VINYL stripes, who has done this??.... Yes, another vinyl stripe thread!!!!!

[TAXIMAN1]

Looking to add vinyl striped to my solid yellow GTS....First off. I have spend the last 30 minutes searching every vinyl stripe thread I could find. VERY HELPFUL....

However, it seems most people had a pro do this for them, and for good reason Im sure.. I am just the type of person that wants to try this myself, before I go that route..Not so much cost. I just dont really know of a vinyl shop in my area who has experience doing this, who I would trust.. Second, I just purchased the vinyl, and my cost was $60. So, if I screw up, and have to throw the stuff away.. Its really not a big deal!!!

I feel comfortable I can do this. My biggest concern is the naca duct and the bumpers.. I have seen people who cut around the naca duct. While this looks ok, I was going for the "factory" look as much as possible.. I realize we are at the mercy of the material(vinyl). So a true factory look might not be possible.. For the people who did this themselves. How many pieces did you use, in the area? How did you make the cuts? Free hand xacto knife??

I have the measurements as 8-4-8". Is that factory?

Thanks much, for any and all light, you can shedon this...

 

[cagleman]

There is a great how to DIY on vinyl striping your Viper in the Illustrated Upgrades section. You have to be a VCA member to access it. I joined the VCA and this was one of my reasons for doing so.

What color do you have and what color are the stripes? I will be making mine into a bumblebee at some point soon.

Perhaps someone will chime in with their personal experiences, I find the well written DIY with photos very helpful for when I start my project. GOOD LUCK!

 

[TAXIMAN1]

There is a great how to DIY on vinyl striping your Viper in the Illustrated Upgrades section. You have to be a VCA member to access it. I joined the VCA and this was one of my reasons for doing so.

What color do you have and what color are the stripes? I will be making mine into a bumblebee at some point soon.

Perhaps someone will chime in with their personal experiences, I find the well written DIY with photos very helpful for when I start my project. GOOD LUCK!

Mine is solid yellow as well.... Looking to turn it, into a "bee"....

 

[Matthew Howell 97 GTS]

I had no experience doing vinyl, until I decided to stripe my GTS. For me it was going to be a test run on what yellow stripes looked like on a red GTS. I did not want to have them painted on and not like the end result. If I didn't like it I was just going to peel them off. In the end I liked the good enough to keep them as vinyl. In the end they were perfect.

I purchased nothing special vinyl off of Ebay. Have had them on for around 7 years. Only a few spots now on the nose with tiny places where rocks and road debris have damaged the vinyl. They are very durable. Probably paid around $50.00. I bought a roll 12" wide.

I measured across the body panels to find the center of the car. I would put down a piece of masking tape and mark the center of the car on it. I did this about every 2" down the center of the car to establish the centerline.

I then measured out 2" in each direction at every point that had been marked as the center. This gave me the inside edge of the stripe, and a piece of masking tape 8" out from that for the outside edge of the stripe.

I then laid pieces of white printer paper in the area that had been marked with my tape. I then drew onto the paper making a template.

I took the template and transfered it onto the back of the vinyl backing. I used a regular pair of scissors, an exacto knife, a straight edge, and had a large piece of plastic as my work surface. I cut the vinyl to the shape of my template.

Laid the vinyl on the area it would be attached to. On top side of the vinyl I put a couple pieces of masking tape, and marked some reference marks that lined up with the existing tape on the hood so I would have the vinyl laid in an exact spot.

I used one drop of dish soap per spray bottle. sprayed a mist over the area to receive the stripe. As I peeled the vinyl I sprayed it onto the sticky side of the vinyl to keep it from sticking to itself. slid it into position. and began to squeegee the water out from under the vinyl. If it needed any fine trimming I would peel the vinyl off and throw away, make a mark on the vinyl wax paper that was left over when the vinyl was peeled from it and cut another piece. As I squeezed the water out and the vinyl and it was a keeper, I would take the masking tape off of the hood at that time.

I removed the duct from the hood when I striped the hood. I did not stripe my duct, I was so happy to be done.

I did it as a winter project, did a little every night and it took me about 3 weeks.

 

[PDCjonny]

Matthew
Having replaced sections of mine that have gotten chipped etc, I have some experience with this as well. The flats are one thing, but the front fascia is tough. How did you do the curved fascia? The problem is that not only is it curved, it is a compound curve. Did you apply it wet like the hood and just work it? I have tried many methods including having someone hold it out straight and heat it with a heat gun, pulling it around the curve. That works ok, but you can pull too much and concave the sides, no good.

 

[Warfang]

Don't do it man.... it is a royal pain. Even the pros can't get it perfect. "Good Enough" is usually the outcome. Matthew has the right idea. Get it thicker than the 8 inches and razor the rest off. You'll need steady hands though.

I would even use a laser leveler to get a single straight beam to see where to cut.

 

[outtahand]

I am getting it done today! I am having them do the Competition Stripes 8 wide to 12 Wide with an aggressive curve. Kinda like this below, but on my 98 RT/10.

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I will post pics and full INSTALL details when its done.

 

[PDCjonny]

Would LOVE to see some installation pics/details when available.
Please post them.

 

[TAXIMAN1]

Don't do it man.... it is a royal pain. Even the pros can't get it perfect. "Good Enough" is usually the outcome. Matthew has the right idea. Get it thicker than the 8 inches and razor the rest off. You'll need steady hands though.

I would even use a laser leveler to get a single straight beam to see where to cut.

well, Im going to give it a shot... I think the vinyl cost me $50... Worst case, Im out that..... I got the vinyl "pre-cut" 8-4-8.. So it will be applied in 1 20" piece. Then I will remove the 4' space at the end.. Hopefully this will make the job easier... I am also removing the naca duct... Im most worried about the bumpers...

 

[Venomiss]

Would LOVE to see some installation pics/details when available.
Please post them.

You have seen the one in the Illustrated section ? It's a nice one with pictures and detailed write up.

 

[Matthew Howell 97 GTS]

As far as I remember only the roof and the long sections on the hood worked as straight 8" wide pieces, but they will still need to be pulled into position. I did NOT use any heat. I believe that if the vinyl was stretched that it changed color.( thinner let more of the body color show through.) All the other pieces I cut the best fit shape out of wider than 8" piece. The underside of the nose that is not visable, I made relief cuts or finger like cuts and those pieces were slightly overlapped.

The rest of the curves I just kept working the vinly with my squeegee. If I needed more or less along an edge, I would cut another piece. I used the backing from each piece to cut its replacement. Never cut any vinyl while it was on the car.

I have seen some of the Vipers that have had vinyl put on by "experts". My conclusion is that they don't get paid to make it perfect, just close.

My total cost was around $50.00 and I have plenty vinyl left as spare.

I would never do another one.......Just like the ABS conversion I installed on my 97.

 

[outtahand]

I am getting it done today! I am having them do the Competition Stripes 8 wide to 12 Wide with an aggressive curve. Kinda like this below, but on my 98 RT/10.

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I will post pics and full INSTALL details when its done.

PICS BELOW: The install took 6 Hours and looks Awesome. We did a 8in to 10in tapered Hood to rear bumper.

PICTURES:

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[cagleman]

Wow, Outtahand...nice job!

 

[PDCjonny]

Looks terrific.
Question: When you did the hood and upper front fascia, was it done in one continuous piece and then cut at the gap or was it done as separate pieces?

 

[outtahand]

Looks terrific.
Question: When you did the hood and upper front fascia, was it done in one continuous piece and then cut at the gap or was it done as separate pieces?

Jon you are correct, it was 1 piece to the front fascia and we cut it in the gap. The first run we did on the hood had to be recut because we decided to go one piece into the fascia rather than piece it.