How are your vinyl stripes holding up?
12/31/12 | 02:39 PM
#21
Cobra R Member
Joined: January 10, 2011
Posts: 1,752
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
Some Boss owners are not going to agree with what I'm about to say:
I'm thinking of buying a Boss 302, but the problems with the vinyl stripes are making me think twice about it. I know there is a lot more to the Boss 302 than its stripes. But the idea of shelling out nearly 50 grand for a car that will have issues with what can arguably be the car's main identifying feature (The Boss logo and its stripes) really sucks!
Maybe the reason more people haven't commented about this is because the Boss has only been out for two years and most guys haven't had a problem with the stripes...yet, or most that have had problems are not worried because they are getting the stripes fixed under warranty. But what about life after the 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty? It almost seems inevitable that with enough wear and tear/washing that everyone will have issues with the vinyl peeling/fading soon. This seems like a bigger problem for those with a 2013 Boss than the 2012 Boss that has a painted hood and roof. The 2013s have the massive vinyl stripe going down the center of the hood, draping down both sides of the car, and then extending back the entire length of the car.
To me, it seems like it's that only a matter of time before Boss owners are faced with two options:
1. Replacing the vinyl which sounds like a complete nightmare because it involves removing the old vinyl without causing damage to the paint, re-prepping the surface, and applying new vinyl stripes/logos while making sure it all goes on perfectly straight.
2. Paying lots of money (probably thousands of dollars) to have the stripes professionally painted on so they will never come off.
Without selecting one of these options, can you imagine what the vinyl is going to look like on all Boss 302s in 10 years? This is supposed to be a limited edition car and some people are buying it as an investment. Ford should have painted the stripes on so they would last and the car can hold its value. There's no doubt that it was cheaper for Ford to have a machine apply vinyl stripes than to have them painted on. But it forces everyone who actually drives the car to replace them in a few years, and this may affect the value of the car since it alters it from its original state.
There I got it off my chest. Do I still want a Boss? Yep.
I'm thinking of buying a Boss 302, but the problems with the vinyl stripes are making me think twice about it. I know there is a lot more to the Boss 302 than its stripes. But the idea of shelling out nearly 50 grand for a car that will have issues with what can arguably be the car's main identifying feature (The Boss logo and its stripes) really sucks!
Maybe the reason more people haven't commented about this is because the Boss has only been out for two years and most guys haven't had a problem with the stripes...yet, or most that have had problems are not worried because they are getting the stripes fixed under warranty. But what about life after the 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty? It almost seems inevitable that with enough wear and tear/washing that everyone will have issues with the vinyl peeling/fading soon. This seems like a bigger problem for those with a 2013 Boss than the 2012 Boss that has a painted hood and roof. The 2013s have the massive vinyl stripe going down the center of the hood, draping down both sides of the car, and then extending back the entire length of the car.
To me, it seems like it's that only a matter of time before Boss owners are faced with two options:
1. Replacing the vinyl which sounds like a complete nightmare because it involves removing the old vinyl without causing damage to the paint, re-prepping the surface, and applying new vinyl stripes/logos while making sure it all goes on perfectly straight.
2. Paying lots of money (probably thousands of dollars) to have the stripes professionally painted on so they will never come off.
Without selecting one of these options, can you imagine what the vinyl is going to look like on all Boss 302s in 10 years? This is supposed to be a limited edition car and some people are buying it as an investment. Ford should have painted the stripes on so they would last and the car can hold its value. There's no doubt that it was cheaper for Ford to have a machine apply vinyl stripes than to have them painted on. But it forces everyone who actually drives the car to replace them in a few years, and this may affect the value of the car since it alters it from its original state.
There I got it off my chest. Do I still want a Boss? Yep.
2/7/13 | 09:55 AM
#23
Member
Joined: February 7, 2013
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Discoloration of 2013 Boss 302 Vinyl Stripes on Hood
Hello I'm new to this forum. Two weeks ago I took delivery of my my 2013 Performance White Boss 302. I just noticed about 8 little circular spots on the reflective vinyl stripe on the hood. At first I thought it may have been water spots, but after trying different high quality waxes and sealants the spots still remain. I believe the little circle spots I'm seeing are discoloration of the vinyl stripe. Has anyone heard this before? The spots are not white or orange they are black just a different shade of black from the rest of the stripe? Any advice or suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks
2/7/13 | 12:36 PM
#24
Thread Starter
GT Member
Joined: December 14, 2006
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
From: San Gabriel Valley, CA
I don't know if they're water spots or something worse, but you just took delivery of it, so it sounds like a slam dunk case for a replacement under warranty of the stripe. I wouldn't try anything to fix it and make it look like you caused the damage. After you get new stripes put some wax with good UV protection on them and you should be good to go.
2/8/13 | 02:00 PM
#25
Member
Joined: February 7, 2013
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Thank You. I took my Boss to the dealer yesterday and they took photos of the hood and are sending the photos to Ford to see if they will replace the stripes. I agree they should definitely replace them under the warranty.
2/9/13 | 05:13 PM
#26
Member
Joined: January 2, 2012
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Had my Boss for over a year now. No issues with the stripes on my RR 12 here in hot azz Texas. I have no doubt that FoMoCo will get it taken care of. I don't think I could say the same for the quality control issues Dodge had/has with the SRT Challenger. Crooked headliners, stripes, engine codes, etc. to name a few.
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