IS PUTTING RACING STRIPES ON EASY?
Member
Joined: August 14, 2005
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Originally posted by acadian@August 10, 2005, 2:03 PM
My car is also on the baltimorestreetrod site, having formerly used their vinyl to stripe my car before I went ahead and painted them on. I have to say, the vinyl from Rob is very thick. It was hard to work with and it also scratched easily. Just a couple washes, and you could see scratches in the vinyl. I wouldn't recommend that site. I would go with graphics express or with bob white. Although, the best thing is to have a shop do it... they'll supply their own vinyl and will probably be better than what you get on-line.
My car is also on the baltimorestreetrod site, having formerly used their vinyl to stripe my car before I went ahead and painted them on. I have to say, the vinyl from Rob is very thick. It was hard to work with and it also scratched easily. Just a couple washes, and you could see scratches in the vinyl. I wouldn't recommend that site. I would go with graphics express or with bob white. Although, the best thing is to have a shop do it... they'll supply their own vinyl and will probably be better than what you get on-line.
We also had the washer nozzles outof place initially, but they are not only smaller now, but right on!! We have made many improvements in recent weeks....
Cobra R Member
Joined: October 10, 2004
Posts: 1,627
Likes: 1
From: Location: Indy
Baltimore Street Mods -
Roof and hood were no problem - trunk / spoiler and front bumper took some time. They are cut to fit the contours, but the surfaces still require some time to work out the wrinkles. I used a hair dryer to help smooth out some of the wrinkles, but too much heat is a BAD thing. Only use it to warm things up a little, and from a distance.
The nice thing when applying is that if you get things out of alignment, it is easy to carefully (and slowly) peel them off, rewet and reapply.
Don't allow any water to get on the backing of the stripes - it will cause the paper backing to stick to the adhesive side of the stripe. It can be removed, but it is a major pain.
Make sure the surface is absolutely clean - any dirt particles will get trapped under the stripe and your squeegee will find them. I found this out as I tucked the edge of the stripe under the front grill. As I pulled the grill up to slide the stripe under, I must have knocked some grit loose and it was a pain getting it cleaned up.
Roof and hood were no problem - trunk / spoiler and front bumper took some time. They are cut to fit the contours, but the surfaces still require some time to work out the wrinkles. I used a hair dryer to help smooth out some of the wrinkles, but too much heat is a BAD thing. Only use it to warm things up a little, and from a distance.
The nice thing when applying is that if you get things out of alignment, it is easy to carefully (and slowly) peel them off, rewet and reapply.
Don't allow any water to get on the backing of the stripes - it will cause the paper backing to stick to the adhesive side of the stripe. It can be removed, but it is a major pain.
Make sure the surface is absolutely clean - any dirt particles will get trapped under the stripe and your squeegee will find them. I found this out as I tucked the edge of the stripe under the front grill. As I pulled the grill up to slide the stripe under, I must have knocked some grit loose and it was a pain getting it cleaned up.
Bullitt Member
Joined: August 19, 2004
Posts: 470
Likes: 0
Originally posted by BaltimoreStreetMods@August 14, 2005, 1:50 PM
At the time you got yours, we were not pre-cutting them yet to account for the contours, and were using ORACAL... due to the tremendous demand, we converted our vinyl to 3M graphics film.. much better to work with I must say. The oracal was harder to use on contours, very glad we switched......
We also had the washer nozzles outof place initially, but they are not only smaller now, but right on!! We have made many improvements in recent weeks....
At the time you got yours, we were not pre-cutting them yet to account for the contours, and were using ORACAL... due to the tremendous demand, we converted our vinyl to 3M graphics film.. much better to work with I must say. The oracal was harder to use on contours, very glad we switched......
We also had the washer nozzles outof place initially, but they are not only smaller now, but right on!! We have made many improvements in recent weeks....
Yes, I am going to go with you guys. Any chance for a discount?
I Have No Life
Joined: May 26, 2004
Posts: 10,605
Likes: 2
Originally posted by harrier@August 10, 2005, 2:27 PM
adrenaline knows what he is talking bout. i would trust his word with regard to the single wide mach 1 type stripe that goes over the center line of the hood. note: adrenaline's "dry application" does not apply to dual rally stripes.
adrenaline knows what he is talking bout. i would trust his word with regard to the single wide mach 1 type stripe that goes over the center line of the hood. note: adrenaline's "dry application" does not apply to dual rally stripes.
If you purchase a kit where the stripes have been cut to compensate for the curve in the hood you can, and should, apply these wet. You can tell before applying them if they were done this way. The stripe will look curved, not straight.
If you receive stripes that are not contoured for the hood (are 100% straight on the paper) you most likely need to install these dry, which should only be done by a pro.
Bullitt Member
Joined: October 7, 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 4
From: San Jose, CA
I know this is an old thread but I was searching for any info on installing rally stripes. I failed twice to install mine. I started off installing one of the rear pieces that go around the faux gas cap and accidentally put a crease in it so I ordered a new piece. I decided the second time to try and install the bumper pieces. Failed again. What a pain in the butt! I couldn't get it to lay down properly in the vertical section of the bumper. Tried heating with a hair dryer too. There were just too many wrinkles to work out. I just gave up and trashed the piece. Maybe it was the quality of the vinyl? I bought the stripes from http://www.rallystripes.com/. The vinyl they used is called HiCal. That's what I get for buying cheap stripes I guess. When I'm ready to try again, I think I'm gonna buy from Baltimorestreetmods or Autotrimdesign. I'm leaning more towards the vinyl from Autotrimdesign. It appears to be the dry application type. I saw the installation video from them and they make it look so easy.
Install video
Install video
V6 Member
Joined: February 10, 2006
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
I've got about a dozen of these under my belt and can tell you, put them on wet if haven't done them before. I can only imagine how daunting the job appears if you have no experience with them. The dry method is a one shot only deal and there is no going back and pulling them up if you're a bit off with your measurement. Patience is the key. Follow the instructions that are included with your kit to the "t" and don't try to hurry the job. You'll only end up with creases, or worse, a ripped stripe. If you have dark colored stripes, use a microfiber cloth over your squeegee when laying them down after you pull off the transfer sheet or you will get scratches. The scratches are not the fault of the vinyl, it is with the installion. Do not apply them in direct sunlight and I suggest doing them inside on a day with little humidity. If you're worried about doing them yourself, pay a professional. Your local dealer should be able to refer you to one that they use. BSM and auto trim design have good quality stripes, not sure about the others. I've had to install the Ford Racing stripe kit for the local dealer as they want only official ford products on their cars. Do not use their stripe kit unless you're having a professional do it. They are too thick, and the adhesive is too aggressive. You'd be better off with a 2mil stripe from one of the above vendors.
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