October 2019 October 2019 | Page 39

weekend.warrior Golf Cart Wraps How to Customize Your Golf Cart Golf cart skins are pretty easy to install. All it takes is a little time and some attention to detail. To start, you’re going to want to remove a couple of things that would otherwise get in the way. Remove the roof, front wind- shield, seat, and anything on the back of the cart that prevents you from fully accessing the body. Next, wash and dry the cart thor- oughly. Make sure that the entire surface of the body is free of grease, dirt, and any other con- taminants that might interfere with bonding. You might need a bit of rubbing alcohol or degreas- er for more stubborn spots. Here is a list of the tools you’re going to need: A razor blade or hobby knife. A hair dryer or heat gun. A plastic putty knife or small squeegee. A bucket of warm, soapy water. Choose a location on the golf cart to start the skinning process. A lot of experts recommend the front area just underneath the seat. Why? Because this is a flat, straight surface on which you can practice your application techniques. The cowl would be a more difficult place to start because it isn’t flat. If you ordered a kit designed spe- cifically for your cart, the various panels should already be cut to size. Otherwise, you’ll have to cut the panels as you need them. Grab your first panel and fit it over the space it is designed for while leaving the backing paper intact. You just want to size up the panel before you actually install it. If you’re starting on the area just below the front of the seat, you’ll want to mark where the film will cover the charging socket. Don’t cut the hole just yet. Rather, you’re only marking its po- sition to give yourself a good idea where to place the film after removing the backing paper. When you’re ready, remove the backing paper and position the film accordingly. Having a friend help you makes the job easier. There is adhesive on the back of the film that will help it adhere to the surface of the golf cart body temporarily. The nice thing is that you can peel and reposition the film as often as you need to. Once you are satisfied with its position, grab your hair dryer. Choose a point near the center of the panel to begin applying heat. Move toward the outside in one direction, pulling and smoothing the film as you go. Then repeat from the center out to the other side. As you’re heating the film, you can use your plastic putty knife or squeegee to remove air bubbles and wrin- kles. The soapy water might make things easier by reducing the friction between the putty knife and film. If the film runs around the front of the body panel, you’ll need to use your razor blade or hobby knife to cut the corners at the top. Then fold over the material and heat it to ensure it bonds togeth- er. That’s it. Now just repeat the process with all the other panels in your kit. Always Follow the Instructions What you have read here is intended to be just a general guide- line based on how most of the popular wrap kits work. Our description of wrap installation should not be taken as gospel. Rather, do what most men are accused of not doing: follow the instructions that come with your kit. The people who made your golf cart skin know how to install it better than we do. For example, don’t use a plastic putty knife if your kit includes a small widget for removing air bubbles and creases. Do what the kit makers suggest by using that widget. They may have included it because a plastic putty knife could harm the wrap. OCTOBER 2019 39