CLICK HERE TO ORDER Vinyl Stripes Application Guide Cars look fantastic with racing stripes. Standard or precut rally stripes are acceptable and often expected on a Camaro , Mustang, Firebird , Trans Am , Dodge Neon , Charger , Mazda Miata , Chevrolet Cavalier , Dodge Truck and other automobiles. One obstacle that keeps car owners from putting stripes on their car is the belief that it is difficult to do. On the contrary, vinyl stripes are very forgiving and easy to install. We have sold over 30,000 stripe kits using our amazing "Wet Application Vinyl" and have yet to find someone that cannot install them. The only people that ever have problems are so called professional installers who already know everything and do not need to follow simple instructions. For everyone else it is easy and very rewarding. Before you begin wash your car but do not wax it. Then find a fairly warm, clean, wind free place to install the stripes. Do not apply stripes in direct sun, rain or wind. It just makes an otherwise easy job more difficult. RALLY STRIPE INSTALLATION Find the cars centerline - I normally find the centerline of a car and then take a roll of masking tape and run it from the front to the back of the car. If I want the stripes to be 1 inch apart I use 1" wide tape. If I want them 2 inches apart I use 2" tape and so on. The tape serves as a guide for the stripes. If you keep the stripes close to the tape from front to back you will avoid a crooked application. It is a simple step that will make the job easier. After the stripes are on you simply pull off the masking tape. Cutting your pieces - After you have found the centerline of the car and marked it you will take a pair of scissors and cut the stripes into the lengths that you will need for striping the hood, roof and trunk of your car. I cut each piece slightly longer than I need and then either fold it under or trim it off once the stripe is installed. If your kit contains precut pieces you will not need to trim these. If you are planning to stripe down the bumpers I would suggest you do them at the end. Practice on the easy parts of the car like the hood, roof and rear deck first. Surface Prep - Remove any emblems that may interfere with the stripe. (replace them after the stripes are applied) Then clean the application area with rubbing alcohol. Just wipe it down with a soft cloth soaked in alcohol. Preparing an application fluid - After the car is clean, mix up in a spray bottle 16-20 ounces of water, 1/4 teaspoon of unscented clear liquid JOY and 1/2 teaspoon of Isopropyl Alcohol. (if you do cannot get clear liquid joy any dishwashing liquid will work) You don't have to have alcohol but you do need the soap and water. DO NOT USE too much soap. It only takes a few drops per 16 - 20 ounces of water. Applying your Stripes - Spray the car with soapy water and then peel the backing and spray the adhesive side of the first stripe with the soapy water as well. (Do not get the stripe wet while the paper is on it.) Position the stripe where you want it and slide it into place. For longer sections is it nice to have a second person help out. On precut pieces I normally slide them into proper position and squeegee from the center forward and back so that I do not reposition the decal. As long as the stripe and the car are wet with the soapy water you can work with the stripe. You can pull the stripe off and put it back on as long as the car and stripe are wet. Keep the stripes you are not working with DRY. Going down the bumpers takes more time. As you go over an edge from horizontal to vertical you will most likely need to have a seam so the you can correct the direction of the stripe. As stripes go over curved edges they can change directions a little. A splice will correct this. On splices, overlap the bottom stripe with the top stripe. To go around obstacles like gas caps or tag areas trim the piece with scissors with the backing on, peel and apply. Once the stripe is where you want it you squeegee it on. Spray a little soapy water on the stripe as you squeegee to allow the squeegee to glide over the stripe without scratching it. (wrapping it in a soft cloth will also protect the stripe from scratches) Repeat this process on all stripes. Each stripe should hang a little over the edges. You can fold this under or trim any excess vinyl away with an exacto knife or a razor blade. You are now done. I protect my stripes by using the "wax as you dry" wax by Simoniz. I do not use paste wax and a buffer on my stripes. Also, the less the car is in the sun the longer the stripes will last. I HOPE THIS INFORMATION ABOUT STRIPES TAPE HAS BEEN USEFUL TO YOU. WE ALSO CARRY A VARIETY OF REFLECTIVE TAPE PRODUCTS. WE CARRY SCHOOL BUS TAPE, DOT APPROVED TRACTOR TRAILER TAPE, ENGINEER GRADE REFLECTIVE TAPE FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES, AND MORE. FOR CUSTOM WIDTHS AND COLORS EMAIL ME AT THE LINK ABOVE OR CALL ME AT 850-934-3157.