ive been trying to stripe my car for the last 2 days. first time i striped my car the stripes were kinda off and the fronmt and back bumper was impossible for the guy to do. just came from the shop and did the stripes again and the guy had the same problem too. they both told me that each curve changes the agle of the stripe and that it was difficult to do because of it. right now i have stripes but not all the way down which i wanted to. also how much did u guys with stripes pay for them. just wondering cause the first time i paid 120 and felt sorry for the guy. second time paid 150 and now they are becoming some expensive stripes. also just wondering how did your installer did the front and back bumper?

 

Who's stripe kit are you using? Or is the shop you took it to doing it from rolls of vinal? I got mine from auto trim design. They were laser cut so there was no trimming involved, and were designed to go down over the bumpers. Yes, it was a PITA to get done, and the guy that put them on said he would never do another set like these for the price he charged ( $100 ). The key was to start at the highest surface crease and work out to each end.

 

Most places, that know what they are doing that is, charge around $450.00 to install the lemans stripes on the stang because it is not an easy job, as you have found out. Sounds to me like these guys do not have enough experience to tackle this job. Also sounds like they are installing the stripes wet which you cannot do due to all the curves. They have to be installed dry. Also, the bumpers and trunk lid are "pieced" together. They will not be able to use 1 piece to complete the entire stripe or, as you found out, it will be very crooked.

If it is a precut kit, designed for the stang it is a little easier to install. If it is just straight cut from a vinyl roll there is more work involved. It would take close to 1 hour just to complete a bumper.

Edit: That price is including the vinyl. Labour alone on average is $275.00

 

adrenalin, what do u mean they are "pieced" from the trunk lid to the bumper? a piece for the trunk and another for the bumper. the stripes were printed in this printer and installed. ive should of done a little more researche before hand

 

Pieced meaning ....
Look at the trunk. In order for the stripe to work properly you end up with a seam just above the third brake light. One piece on the top of the trunk, the other on the back. If you don't it will curve. The rear bumper is 3 pieces, same with the front. I know I have posted all of this someone else, just can't remember which thread, sorry.

 

but wouldnt it be noticeable that there multiple lines between one another?

 

I paid 600 for the stripes installed at a local vinyl shop. they did a great job.
There are a couple seems but without looking for them you can't see them.

 

Painted stripes are looking better and better now.

 

No offense but at that cost why not just get them painted?

I guess most places would charge twice that to paint but I know some good (i.e. award winning for restos) body people who would only charge about 500+paint for the job.

 

Had the same problem with mine.The guy who installed then realy wanted to get them in one piece.After a few tries he did get it in one piece,it took a lot of slow work with a heat gun and he started wita a piece a lot wider than the final stripe was.after getting it to all lay flat he trimmed the parts that he didn't need and made them straight.

 

Not if you know where to splice them together and how to do it. My seams have less than a 1/8 overlay and are placed on the body lines. The only way you can tell is to run your hand across the vinyl. I've had people stare at the stripes and I mean from inches away and not know where the seams were until I pointed them out.

 

Painted stripes are great, until you get tired of looking at all the other cars around with stripes. I plan on doing something different next year. I can just remove the vinyl and do a different design. I can't do that as easily or as cheap if they were painted on.

 

I know you don't care for painted stripes, But in a year you say your going to do something else. But when you take your stripes off. Won't there be a discoloration in the paint from the sun. Might be just slightly discolored where the stripes were. Paint will discolor from the sun, Not much , But it will still do it. Unless your keeping your car garaged.

 

The guy that installed mine made just the opposite statement. He said that they had to be installed "very wet" and that there would be no way to get them on right without screwing up the vinal if it was done dry.


<!--QuoteBegin-adrenalin@May 19, 2005, 8:09 AM
Also, the bumpers and trunk lid are "pieced" together. They will not be able to use 1 piece to complete the entire stripe or, as you found out, it will be very crooked.
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Mine are one piece. Stripe from the rear window all the way down around the brake light, the GT emblem and down to the edge of the trunk lid is 1 piece. Then the piece from the bottom of the trunk, down around the license plate, and over the rear bumper cover is one piece. Well, technically 4 pieces since there are two trunk stripes and two bumper stripes, but you know what I mean.

 

adrenalin

I love my stripes. I will not get tired of them just because there will be more of them, with stripes, out there. I was lucky, mine came out great and the color combo works great too.

When I can get the new GT500 hood, I will get one of those painted up the same way. Which will allow me to tinker with the look a bit.

 

I love your painted stripes too. Thats what I am saving for now. I still have unresolved issues with my vinyl ones.

 

I would thank you Donna, but I did not mean to hi-jack this thread.

What I really mean to say, is pay for quality and you normally get quality. Vinyl stripes or Painted stripes.

 

Ya, my car is garaged but I do this stuff to all my cars. Any "fading" is just oxidization of the clearcoat which can be polished out, which is what I always do before installing new stripes.

 

For about 200 bucks more I could have had them painted, but that price was only including re-clear of the striped area. If I were to go for paint, I would want them done right (Just my opinion, but right includes sanding and re-clearing the entire surface where the stripe is on) Prices for this ran anywhere from 1600+ at the reputable paint shops I checked.
I saw one with just the reclear on the stripes and not sure if it was just a bad job, but the paint was raised off the car higher than my vinyl is, im sure they could get close, but another factor was that when I got them I really wasn't sure if I was going to like them. I know others have had vinyl done for cheaper than 600 but the place I had them done gave me a 5 year warranty against cracking, peeling, and fading. (dont have to fight with the vinyl warranty, they take that upon themself) plus I think they did an awsome job, as you can see from chevy_slayers post he had to go back a couple times paying over 100 each time and they still are not right.
I think my vinyl stripe job was worth it.