I just got my tube of stripes from vettestripes.com and I'm still not sure about the install. I'm going to take it on myself and I think it will go alright. I have the squeegee and the instructions on how to mix up the soapy water to allow some movement before they are permanent. I'm going to experiment with some of the scrap pieces first to see how to apply them well and how long I have to get them into place. I haven't opened the tube yet so I'm not sure if there is more info in there but I had a couple of questions for those who have done this that I didn't see in the online instructions.

how should I clean the car first? is a simple wash good enough? its actually been a few months since I got a fresh coat of wax on it which is probably good for stripe adhesion. I do use things like ice polish. I'm not sure if I need to go to extra lengths to get it all off or just do a good wash.

I got the CE stripes and the alignment of them is pretty strait forward except for one thing, for someone who has a factory CE, about how far apart are the strips from each other in the middle? the factory spacing looks good to me, I want mine spaced the same distance. I don't have a rear C5 emblem to reference.

any other advice for a first timer? I don't really have anyone who can help me, so I may be going at this alone.

 

I just found one set of instructions which mention using the window tinting film aid solution. I have some of that, could I use that instead of the baby shampoo and water mix? do I need to mix the film aid with water also? instructions said something about that.

 

Anything on your paint will show through the stripes. Stuff that not even visible by the naked eye. If it were me I would clay the car or the area at least were the stripes are going, to be sure.

 

I've read it's a good idea to have someone help you. That way you can stand back and eyeball it while the other pair of hands makes minor adjustments. Good luck, use plenty of the soapy solution. download and follow the instructions from vette stripes!

 

You could wipe the area with denatured alcohol . I just washed the area and rinsed it real good.

I cut pieces of paper up the same size as the stripes and played with them on the car. I moved them up and down the fender and spaced them at different widths. I tried to make them slant the same as the gill
opening. I used ellectrical tape to keep the paper stripes in place. I looked at them from all conceivable angles as I wanted them to be just right the first time.

The small stripe goes first , the large stripe goes closest the driver.

The final positioning should be what appeals to you the most. Do not get hung up on correctness but do what looks good to you.

The soapy water will help you alot and you should use it liberally. You will have time to noodle the stripes around until they are the way you want. You can wrap them under the fender and razor them just inside the hood. Get all bubbles out by pressing and swiping with a cloth covered credit card or something similar. You could use a hair dryer to expedite but I did not and let them dry naturally. I put them on several months ago and they still look good. People will either like them or they will not. I think you will like them when installed.

I'm not much of a do-it-yourselfer so if I can do it you can do it.


777

 

I would recommend a helper. One person to peal off the backing and one to spray soapy water on the sticky side as you go. I used a few drops of baby shampoo in a spray bottle of water. The car needs to be wet wet wet also. As soon as you squeegee out the water it is stuck.

 

I misunderstood. I initially thought you were talking about fender stripes. Sorry bout that.

777

 

I measured the distance between the stripes on my Z06 CE. This is interesting because they are not consistent. Here is what I measured:

Hood
Front 2-1/8"
Rear 3-3/8"

Roof
Front 3-3/4"
Rear 3-1/8"

Trunk
Front 2-5/8"
Rear 2"

They are close together on the front of the hood, then get further apart as they go over the roof and then get closer on the rear of the trunk.

I'm not sure how important it is to match these measurements, I doubt anyone would notice without measuring. I wonder how consistent the factory applied stripes were?

 

Here are mine installed:

 

I'd just have to find someone local to install them if I ever got them.

 

You might want to give Mike at CorvetteStripes a call (or e-mail) and pick his brain on this. Or find a good local shop that installs graphics and have them do it if you find out you're not comfortable doing the install.