Car/Vehicle wrapping courses...

I got introduced to vehicle wrapping through our "Ultimate Tinting Forum". I'd been aware of it for ages, but then a few years ago several of the guys started enquiring about wrapping training, I couldn't recommend anyone as I didn't know anything about it but did start to look around.

I don’t do wrapping so started looking for the right calibre of trainer to bring on board. I'd contacted a few companies including vinyl suppliers and John's name kept popping up but he was working for various other companies. Then mid 2011 a couple of the guys were trained by him and told me he'd gone "Freelance" so a couple of calls and meetings later he's now working with us.

Get trained by the best...

Now this is important, anyone can show you how to wrap a car, it's like tinting, anyone can show you how to tint, BUT, there is a massive difference to being shown by a tinter/wrapper or being shown by an experienced trainer. Good trainers are massively experienced people, able to answer pretty much any questions thrown at them. How can they do this? EXPERIENCE. Experience is everything. I'll let John tell you about himself.

"With over 25 years’ experience within the glazing, window film, paint protection film and vinyl wrapping industries I have had a fantastic career, which has taken myself all over the world. I started off by working in a glass company and served my time as a glass cutter.

In 1989 I was offered a job in CPFilms, then called Courtaulds, within a few years I was fast tracked into management, which meant going back to school! 1993 was when I was introduced to window film and spent the next 6 years working in the US and UK, setting up window film production lines. After two years at college I decided to transfer into tech/sales. I already knew how to produce professional window film but it was time to learn how to install and sell. In 1999 I had the luxury of travelling around the world to be taught how to install window film by some of the best teachers around.

From 1999 – 2008 I estimate I trained over 1,000 students around the world, from the UK, Europe, China, USA and Asia. In 2008 I decided to look into the vinyl wrapping industry and then I spent time in the US and Germany learning how to install and teach vinyl wrapping.

Over the last few years I have trained many companies how to install and sell vinyl wrapping. In this time I have worked with some good companies, however finding the right partner to grow the business has been hard, until I met Tim from Ultimate Tinting. Tim and I have the same attitude when it comes to training customers, whether it’s car tinting, car wrapping, paint protection or flat glass our aim is to teach you what we know, this means 100% hands-on. We know that standing around watching the teacher with 20 other students does not work. I have a reputation for working my students very hard as I believe you should know and practise every technique because like I said standing around talking is a waste of your money!!"

As John says, finding the right person to partner with is VERY important and as we both have the same work ethic and morals our courses have got of to a staggeringly successful start....   To be honest I was caught a bit off guard with the bookings. After only mentioning a few lines on the front page of the Tint School site that we were going into wrapping training, we filled the first month within a few days!!!

This is because "Tint School" has built a reputation second to none over the last 6-7 years. Good hard honest graft, no posh fancy units, no flashy web-sites, we don't pretend to be anything we're not, oh, and we are the best at what we do and can back up everything we claim.

We're realistic here, we work in an environment that 95% of you will, nothing fancy but VERY functional, it's like a bigger version of working from a double garage at home!  John admits he was a bit dubious when he first turned up here, and saw my units, but now after teaching a few courses here, loves the place. "It's perfect, it just works, and as a bonus the Griffin is fantastic".

As mentioned previously we GUARANTEE you our courses are 1-2-1, others out there offer "1-2-1 focused", but this means a group, a small one, but still you and strangers.  For about the same cost we can genuinely offer you 1-2-1. HOW?  Simple, we haven't got the overheads of posh offices, flash web-sites and loads of unnecessary staff. We don't "hire in" our trainers at great expense either! This is how we can do 1-2-1 for the same price they do groups... Don’t believe me, then just ASK them when they start hounding you with sales calls and emails...

This might seem a bit odd, but if you decide you don’t want 1-2-1 training, and you would rather train in a group, fine, that’s your choice but please do call me. I can get you a very surprising FREE deal with our vinyl supplier.

We've kitted out our units DELIBERATELY on a tight budget because this is what YOU’LL be doing, and we want you to see just how simple you can keep it. I’ve in the past had the big flash 2000sqft units, looks great, but it doesn’t half give you sleepless nights worrying about paying for it all.  Honestly, start small, keep the overheads down and expand when your comfortable. You’ll have enough to worry about at the start with out the extra stress of massive rent and rate bills!

We strongly recommend that 2 of you attend the wrapping course, as unlike tinting, you really do need a second pair of hands when doing the side of a car or a roof or bonnet. It is possible to use magnets, as John will show you, but there is no substitute for a second pair of hands.

FOR THIS REASON WE’RE DOING OUR SECOND PERSON 1/2 PRICE OFFER ON THESE COURSES TOO!!

You also mustn’t be afraid to strip the car down, as in some instances, door handles and lights sometimes need to be removed and bumpers have to be loosened etc etc. It’s not hard once you’ve got used to it, but can be a bit daunting at the start if you’ve never done it before.  You don’t have to do this, but in the long run the job will be better, and quite possibly quicker too.

We aim to train you to wrap on the car you come in, but WE DON’T GUARANTEE WE’LL FINNISH IT. Your coming here to LEARN HOW TO WRAP, NOT, to get your car wrapped.

On booking your course, we’ll send you a pack containing vinyl swatches & price lists, this will include all the common ones, carbon fibre, matt black, aluminium etc etc. You choose what you want, we’ll tell you how much you need and then we’ll put you in touch with the best supplier for you, and you bring your vinyl’s with you when you come.  We’re not going to get involved in the supply of the vinyl’s as there are just too many types, thousands! We will put you in touch with the BEST suppliers and they will supply you.

Trevor gets to grips with the squeegee techniques on the BMW M6 he brought with him (Please don’t bring another one of these to train on!). Oh and I jumped in and tinted the rear screen, just to make it look really cool)

Then when you come to us here are just a few of the topics you’all cover:

• Product Knowledge
• Workshop environment
• Tools
• Static control
• Preparing the vehicle
• What to remove from the vehicle
• Working temperatures
• Cleaning and preparing each panel
• Knife skills
• Squeegees and hard card skills
• How to handle vinyl

The guys tackle their first pannel. See why 2 people are important now?

• Edge cutting
• Rubber trims
• Where to wrap
• Where to stretch and where not to stretch
• Installation
• Inserts
• Post Heating
• Whickering
• Cleaning and sealing the finished installation
• Handing over to the customer
• Aftercare
• Marketing your new skill and service
• Dealership books / Website.

Terry and Trevor really getting to grips with it now, still on their first day.

You will be worked hard, of that there is no doubt, and once we’ve finished for the day with us, you can have the keys to the unit and work till when ever you want on your own. The 2 guys below Alvin & Leo worked till about 1am both nights!!

This time, in the evening, working on your own, is MASSIVELY ENCOURAGED, it’s amazing how fast people progress if they just do a couple of hours on they’re own. We started doing it with the tinting training and now do it with the wrapping. It forces you to think and apply what you’ve learnt that day. Then the morning after, you can get an answer as to why something didn’t work or just show us what you’ve managed with a massive cheesy grin!! That’s the best.

So the next thing I think is for you to give us a call, have a chat with either myself of John and GET YOURSELF BOOKED ONTO A COURSE....

(I’m sure my competitors will soon be copying us, again, but we were here first. Oh and please stop getting your people to pretend to buy some film, if you want to know where I buy it from ring me directly, stop getting your poor trainees to do your dirty work for you, twice in the last 2 weeks, you  might not be busy but I am, and have got better things to be doing with my time!!)

Below are just a small selection of our happy wrapping customers and their cars, and please do note the amount of guys who have come back to us, often after years, for their training. We must be doing something right! We look after our trainees.  We don't do meaningless certificates here, your car is your certificate, it's something real to show your customers.

Here are Paul & Dan, 2 top chaps I taught to tint about 4 years ago. We regularly keep in touch and now they've decided to add vehicle wrapping to their work portfolio. The fiat was wrapped in Pearl white carbon fibre and black carbon fibre, the pics don't do it justice... (October 2011)		It's not always Work Work Work. Darren who we'd previously taught came back for a different course, he'd remembered how nice it was here and brought his walking boots with him. So after work we locked up and just walked up the mountain. Stunning, tough but worth the effort.

A happy Tony, just completing his Porsche Boxter in white and white carbon fibre. This was taken at 22.30pm !!!!! (November 2011)

BEFORE	AFTER
Hiya Tim, Just wanted to thank you and John for a brilliant, if knackering week. (tinting & wrapping). The course far exceeded my expectations. All going well, "PRIMO-TINTS" will be up and running as soon as the building work on the garage is completed. I have registered on the forum and plan on making it to the meeting in November. Thanks again, Ian. September 2011
"Mark getting to grips doing his friends BMW convertible white from silver"
"Dwayne & James from "South West Tinting" (previously taught tinting by ourselves) now adding Vehicle Wrapping to their business"
Here's Dan (Pauls hidden, previously taught tinting by ourselves) with the finished X1. (September 2011)
Lee (previously taught to tint by ourselves 2 years ago), the legend, flew in from Ireland, wrapped our courtsey car white and carbon from blue, had a sing song in the Griffin on Friday night then flew back to a load of gigs in Ireland. What a excellent 3 days. Cheers Lee. (September 2011)