Hooniverse Asks: What Will be The Next Hip Auto Finish?

Tar Car
What metal flake was to the sixties, matte-finish wraps are to today. Car finishes are as hot a topic as cup holders when it comes to ongoing innovation. The question for today is: what will be the next must-have car finish option?
Image: CarThrottle

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  1. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Fake wood wraps? I’m at least sure it will be something that doesn’t feel diminished by adding “fake-“…

        1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
          Wayne Moyer

          When your car that is the size of a boat needs to look like a boat.

      1. Hatchtopia Avatar

        Take that Subie one step further and go with a darker woodgrain on the bumpers and you’ve got a winner.

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          The whole thing should be a bit darker and “foresty-er”. Then play hide and seek on gravel roads.

    1. Kiefmo Avatar
      Kiefmo

      I’ve seriously considered doing such a thing to our Odyssey. I’d use vinyl contact paper with a grey oak finish like so:
      https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91nkb5HwmdL._SL1500_.jpg
      For accent strips on the outside, I’d buy some 2″ wide, thin, flat-bottomed oak molding, stain it dark charcoal, seal it, and attach with some 3m adhesive strips. The color I imagine is something like this:
      http://www.minwax.com/images/swatches/minwax-express-color-wiping-stain-finish/large/onyx.jpg
      The Odyssey already has some strong character lines that I could use as guides. It’s too bad about the rubber strip in the middle of it, but that might be substantially diminished in appearance behind the wood grain.
      https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/2005-2007_Honda_Odyssey_–_05-09-2011.jpg

      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Like many similar ideas, this could be out-of-the-ballpark-cool when done properly. Very hard to do properly though.

    2. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
      SlowJoeCrow

      I’ve though the Ford Flex needed a”Country Squire” version for years. Ford did actually make a concept car Flex woodie but never produced it, nor did the do a Funkmaster Flex edition.

  2. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    Just a matter of time until the stance nation (and similar) row of stupid stickers make their way to blocking out the rear windows of sad crossovers across the continent (since the equally stupid stick figure families are played out and they need something new).

  3. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    Straight metal with no paint will be the future. Just like the aluminum overcast of old. I know that there has been some of this already. Heck that little bastard child of Canada has one but I think we will see this as an opposite reaction to the matte paint thing.

    1. Tanshanomi Avatar

      I honestly don’t know how I feel about this. I think aluminum is one thing, it doesn’t translate to ferrous metal nearly as well.
      Google Image Search for “bare metal car finish”

      1. smokyburnout Avatar
        smokyburnout

        When I bought my Insight I did a search to see if anyone had done a full body polish, but it turns out more of the panels are plastic than you might think (fenders even!) and the Insight forum guys aren’t really big on style anyway.
        A lot of cars come with aluminum hoods now, though
        http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae226/mkline321/Miata%20Pics/hoodclouds.jpg
        http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g216/AWDMadness/PICT0179.jpg

    2. The Real Number_Six Avatar
      The Real Number_Six

      A few weeks ago my ride in Aluminum Overcast was cancelled due to hailstorms. Maybe riding around instead on a BMW RnineT with factory brushed aluminum tank would ease the sad… http://bmwmcmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RnineT-Aluminum-Tank-07.jpg

      1. nanoop Avatar
        nanoop

        Where do you guys park? I only get something like “Wash me” in juvenile sribble.

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          Faculty of arts employee lot? =8^)

  4. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    Biodegradable, organic finishes. Fertilize often.

    1. Tanshanomi Avatar

      Not hip enough. “Boatmen’s Bank and Trust” on the bank dates this to sometime prior to 1985.
      http://cdn3-www.webecoist.momtastic.com/assets/uploads/2012/07/grasscars_1a.jpg

    2. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      Also, it’s a distinguished racing livery, and should only be applied to cars with the proper pedigree: http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a360/mcloed/2012%20CMP%20Race/6c79248b-1.jpg

  5. Tanshanomi Avatar

    I’m just really glad I didn’t invest in a Cosmichrome setup (which I seriously did consider about a decade ago). That played itself out remarkably fast.
    http://wordpress.carthrottle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Tyga-Audi-R8-Gold-Wrap-655×409.jpg

  6. Tanshanomi Avatar

    Psst. Three words: Thermal Spray Aluminum. You heard it here first.
    http://www.raymondintl.com/images/thermal_spray02.jpg

    1. OttoNobedder Avatar
      OttoNobedder

      +1 From Wiki:
      “Coating materials available for thermal spraying include metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics and composites.”
      The possibilities are endless.

  7. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    Sundown stripes … I hope. Or vintage racing livery.

  8. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    Maybe Saturn was onto something. They didn’t catch fire well but overall they did survive well in supermarket parking lots. Maybe it’s time for the return of the old look of body cladding.

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      What about a semi-environmental-friendly resin solution?
      http://www.derzwickauer.de/trabant_p601_karosserie_explosion.jpg

      1. Tanshanomi Avatar

        Except that it’s horribly toxic when incinerated, which is the only way to destroy the stuff.

        1. discontinuuity Avatar
          discontinuuity

          I’ve heard that goats will eat it.

          1. nanoop Avatar
            nanoop

            That’s what Hollywood wants us to believe. According to the movie industry at the lower Danube, it’s pigs.
            https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xD0DDYnf-TA/hqdefault.jpg

        2. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          You’re human. You’re not supposed to think this through.

        3. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
          SlowJoeCrow

          I remember reading that it can be ground up and used in cement blocks for construction.

          1. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            EVERYTHING can be ground up and used in concrete, it’s a great way to “get rid” of toxic stuff. Why do you think they add fly ash to concrete?

  9. Tanshanomi Avatar

    How long before somebody takes that padded cloth they use for aftermarket carriage tops and just covers the whole body with it?

    1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
      Wayne Moyer

      For some reason this is what came to mind when you said that.

      1. Tanshanomi Avatar

        Somewhere on the Internets, I saw a car (Viper?) wrapped in a green ivy photowrap. It was remarkably similar.

        1. Maymar Avatar
          Maymar

          No, but it felt like 40 degrees outside today. Ask me again in 5 months.

  10. Muthalovin Avatar
    Muthalovin

    Short, shameful confession: if I had the money, and knew a wrap shop that could pull it off, I would go full Ken Block with the FiST.

    1. engineerd Avatar
      engineerd

      Who wouldn’t?

  11. David Avatar
    David

    I’m hoping that solids will return, especially in subtle colors. And if I really get my way, 2-tones and even 3-tones will come back like we saw on 30’s vehicles. Although cars aren’t as “panelized” as they were back then, some creative possibilities could exist. Gorgeous black/grey/grey with orange accent photo not mine, pulled from google.

  12. Cragon McBride Avatar
    Cragon McBride

    The Johnny Dangerously look.

  13. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    I hate wraps. It’s disgusting that the tortillas are never steamed.

  14. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    Quite seriously – the next big thing will be see-through Lexan car hoods (bonnets for you Brits)…
    They’re starting to appear already