We Wrapped Our Mercedes-AMG G63’s Front End in Avery Dennison’s Rugged Textured Vinyl

A More Rugged Look for the OVR G63

We wrapped the front end of our Mercedes-AMG G63 in textured Avery Dennison vinyl—and learned where a DIY installation reaches its limits.

Changing the character of a vehicle does not always require replacing parts. For the latest update to our 2017 Mercedes-AMG G63 project, we wanted the front end to better match the black wheels, roof rack and other dark details already on the vehicle.

We also wanted to add a light sacrificial layer over some of the surfaces most exposed to road and trail debris.

Our plan was to wrap the headlight bezels, grille, front bumper and factory bull bar with Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film Rugged in Onyx.

The gloss-black finish would tie the front of the G63 together, while its raised, pebble-like texture would add a subtle off-road look.

We should be clear about one thing: this is a textured color-change vinyl, not paint protection film.

Although it adds a removable barrier over the original finish, it should not be expected to provide the same impact resistance as a purpose-made PPF product.

It does, however, put a removable layer between the original finish and light scuffs, small nicks, insects and some of the pebbles and debris the front of a vehicle encounters.

For an overland vehicle that spends plenty of time on freeways and dirt roads, even limited protection is useful.

Why We Chose Avery Dennison Rugged Onyx

We already had a positive experience with Avery Dennison Rugged vinyl on our Land Cruiser 100 Series project, so using it again was an easy decision.

Avery Dennison describes Rugged as a 3D-conformable, textured color-change film intended to provide the look and feel of a bed liner without the permanent application. The line was introduced in four colors: Onyx, Combat Green, Bedrock Grey and Marsh Green.

Onyx was the clear choice for the G63. Its glossy black color works with the other black components on the truck, but the texture keeps the finish from looking like ordinary gloss vinyl. It catches light differently across the raised surface and adds visual depth without drawing too much attention to itself.

The texture also offers an advantage for an amateur installer. Seams, overlaps and small corrections tend to disappear into the uneven surface more readily than they would on a smooth, high-gloss film. That mattered because we planned to install as much of it as we could ourselves.

Preparing the G63’s Front End

We are not professional vehicle wrappers, and the G-Wagen has a reputation for being one of the more difficult vehicles to wrap. Its upright shape may look simple, but the exposed hinges, trim pieces, tight corners and abrupt transitions create plenty of challenges.

Fortunately, we were not attempting to wrap the entire vehicle. Our project was limited to the front fascia and bull bar, and we approached it one component at a time.

The first step was removing the grille, headlight bezels, front bumper and factory bull bar. Disassembly turned out to be easier than expected.

Taking the parts off the G gave us better access to their edges and allowed us to work on a bench rather than trying to stretch and trim vinyl while everything was still attached to the vehicle.

Once the pieces were removed, we cleaned them thoroughly. Any dirt, wax, grease or residue left behind can interfere with adhesion or become trapped beneath the film, so surface preparation was just as important as the wrapping itself.

Wrapping the Grille

We chose the grille for our first attempt. It has several indentations, openings and panel lines, but its basic shape gave us a reasonable place to learn how the material behaved.

The Rugged film is thin and conformable, which made it relatively easy to stretch and work into recessed areas. We took our time applying heat, repositioning the material and pressing it into the grille’s contours. For a first attempt at wrapping a grille, the job went reasonably well.

It was not perfect. A few areas did not lay down as cleanly as we wanted, so we cut out the problem sections, added new pieces and blended the overlaps into the surrounding texture.

A professional installer might have approached the grille differently, but the repair method worked for us. Up close, someone looking for the seams may find them. From a normal viewing distance, the textured surface helps them blend in.

That forgiving quality is one of the best features of Rugged vinyl for this type of project.

Smooth gloss film can make every edge, wrinkle and patch obvious. The raised finish gave us some room to correct mistakes without having to strip the entire piece and start over.

Knowing When to Call a Professional

Finishing the grille also gave us a better sense of how much work remained. The headlight bezels and front bumper included more curves, transitions and recessed areas, and wrapping them properly was going to require more time and skill than we had.

We took those parts to Vinyl Junkies in Alhambra, California. Bringing in professional help was less about the material being difficult to use and more about the shapes Mercedes gave the G63.

The vinyl stretched and conformed well in our hands, but getting it around complex parts with clean edges and consistent tension is where experience makes a visible difference.

There is no shame in recognizing that point during a DIY project. We had already removed and prepared the parts, completed the grille and still had another component we could handle ourselves. Vinyl Junkies could concentrate on the pieces that would benefit most from professional technique.

Wrapping the Factory Bull Bar

While Vinyl Junkies worked on the bumper and headlight bezels, we returned home to tackle the factory bull bar. We disassembled it so each section could be wrapped separately, which made the tubular and curved pieces easier to manage.

Rather than trying to cover each tube with one perfectly formed sheet, we applied the vinyl in overlapping strips. The technique was similar to wrapping bicycle handlebars or a tennis racket grip.

It left the bars looking a little like a mummy during installation, but once everything was assembled, the overlapping layers largely disappeared into the film’s pebble-like texture.

The wrap pattern is visible at close range. Step back a few feet, however, and it blends into a consistent black finish. For a home installation on an off-road-oriented project vehicle, we are comfortable with that tradeoff.

It also allowed us to wrap an awkward shape without specialized equipment or years of installation experience.

Putting the Front End Back Together 

After Vinyl Junkies finished the bumper and bezels, we reassembled the G63’s front end. The transformation was immediately noticeable.

Removing the chrome and body-color contrast from the fascia made the truck look more cohesive, and the Onyx finish connected the front bumper and bull bar visually with the black wheels and roof rack.

We left the Mercedes emblem chrome so it would remain visible against the black grille. The small amount of brightwork keeps the front from becoming one uninterrupted dark mass, while the textured surfaces give the individual pieces enough definition to remain recognizable.

The chrome rear light guards looked out of place once the front was complete, so we sprayed them black with Plasti Dip. Like vinyl, the coating is removable and gave us an inexpensive way to test the look without committing to paint or powdercoat.

That reversibility is a major reason we chose these materials. A body-shop paint job would cost considerably more and permanently alter the factory parts.

Vinyl and Plasti Dip let us change the appearance at home, and both can be removed if we decide to take the G63 in another direction later.

Final Verdict

The finished front end delivers the look we wanted. Rugged Onyx is glossy enough to coordinate with the G63’s other black details, while its coarse, pebble-like surface adds a subtle texture that suits an overland build. It changes the personality of the truck without making it look overdone.

The film has also been easy to live with. Bugs, road grime and trail dust clean off without much effort, and the vinyl provides a removable barrier against some of the light wear the front end sees in regular use. Again, it is not a substitute for PPF when maximum paint protection is the goal, but the added coverage is a welcome secondary benefit.

Our installation also confirmed that this can be a DIY-friendly material, provided expectations are realistic. The film itself was forgiving, especially when we needed to splice or overlap sections.

The shape of the G63’s parts presented the real challenge. Completing the simpler pieces ourselves and handing the more complex ones to Vinyl Junkies gave us the result we wanted without turning the project into an all-or-nothing exercise.

The OVR G63 now has a darker, more unified face, along with a finish that fits how we intend to use the vehicle. For this stage of the build, that makes the wrap a worthwhile update.

Avery Dennison Rugged Supreme Wrapping Film

Color: Rugged Onyx

URL: graphics.averydennison.com

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