Stripe install tips?

[Varekai]

Changing my stripes up. Car came with white stripes, same that my GT had, and I want something different, so I ordered matte black with red pinstriping from Big Worm. Going to lay some painters tape inbetween the old stripes before removing them so I have a guide line for the new ones. Other than that, any tips? I know I should use my heat gun to remove the old ones, and pulling back instead of up.

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[GTRacerX]

Posted this elsewhere but figure it would come in handy here too!

I worked in a vinyl shop for about five years and unfortunately this is very very common. While every manufacturer will give you different ratings on how long they will last, 3-5 years is typically a good range to expect for vinyl striping over clear coat.

Costs will vary shop to shop but if you have any local sign shops most of them do vehicle lettering and can take care of a job like this in a couple hours, the removal of existing vinyl will be the largest part of the job. That being said it is what I'd recommend, see if anyone has a job book and can show you similar jobs they've done or if they'll let you look at completed work in person. Look for deformities in the vinyl, bubbles, or any bumps caused by debris trapped underneath.

If you have a lot of patience and a very clean area to work in you can do it yourself. You will want to make absolutely sure no dust is introduced while re-striping.

Removal items: Hair dryer or low heat heat gun, 3M (personal preference) or other general adhesive remover. Avoid goo gone, it never worked all that well in any of our projects. Finally a thin plastic tool to work under the edges of vinyl.

See if you can slowly and carefully peel the vinyl up, applying a little heat will help it just start at one side and apply as you peel. Depending on the vinyl and how bad of shape it's in it may peel in one piece, stretch, chip, or just tear constantly. Just keep working at it and it should all come off with a little effort. If need be use your plastic tool to start a new section. Once it's off use a lint free cloth or paper towels and adhesive remover to clear any remaining adhesive. Make absolutely sure you get it all off, your prep here and pre-installation will make all the difference in the world when laying new stripes.

Installation Items: Vinyl stripes with application tape, X-acto knife, isopropyl alcohol/water mix or dish soap water mix in a spray bottle. Plastic applicator (squeegee, you want something rigid, check auto body shops or parts stores if your stripes are taped, a felt squeegee if not), a wax pencil that will show up well on your paint, a semi-flexible straight edge, and a tape measure.
Clean the hell out of the area you'll be working in. Prep is key, you can use the 3M adhesive remover to clear wax, chemicals, etc from the paint. After that I recommend using the alcohol/water mix or even rubbing alcohol to make sure it's as clean as can be.

Find reference points to measure off of and lay out where you want the edge of the stripe to start and mark with the wax pencil. From there make at least three marks measured out. You can use your straight edge to check the line and add more marks if you'd like.

From there spray your water/soap or water/alcohol mix onto the area you'll be placing the vinyl. This let's you adjust position until it's perfect without the adhesive grabbing. Lay your stripe into position and get it adjusted until it lines up with your marks. Take a step back and inspect, or have a helper eyeball the position. Make your final adjustments and grab your applicator/squeegee.

Starting from the center of the stripe work your way to the sides pushing the water mix out to the sides. Check your alignment and continue the process until the whole stripe is seated and all the water bubbles you can see are gone. I would normally let the vinyl sit for a few minutes and then peel back the application tape. Depending on if you had any water left under the vinyl the tape may pull the vinyl up. Use the squeegee again and gently peel the tape back until it's all gone. If you find any bubbles left behind you can wrap your applicator in a soft cloth or paper towels and push it out the sides like before, just be careful not to deform the vinyl.

Once it's sat for a while check your work and if any bubbles have appeared you can use the X-acto knife to carefully pierce the bubble and let the air/water out. Trim any overhang with the knife and you should be set.
I'd give it at least 48 hours before washing and a little heat and sunlight will help the adhesive set up better. Once it's solid you should be good to go for wash and wax.

 

[Varekai]

Thanks for the tips!

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