Has anyone used the reflective type of material for stripes? I wonder if the material is thicker.

The side stripes on the 69 Mach 1s were reflective and I always liked the look at night...

 

It might look a little too much like a school bus. JMO

 

Material is definately thicker and is not meant to conform to curves. Also on a vehicle application they can get damaged easily so you need to take special care. Nowadays, a lot of states and provinces (in Canada of course) it is illegal to have refective stripes on cars. Don't ask me why, I have no idea but several guys I hang out with are cops and they said it is in the traffic act. I guess only emergency vehicles and trailers over 16ft long are to have them and trailers are to only have white/red markers installed.

 

I suspected that they may be thicker and may not conform to curved surfaces as well.

How about metallic vs. solid color? Is there a thickness difference?

 

FYI: On a 70 BOSS 302, the hood stripes and fender tops are NOT reflective...but the words BOSS 302 and the side stripes ARE reflective. I think the theory is that direct sunlight would play havoc on strips facing up...it's a cool effect on the sides, especially when using flash photography!!!

 

I went with non-reflective stripes for my car, here is a link to the site I got the stripes from as the owner requested finished photos.

My stripes

 

Metallics are normally 2 mil vinyl which is what you want on a car. Some solids are but before you buy you should find out exactly what type of vinyl it is if you are going solid (ie: Calendared 4-6 year, intermediate 6 year, high performance - 8 year, Pantone - up to 9 years). Warranty ratings are based on 3M and Avery vinyls. I personally prefer metallics as they do not show swirl marks or scratches as easy as solid. Black for example can be a nightmare after a few car washes.

Note: If you do want reflective make sure you ask for Avery A7 high performance reflective. It has a 7 year warranty and will conform to compound curves. I just suggest you never place it on the top of the car as it will not last as long from the intense heat.

 

Good info - thanks.

Still on the fence between Torch Red with white stripes or Performance White with blue stripes...