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Vinyl Stripes Application Guide
Cars look great with racing stripes. Standard or precut rally stripes are acceptable and often expected on a Mustang , Camaro , Firebird , Trans Am , Dodge Neon , Charger , Mazda Miata , Chevrolet Cavalier , Dodge Truck and many other automobiles. One obstacle that keeps car owners from striping their car is the belief that it is difficult to do. On the contrary, adhesive vinyl stripes are very forgiving and easy to install. We have sold over 20,000 stripe kits since 1998 and have yet to find someone that cannot install them. The only people that ever have problems are so called professional installers who already know everything and do not need to follow simple instructions. For everyone else it is easy and very rewarding.
Before you begin you should wash your car but do not wax it and then find a warm, clean, wind free place to install the stripes. Do not apply stripes in the sun, rain or wind. It just makes an easy job hard.
RALLY STRIPE INSTALLATION
Finding the cars center - I normally find the center of the car and then take a roll of masking tape and run it from the front to the back of the car. If I want the stripes to be an inch apart I use one inch wide tape. If I want them two inches apart I use two inch tape and so on. The tape is used as a guide. If you keep the stripes close to the tape from front to back you will avoid crooked stripes. It is a simple step that will make the whole job easier. After the stripes are on you would simply pull the masking tape off.
Cutting your pieces - After you have found the center of the car and marked it you will take a pair of scissors and cut the stripes into the lengths you will need for the hood, roof and trunk of your car. I cut each piece a little longer than I need and then either fold it under or trim it once the stripe is installed. If your kit contains precut pieces you will not need to cut these. If you are planning to stripe down the bumpers I would suggest you do them last. Practice on the easy parts of the car like the hood, roof and rear deck first.
Surface Prep - Remove any emblems that may get in the way of the stripe. (replace them after the stripes are applied) Then clean the application area with rubbing alcohol. Just wipe it down with a soft cloth soaked in alcohol.
Preparing your application fluid - After the car is clean, mix in a spray bottle 20 ounces of water, 1/4 teaspoon of unscented clear liquid JOY and 1/2 teaspoon of Isopropyl Alcohol. (if you do cannot get clear liquid joy any dishwashing liquid will work) You don't have to have alcohol in the mix but you do need the soap and water. DO NOT USE too much soap. It only takes a few drops per 16 - 20 ounces of water.
Applying your Stripes - Spray the car with soapy water and then peel off the backing and spray the adhesive side of the first stripe with the soapy water as well. (Do not get the stripe wet while the paper is on it.) Position the stripe where you want it and slide it into place. For longer sections is it nice to have a second person help out. On precut pieces I normally slide them into proper position and squeegee from the center forward and back so that I do not reposition the decal. As long as the stripe and the car are wet with the soapy water you can work with the stripe. You can pull the stripe off and put it back on as long as the car and stripe are wet. Keep the stripes you are not working with DRY.
Going down the bumpers takes a little more time. As you go over an edge from horizontal to vertical you will most likely need to have a seam so the you can adjust the direction of the stripe. As stripes go over curved edges they tend to change directions a little. A splice corrects this. On splices, overlap the bottom stripe with the top. To go around obstacles like gas caps or tag areas trim the piece with scissors with the backing on and then peel and apply. Precut stripe kits eliminate having to trim or splice. Click here to see our precut Mustang kits.
Once the stripe is where you want it you simply squeegee it on. Spray a little soapy water on the stripe to allow the squeegee to glide over the stripe without scratching it. (wrapping the squeegee in a soft cloth will also protect the stripe from scratches) Repeat this process on all stripes. Each stripe should hang over the edges a little. You can either fold this under or trim any excess vinyl away with an exacto knife or razor blade. You are done.
I protect my stripes by using the wax as you dry wax in a spray bottle. I do not use paste wax and a buffer. The less the car is in the sun the longer the stripes will last.
Vinyl Stripes Application Guide
Cars look great with racing stripes. Standard or precut rally stripes are acceptable and often expected on a Mustang , Camaro , Firebird , Trans Am , Dodge Neon , Charger , Mazda Miata , Chevrolet Cavalier , Dodge Truck and many other automobiles. One obstacle that keeps car owners from striping their car is the belief that it is difficult to do. On the contrary, adhesive vinyl stripes are very forgiving and easy to install. We have sold over 20,000 stripe kits since 1998 and have yet to find someone that cannot install them. The only people that ever have problems are so called professional installers who already know everything and do not need to follow simple instructions. For everyone else it is easy and very rewarding.
Before you begin you should wash your car but do not wax it and then find a warm, clean, wind free place to install the stripes. Do not apply stripes in the sun, rain or wind. It just makes an easy job hard.
RALLY STRIPE INSTALLATION
Finding the cars center - I normally find the center of the car and then take a roll of masking tape and run it from the front to the back of the car. If I want the stripes to be an inch apart I use one inch wide tape. If I want them two inches apart I use two inch tape and so on. The tape is used as a guide. If you keep the stripes close to the tape from front to back you will avoid crooked stripes. It is a simple step that will make the whole job easier. After the stripes are on you would simply pull the masking tape off.
Cutting your pieces - After you have found the center of the car and marked it you will take a pair of scissors and cut the stripes into the lengths you will need for the hood, roof and trunk of your car. I cut each piece a little longer than I need and then either fold it under or trim it once the stripe is installed. If your kit contains precut pieces you will not need to cut these. If you are planning to stripe down the bumpers I would suggest you do them last. Practice on the easy parts of the car like the hood, roof and rear deck first.
Surface Prep - Remove any emblems that may get in the way of the stripe. (replace them after the stripes are applied) Then clean the application area with rubbing alcohol. Just wipe it down with a soft cloth soaked in alcohol.
Preparing your application fluid - After the car is clean, mix in a spray bottle 20 ounces of water, 1/4 teaspoon of unscented clear liquid JOY and 1/2 teaspoon of Isopropyl Alcohol. (if you do cannot get clear liquid joy any dishwashing liquid will work) You don't have to have alcohol in the mix but you do need the soap and water. DO NOT USE too much soap. It only takes a few drops per 16 - 20 ounces of water.
Applying your Stripes - Spray the car with soapy water and then peel off the backing and spray the adhesive side of the first stripe with the soapy water as well. (Do not get the stripe wet while the paper is on it.) Position the stripe where you want it and slide it into place. For longer sections is it nice to have a second person help out. On precut pieces I normally slide them into proper position and squeegee from the center forward and back so that I do not reposition the decal. As long as the stripe and the car are wet with the soapy water you can work with the stripe. You can pull the stripe off and put it back on as long as the car and stripe are wet. Keep the stripes you are not working with DRY.
Going down the bumpers takes a little more time. As you go over an edge from horizontal to vertical you will most likely need to have a seam so the you can adjust the direction of the stripe. As stripes go over curved edges they tend to change directions a little. A splice corrects this. On splices, overlap the bottom stripe with the top. To go around obstacles like gas caps or tag areas trim the piece with scissors with the backing on and then peel and apply. Precut stripe kits eliminate having to trim or splice. Click here to see our precut Mustang kits.
Once the stripe is where you want it you simply squeegee it on. Spray a little soapy water on the stripe to allow the squeegee to glide over the stripe without scratching it. (wrapping the squeegee in a soft cloth will also protect the stripe from scratches) Repeat this process on all stripes. Each stripe should hang over the edges a little. You can either fold this under or trim any excess vinyl away with an exacto knife or razor blade. You are done.
I protect my stripes by using the wax as you dry wax in a spray bottle. I do not use paste wax and a buffer. The less the car is in the sun the longer the stripes will last.
Guide created: 02/09/07 (updated 11/11/08)
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