tom281

Installed 10" stripes and also S197 GT side stripes. Purchased from BSM. Took about 16 hours total to install......was a good learning experience.

What do you think?

Torrence

nice.....

Tony Alonso

Looks good...you also may have answered the age old question "What term can I use on the side stripes without directly copying the Shelby nomenclature?"

If you have a moment, please describe your installation experience, helpful hints, things that were difficult, etc.

GRAYPNY

Nice job Tom! Your car looks great and the stripes really set it off. Probably one of the nicest 05's in Indiana.

tom281

Hah! That's exactly what I was trying to do. I actually have a set of side stripes from BSM that say "G.T. 350"- I just couldn't bring myself to install them. Nothing against people that have done so, it's just that, well, I didn't want people seeing my car and walking away saying "that's not a real G.T. 350"...... They can't say that about my stripes. Now if I could come up with a sign for my back window that explains what S197 is/means, it would probably save me some time .

As far as installation, this was my first vinyl install and it wasn't really that bad. For people that are debating, just go for it; don't worry yourself out of trying it. In my experience with this kit, here are things to look out for:

-Mark the centerline of the car precisely. I can not emphasize this enough. Any deviation will REALLY show up once all pieces are on. My install did not come out perfect- the front/hood matches the trunk/rear very well, but my roof is a little off. My wife doesn't notice (of course), but I'm comtemplating on ripping the top off and lining it back up the the other pieces. I used a piece of string with a brick tied to each end- I centered the string down the middle of the car and moved the bricks away from the front and back to stretch the string tight- then I used the recommended 1.5" tape on top of the string to line up the stripes. My roof must have just been off- period. That brings me to the next tip:

-Take your time! I kinda rushed through this and still took about 15 to 16 hours. Take your time measuring and squeeging out the bubbles- this pays off BIG at the end of the install.

-Have some help: I did the install entirely by myself, and it would have been nice to have an extra set of hands, especially on the roof. Another big area for help is in just removing the large stripes from their backing paper. If you don't remove them smoothly and evenly, you will get major krinkles that will take alot of........

-Heat: you will need heat to install these stripes (or atleast this BSM kit). I used the wife's hair dryer......it worked like a charm. Heat is not necessary on all pieces, mainly just the front bumper and rear bumper (licence plate) pieces. They, my friends, are a MAJOR pain in the pooper! Several times during the installation of these pieces did I have to stop and rehydrate- a 6pack helped ease the frustration caused by these areas.

-The front and rear bumper areas had me almost ready to quit. I save them for last, just incase I wanted to pay someone to do them. However, with alot of patience and help from the hair dryer, I got them. I would recommend starting on the front bumper first- get the top of the bumper done and let it begin drying before doing the middle and/or bottom section. Then I started the rear bumper, and did the same thing. Once I had it in place, I went back to the front and just kept alternating between the front and back of the car. I did this to try to save some time. Once the tops had started to dry, I worked my way down slowly using helper heat to smooth things out. I ended up having to trim some of the front bumper vinyl just a little bit, to make it perfectly vertical. I couldn't get the pieces perfectly straight otherwise.

Sorry to write so much......... if anyone else has any questions, PM me and I'll respond here to this thread to help share any additional info.

Thanks,

Tom

tom281

Hey thanks! I've been debating on what color of stripes since I bought the car back in September. Just ask my wife- I was driving her crazy. First it was black- no questions asked. Then time went by.....and silver was the ticket. But I didn't want my buds teasing me about driving a Dallas Cowboys car during football season, so white it is. It's been a long 8 months of indecision up till now. I think part of my relief is not only having the install complete, but the darn color decided too!

tom281

I forgot to mention that I have 1/4" pinstripes to add too. Probably get started on those next weekend, and will post back. I love pinstripes, in my opinion they really complete the look.

TacoBill

Great job, Tom!

I want to get stripes too, but will seek an installer for the job. I may possess the skills, but I don't have the patience.

Enyo

Looks great Tom! Question, is that a 2" gap or 1.5"?

tom281

Patience is key man, you're right about that. Thanks for the compliment!!

tom281

Its 2" gap. I ordered the kit with the wiper nozzles cut out, which therefore comes with a 2" gap. BSM recommends using 1.5" tape to mark the centerline, then spacing the stripes .25" off the tape to total the 2" mark.

Thanks,

Tom

95SVTCobraVA

Looking good Tom!!!

TacoBill

Tom-
Did you have to remove your CDC chin spoiler when you applied the stripes on it? Or, just did it while on the car?

Also, how far do the stripes go underneath the spoiler, hood and trunk lid?

Pics would be nice if you have any.