Vinyl Inlay Decal Review

Hi All,

Just a quick review of vinyl decal inlays I used in the following spots on my TRD Pro. Quick note, the tailgate inlays were purchased off of eBay from AVT (http://www.ebay.com/itm/252686770797). I opted to buy from this seller as his inlays were a bit cheaper than what local member "rrentrop" sells them for ($9.99 vs $23). However, AVT's versions were very nice (confirmed to be Oracal 651) and the wet method of installing these decal inlays was such a breeze. If you have any experience installing screen protectors on phones using the wet method, the inlay decals are much easier and actually quite fun to do.





I also purchased and installed decal inlays for my door sills and decal inlays for my TRD Pro shift knob. These were purchased through @rrentrop (http://www.ebay.com/itm/182074773116 and http://www.ebay.com/itm/182286262317). Again, used the wet method and a set of tweezers, took my time and the installation was a breeze and the results are fantastic. Really adds that extra touch to make my Tacoma look that much more special and refined. I also can't emphasize enough how easy it was to install all of these decals and how much fun I had doing it.








Below are the skid plate inlay decals (2016-2017 Toyota Tacoma Premium Matte Black Vinyl Decal TRD Skid Plate Inserts). This was definitely the hardest, by a long shot, to do. Removing the skid plate is recommended as the decals (especially the "R") is very finicky and having the decals droop down during the wet application process. Make no mistake, this TRD skid plate is a bit of a beast. I had to use jack stands and a jack to help me remove and install this behemoth by myself. Aside from the skid plate removal and install, the decals for this job were a bit more difficult as the letters are larger than any of the decals mentioned above. Time, patience, persistence, and a blow drier are all needed to get a successful application. I also left the skid plate in my garage for a good 24 hours before re-installing it just to ensure the decals adhered completely. Anyways, the job came out well and I'm happy with the result. However, when it comes time to replace the decals, I might just take a stab at doing them with the skid plate left on the truck.






Anyways, if anyone has any questions on the installation of these decals, please post up!

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ve-black-vinyl-decal-tailgate-inserts.398784/

 

Kewl

 

Nice review and thanks for the comments on the door sill protector and shift knob decals. In regards to the tailgate inserts, buyers should keep in mind that most of the less expensive versions are made from economy-grade vinyl that is not intended for long term outdoor exposure. I would be wary of any seller that does not specifically state the brand of vinyl that they are using and would recommend avoiding those that sell Oracal 651. While they look good initially, Oracal 651 and other "calendered" vinyl has very little to no UV protection and may start to peel and crack in a year or less under extreme conditions and probably won't last 5 years under most conditions. I use only the highest quality and most durable vinyl available, Oracal 951, for the tailgate. 951 is rated to last 10 years or more under most conditions. The raw vinyl costs about three times as much as 651, but at only twice the price my tailgate decals will outlast most others by at least 5 years and in some cases much longer.

Before purchasing any decals for your Tacoma, you should always ask the seller specifically what type of vinyl they are using and outdoor durability rating of the vinyl. Please remember that cheaper is not always better.

 

If the tailgate decals don't last then lesson learned and I'll purchase my next set from you for sure.

 

nicely done and great pics. It's probably the next thing I will buy for my ride.

 

Nice! Took me about two hours to get all of this done. Take your time and it will come out looking awesome.

 

just bought a set of these,, will let you know the outcome..

https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Tacom...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QP3YBRFH0QX878KAZ49V

 

Not to take the piss out of you, but 651 is more durable than you think. Oracal themselves rates it at 5 years outdoor. If you don't trust their estimate for 651, why trust their estimate for 951?

That said, 951 is definitely a higher quality. It can handle serious salt spray and thermal cycling, including being placed horizontally, like on a hood. I wouldn't use 651 for anything like that. Their adhesives are the same BTW.

Anyways, random ebay sellers might not even be using Oracal but a cheap off brand... be careful, because mystery meat can be some really atrocious stuff.

 

Yup, those adhesives can leave an imprint in the clear for some that don't know. When you decide to remove that flaked, cracked, baked on vinyl a few years later, the image will haunt you as the ghost image remains.

 

Fair enough. I was comparing the worst possible scenario for 651 compared to a more favorable 951 scenario. I agree that this was not fair, however, under most conditions matte black 951 is rated to last twice as long as 651, based on the manufacturers ratings. This video provides a good explanation of cast vinyl (951) vs calendered vinyl (651). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei7VhjR33oQ

 

[screams internally]

I hate that. Baked and cracked is infinitely harder to remove, and you end up marking up the clear coat trying to get it off. A little paint correction and TLC is surprisingly effective in removing the ghost image but it's a lot of effort.

I'm such an impulsive and fickle bastard that I end up taking a lot my vinyl decals off on a relatively regular basis. Also waxing over decals with any sort of fine detail drives me batshit because it accumulates on the edges.

No harm. I didn't want you to think I was trying to start an internet fight over vinyl...

Video has great info.

I still guide people towards buying from you because even if you try to justify it by cost (even if you buy two sets of the cheap ones and swap out in a few years!), the time and effort over the life of the decal works out to being more of a pain in the ass.

 

Got something here for you.... LOL... I gave up removing this crud. When it warms up more, I'm going to pull these off.

 

This is why we can't have nice things... lol

Makes me wonder sometimes why decals don't get buried in the clear more often, like with motorcycles. Pretty sure that at least on the tank, the decal is always in the clear coat.

I guess it goes through the paint booth before its trim is determined.

 

Updated my original post with pictures and a review of the skid plate decals.

 

Also, just to confirm, I contacted the ebay seller AVT to ask him what type of vinyl he used. He informed me that it was indeed Oracal 651.

 

Cool, so not mystery garbage, but not top of the line either. Best of luck with it!

 

Yeah, definitely. For the tailgate, I think I'm fine. After all the explanation here, I'm very a happy I went with the higher quality versions @rrentrop sells for the skid plate and door sills. Those two areas (especially the skid plate) will see a lot of abuse for sure.

 

Yeah, the R on the skid plate was definitely a challenge. I can't imagine doing it with the skid plate installed. I went with red on mine.

 

Nice photos, you installed all of the stickers I wanted.

Only issue I see for me is taking the Skid Plate off since I'm not that familiar with jack stands, nor do I have more than 1, but we'll cross that bridge when I actually have my Pro.