Winning the Winguard way

This article first appeared in the June issue of Digital Image Magazine.

Adelaide-based Winguard Paint Protection Specialists is the brainchild of  Tim Allison, who spent a decade protecting cars at Splash Car Wash, his previously-owned business. Since then, he and his team have been wrapping cars in Paint Protection Film (PPF) longer than any other company in South Australia. They are all fully certified installers and nationally certified trainers - experts in PPF application with a big emphasis on attention to detail.

Two years ago the Winguard team walked away with the Oceania Region of the 2019 Avery Dennison Wrap Like A King for their double wrapped Porsche TechArt GT Street R.
To celebrate the victory, the car’s owner had Winguard perform another multi-stage wrap to his new track day vehicle - a gloss black 2020 Porsche GT3 RS. In this article, Tim takes us through the process and gives us a glimpse into Winguard’s passion for perfection.

Tim’s client wanted to convert his gloss black Porsche to the same metallic silver (Avery Dennison’s Gloss Metallic Silver) as his previous car and once this was confirmed, the Winguard team disassembled, prepped the vehicle and set to work.

“Firstly, STEK Paint Protection Film film was applied to the hood and roof,” explains Tim. “We then used STEK DYNOcarbon PPF to achieve a true matte carbon finish.”

“Next, the entire car was transformed to gloss metallic silver with Avery Supreme Wrapping Film.

“Then, using their own custom modified templates, all silver sections of car were wrapped in XPEL Ultimate Paint Protection Film. This layer not only protects the vinyl wrap but also adds a huge amount of depth to the finish. It’s almost paint-like.

“Subtle graphics, designed in house, were applied to match the rims and break up the matte Carbon wrapped panels on the car.

“Lastly the car was coated from front to back in Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra to keep it looking its best for years to come,” says  Tim.

Years of training and practice goes into each and every wrap that Winguard completes.

“PPF application is a true ‘finished art’ for us, and each vehicle we work on is treated as a canvas,” says Tim, pointing out that Winguard works on all daily drives, fleet cars, weekend classics, track cars and any other bespoke vehicle; as well as aircraft, motorcycles, drag cars and even prototypes.

Winguard continuously sources the world’s best technologies and most innovative films.

“We stock only the toughest, longest-lasting and most stable films,” says Tim. “The technology in PPFs has evolved exponentially over the last 40 years. Our PPF’s come with warranties and are approved items that may be added to our client’s insurance policies, and our films have a self-healing feature which will guard against micro-abrasion and light scratches.”

Tim says that wrapping 3D objects in clear is one of the hardest applications to render - it requires incredible precision and skill.

“Imagine wrapping a ball perfectly with a flat sheet, and you are beginning to realise there is a great amount of training and skill involved. Unlike coloured films, there is virtually no room for error applying clear film. Our workshop environment has to remain controlled to prevent physical contaminants from finding their way under the PPFs.

“Wrapping vehicles is a very considered and laborious process that takes many years to train and master. Our Design Access Program (DAP) templates to assist in this process by providing the most precise cuts available,” he explains, pointing out that team can customise each and every template, which are second to none.

Tim credits Winguard’s products and services to his entire team. “We have years of skilled experience with all types of vehicles, and are renowned for our ability to listen to our clients,” he says. “Customising their experience and solutions to the best of our ability is our priority.”