JPJr

My plan was to have the hood cowl, roof, spoiler, and decklid painted matte black.
One estimate was $850.
Ouch.
So...
I've ordered a magnetic decal for the decklid blackout ($34.95), and I'm not worried about that, as if it's crooked, I can just keep taking it off until I get it right.
I've also found some hood blackout decals for around $40-$50.
But a real decal has me worried. If it's crooked it will bug the heck out of me. Being the hood cowl, I have the natural lines of the hood cowl to help in alignment so I think I might be able to do it.

I've read about wet and dry application techniques.
Anyone want to share some of their experience?

Thanks.

stupidgenius36

Paint is definately gonna cost more. But in the long run, I think you'd be happier. I plan to use vinyl for a while, but eventually it'll all get painted.

I've heard bad things about the magnetic blackouts, so I went with vinyl on mine. It'd bug me too if it ended up cooked...If you're not comfortable applying the decals, then maybe it's worth it to just pay someone else to do it...

db2797

I just installed a hood decal. First decal I had ever done. It wasn't bad at all. The natural lines on the hood provide a perfect line. Just take your time. Mask out where you want the decal first. Wet it down fairly good using a spray mixed with dish soap so you can move it around before it sticks if need be. Squeegee it over and over and over. After you have it squeegeed in place. Wet down the backing and squeegee again and again and again. Let it sit for at least a half hour before you pull the backing off. Don't worry if you see some bubbles immediately. Don't try to fix them right there unless they are really bad. The sun will do a good job fixing most of them. Just make sure you squeegee all the water out. Water bubbles are bad.

I only had 2 very small unnoticeable bubbles which I'm going to give another week before I try to fix.