I installed a set of Mike's stripes last week and wanted to pass on some of my experience.
http://www.vettestripes.com/

Here are the photos of the finished product:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1952002

The sun finally came out so here is a photo that shows a bit more detail and the awesome color:


Sorry, no install pictures.

First, Mike is great and I would highly recommend him as a source for any stripes you are interested in!

Now on to the install - I ordered the stripes and they arrived quickly, but with snow on the ground and an unheated garage, the "install in 60+ degree weather" recommendation had me concerned. I also had driven recently and the car was not spotless

After waiting a week, and no end of snow in sight, I decided I could at least take off the roof, clean it up in the shower and work in my bathroom since it would be 70 degrees. I bought a tint window application kit (small black squeegee and a razorblade for $7) at Schucks auto supply. This works great! I used a spray bottle diluted with some soap (Shaklee Basic H) and that worked very well. After drenching the roof the stripe could be easily positioned.

There is one significant issue - if you have pets, their hair can be a pain! I ended up using the razorblade to try and get the hairs out from between the stripe and the roof. I think tweezers would have been great, but I couldn't find any. Most were easy to spot before I squeegeed, but a few were found after and then I had to peel up and remove, more spray and re-squeegee. So if I had to do over it would not be inside the house -- or maybe at a neighbors that didn;t have pets?

After the roof dried for a few days in the tub (wife not too happy about that) I put it out in the garage back on the car.

Now I just had to work on the rest of the car. I found an electric heater in the attic and opened up the garage when the sun came out to use the radiant heat while I could. The garage now stayed about 60 degrees. But I wouldn't let the wife park inside (opening the garage would cool it off)... (Yes I owe my wife for putting up with all of this).

Peeling the stripes from the backing should have been easy. But I laid the strips on the hood and it is not flat. Peeling it back I cause a crease to form in the stripe. I found that after applied, I was able to use my daughters hair dryer to heeat up the crease and by applying pressure with my fingertips was able to work it flat.

Another tip - only work the squeegee from the center of the stripes towards an edge. In my excuberance I once swipped from near the edge of the hood and it pulled up the stripe and creased it a bit. More water, squeegee and hairdryer work. It ended up fine.

Lots fewer hairs in the garage too. That helped a lot.

One other tip - clean everywhere. I did not clean between the roof and the back glass (between the paint and the rubber gasket). When I tucked the stripe over and down inbetween the paint and gasket there are spots it did not stick due to dirt. The gasket holds it down fine, but it could have been better. I only cleaned the surfaces I could see.

So on the hood I definitely cleaned around the edges so the stripe would stick fine.

I left it in the garage for a week, and the dried soap water did not leave the surface looking too good. There was a heat wave one day (over 40), so I moved it outside, carefully washed the car and took the pictures that are in the other thread.

The sun came out later in the day and the radiant heat was enough to warm the surface so I thought it would be good to bake the stripes on. I got a call from work and had to go in right away. By the time I got back home the car was covered in frost. :o The stripes appear to be fine, but I will not wax over them until we get enough sun/heat that the stripes are securley attached. Maybe overkill, I'm not sure. They just haven't seen much time with temperatures over 60.

Would I do it again? Definitely! If I change my mind I can always change the stripes, so not much to worry about!

 

Great write up. I watched Mike put mine on and I'm not sure I'd want to tackle it alone. But I have the ME stripes that are much wider on the hood. wider = harder

I know about the pet hair. I had to pay Mike to redo the hood when a pet hair showed up after a few days. Amazing we didn't see it before it dried...

 

Thanks!

One more thing to add: Be careful what tape you use to locate/center/space the stripes. I didn't think much about it and used masking tape. Cut it an 1/8 of an inch narrower than the spacing and put it at both ends of the hood.

DON'T use MASKING tape! It left all kinds of junk when I tried to remove it for the next set of stripes.

I just cut up some of the stripe material for the rest of the applications and pre-marked the center with a sharpie so I could line it up where I needed it. Just apply the same as the stripe, pleanty of soapy water and squeegee down when it is where it needs to be.

 

Doug and Joe, thanks so much for all great feedback!!!!
Doug, I did post your car up couple days ago and many people love the car and stripes
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1952002

-Mike

 

Mike is great to work with. I have a small rock chip(I think) in one of my hood stripes. Also needed the stripes between spoiler and back window when I get my spoiler painted. E-mailed Mike about my needs and there was a care pkg at my home within 3 days.

Thanks Mike, that was fast service.
Roger

 

They look great! I wonder how pewter stripes just like yours would look on a Monterey Red coupe? They do sound like they were a bit of a PITA to put on.

 

Looks great!

 

I have a small rock chip too, Made a tiny hole in the hood stripe, but it did protect the paint under it at least. In my area the road are always torn up and covered with temporary gravel repairs so the stripes turn out to be cheap protection that is easily replaced and look a lot better than the clear plastic bras... I think I'll have Mike make me up a "spare" hood stripe so I can put it on if and when the old one gets scarred up in a year or two.

 

Good idea.

 

Doug, if any piece you want to replace, please just give me a hall.

I can offer peel a deal. Put them on, don't like them, send me great pictures and I will refund everything minus $50 which is 1/2 cost of my stripes.


Thanks,
-Mike

 

That is a good idea. What is the best way to remove the old stripes?

 

Nice job... I have a Machine Silver C6 and want to get a set of his ME stripes ... but not sure I'm confident enough to do the job myself.

As far as cleaning - I've used some of those silicon (IIRC) based waxes (not sure wax is really the term for those) and wonder about proper prep cleaning of the surfaces (to ensure edges don't lift over time for instance)

There's a couple decal shops in town (that do huge van decals, etc.) that offered to install it - I may go to them for the install, not sure at this point. I really like the look of the ME stripes on the MS C6 at vettestripes.com. I wish the weather was warmer here - too cold I think to apply these right now.

 

Heat up the end with a hair dryer and just peel them off. Really easy.

 

Hmmmmm, very tempting. How much for a set like the ones Spongeface put on in Pewter?

 

I had to remove the big hood stripe after it was on a couple months and, with a hair drier, it took Mike and I max 30 minutes to get the whole thing off. And this was in a 40 degree garage. Piece of cake...

 

That set is $200 and if you order and keep your stripes, then I will refund Doug $50 since it was special design fee I did charged Doug

-Mike

 

Nice job!