Story & photos by Patrick Tulfo
FOILACAR Industries, the company that started the foil craze in the country several years back, is at it again. This time it is bringing something new in the market, which is poised to take the country by storm and is billed as the next big thing in the foil business—Foiladip.
Foiladip is the world’s first sprayable vinyl wrap that is offered in the United States and Canada as Autodip. The technology underwent two years of research and development before it was finally introduced in the 2014 SEMA in Las Vegas.
Matthew Di Vita, Autodip representative, shared a funny anecdote on how Foilacar Industries President Lester Codog was very persistent the first time they met. Codog’s interest finally paid off, as the company is bringing its product to Asia for the first time with Manila as its first stop.
Di Vita, whom I interviewed during the launch held in Pasig City, said, “They’re very excited about the prospects in the country”.
Codog in a statement said, “As car guys, we all love the concept of temporarily changing the color of our cars, wheels and other accessories. We did that with Foilacar, although when it comes to the wheels and other body panels like the grill of the car and SUV, foil wrapping is a bit tedious and time-consuming. We were searching for a technology that would provide ease of use and offer the same protection and visual appeal of a vinyl wrap. During a trip to SEMA last year, I met up with Autodip, USA, and was amazed by their product. This technology was the solution we were looking for.”
Foiladip is sprayed on a car like paint and it dries up into a rubberized coating that can be peeled off without any damage to the material that it was sprayed on. Unlike the average automotive paint, it doesn’t require any scuffing or sanding, which is associated with normal paint-preparation procedures. “This is the latest alternative that provides fast and reliable exterior-paint protection. Unlike vinyl wrap, Foiladip is sprayed on easily like paint and requires less drying time. A car or an SUV can be transformed in a day,” explained Jan Vincent Mercado, CFOof Foilacar Industries.
Just like their successful vinyl wrap offering, it will be available in different hues and finishes. Its formulation also contains UV properties that are guaranteed to protect the vehicle’s paint for up to two years. One innovative feature of Foiladip is its ability to “self-heal” and stay malleable from the day it is sprayed on the car until the day it is peeled off. Instead of getting hard and brittle like auto clear, it will stay flexible even after a long period of time and exposure to the sun. This ability to maintain flexibility allows the topcoats to move and stretch with the rubber-based coats when it’s time for removal. Mercado also added that Foiladip combines the best of both worlds to meet the needs of car guys, who want the high quality of a vinyl wrap but with the ease of application because of its spray-on form. It will also be offered in spray cans for DIY, or do-it-yourself, projects.
Image credits: Patrick Tulfo