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Stripe Experience

PFSlim

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Weatherby Lake, MO
Folks

As you all know, we are new at this mustang restoration deal. Just as the good things we share, we must also share the bad things. Therefore, those who attempt to install their own GT/CS stripes, listen up!! :D

I ordered the kit from Steve (recommend by Paul N's book and by this site). The stripes were excellent. (this is where it becomes my fault). Next, we set a day to install stripes (yesterday) and our painter/body shop guy and myself began our work.

Now, I also need to explain that in the short amount of time of getting set up, we had visitors. Our mother, one of our wives, the guy who used to own the car, and a good friend of ours all dropped by to see the GT/CS and stripe installation in progress. (oh, and the family dog) ???

Now is the learning part. Never, Never, Never, Never, attempt to install stripes with that much going on. As well, peel the backing off the stripe, wet down the car with good soap water spray bottle, then attach stripe. DO NOT DIP the stripe with backing still installed into a bucket of water. This will only make the backing attach to the stripe and you can kiss that piece goodbye.

So, we did manage to only mess up on GT/CS piece and two door stripes. All other stripes are installed. :mad: :( :'(

I made a call to Steve (stripe guy) late last night begging for another chance and he immediately said he would have those pieces sent to my house in a couple of days. A Great Guy!!! ;D

Anyway, just wanted to relay a bad experience. Nothing that money and time can't fix.

Paul
 

rvrtrash

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
Sorry to hear about the oops. In doing mine, I learned you should also use painters tape to set your line and stand way back to see what it looks like before taking the backing off. Thank goodness the body shop had lots of space when we did it. The GT/CS didn't look right unless it was tilted just a little bit because of the curves of the scoop, at least with YearOne's stripe kit. Good luck on round two.
Steve
 

bbeatty

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2003
Messages
143
Ouch! Sorry to hear about the mishap :( but thanks for sharing your experence. ;D

Were you able to buy a partial kit or did you have to buy a another whole kit?
 

case12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
1,450
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
Steve's comments have me wondering. When I stand back and look at my GT/CS, the portion on the scoop looks a bit crooked to the rest of the stripes. I have also seen this on some of the cars in the gallery and on the calendar. It somewhat depends on the angle you are looking at the car. Yet some cars look perfectly straight. Is this the way the stripe was put on the scoop, the way the scoop is mounted, or just how it is on some cars? Being a perfectionist, I dont like coming out to the car in the parking lot and thinking "man, that looks a little crooked". Any thoughts? Casey
 
OP
OP
PFSlim

PFSlim

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Weatherby Lake, MO
Brian - we were able to buy a part kit, just the ones we needed. He is FedX'ing to us today and should be here tomorrow or next day latest.

Casey - It is difficult to get the scoop to match the stripe. In Steve's case, he had lots of room to really view the stripe as it flows into the scoop. We have that opportunity to view on passing side, but not drivers. Hopefully, ours will turn out okay but won't know until we put our door stripes on.

By the way, we used the measurements from Paul's book. Then used small pieces of tape to mark the front fender and door in front of scoop. Then, we used a red chalk line to snap a straight line. Next, we ran masking tape down chalk line to ensure the line was straight, wiped off chalk, then installed stripe. This seemed to work well as the tape did not have alot of waves or swags in it before we installed the stripes.

Don't know if we discovered America or not, but it seemed like a good way of doing it. Then, you have to match the door stripe with the scoop and the best way to do that is basically standing back away from it, adjusting, then marking where it should go, then installing.

Paul
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,011
Just wondering if anyone has tried any of the new laser levels that are on the market. That would be slick if we could set it at the correct height and let it shoot a level line down the side of the car. Of couse it would be difficult to apply the stipe without blocking the laser but it would work to set points with tape or a marker that could be use as a guide.
 

19HCS68

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
110
My black and decker laser level only shoots level horizontally. Mine would not work for this job. Just my half pennys worth.
 
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