaner was used...
Foam glass cleaner was used to wipe away the juice and clean the flames after the installation.