Vinyl stripes maintenance questions

[Rash]

Thinking about adding vinyl stripes after getting my 2018 - never had stripes before. Do they require special car when washing? Any other care/maintenance issues to know about? Also, if I add clear paint protection on front end, do I do it before or after adding the stripes?

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[hinch]

add ppf film before stripe otherwise you get a little air gap between bodywork height and strip height looks retarded also if going for matt stripes putting ppf on top will make it glossy last thing you want.

for maintenance mine are matt stripes with red pin stripes all I do is wash as normal and quickly go over them with a quick detailer just to get water marks off them 8 months later they're still matt so must be working OK

just make sure they use good quality vinyl

 

[Rash]

add ppf film before stripe otherwise you get a little air gap between bodywork height and strip height looks retarded also if going for matt stripes putting ppf on top will make it glossy last thing you want.

for maintenance mine are matt stripes with red pin stripes all I do is wash as normal and quickly go over them with a quick detailer just to get water marks off them 8 months later they're still matt so must be working OK

just make sure they use good quality vinyl

I was also planning matte stripes with red pin stripe - do you have a couple more pics of yours? What brand did you go with?

So it's possible it's possible to install stripes OVER ppf?

 

[hinch]

i can't access flickr here as i'm at work but I believe its http://flickr.com/hinchles/ lots of photos there look for the lightning blue one thats mine.

they're over the top of xpel ultimate ppf the stripes themselves were made by a local vinyl/wrap shop and installed by them I think the vinyl its-self is 3M its pretty thick

 

[16Fastback]

Just got mine installed.Wash car same as always don't use anything with petroleum distillates,use quick detailer on stripes and NEVER use a orbital buffer

 

[BigWormGraphix]

Just got mine installed.Wash car same as always don't use anything with petroleum distillates,use quick detailer on stripes and NEVER use a orbital buffer

Very important!! A buffer will remove the UV protection from vinyl and the stripes will be damaged within months from the sun.

 

[Rash]

i can't access flickr here as i'm at work but I believe its http://flickr.com/hinchles/ lots of photos there look for the lightning blue one thats mine.

they're over the top of xpel ultimate ppf the stripes themselves were made by a local vinyl/wrap shop and installed by them I think the vinyl its-self is 3M its pretty thick

Are just part of the stripes over the ppf or the whole thing - did you ppf the whole hood and front end or just the front end?

 

[hinch]

[MENTION=26362]Rash[/MENTION] whole car is ppf'd front to back so all the stripes are over the ppf

 

[lizardrko]

just wash/wax them with the rest of ur car. Just make sure ur products dont have anything that will damage then as above people have said. No machine washes, touchess is better but still not recommended, u never know whats in the soap, etc. When washing and drying, dry along the stripes or dry from stripes to paint, do not wipe against them (paint to stripe). It could begin to pry them up after a while. When waxing, dont wax the edge, leave about a quarter inch from the sides to wax does not build up in the edges if any is left unwiped.

 

[jgedde]

I was also planning matte stripes with red pin stripe - do you have a couple more pics of yours? What brand did you go with?

So it's possible it's possible to install stripes OVER ppf?

Yes it is.

John

 

[Warhead]

I have 3M gloss bright white and can tell you that "Simple Green" before the rest of the wash is helpful to remove dust buildup that can grey easily, particularly in the rear. I try to wash once a week, white stripes can get grungey quickly if you skip some washes. Maybe see what the vinyl manufacturer recommends for any special care, I just know I wasn't able to really turn back the clock on buildup with regular washes until I started Simple Green first.

 

[dgc333]

I have to ask; What is ppf?

I have put graphics on 6 cars now. I use SEM wax and oil remover to clean the area where the graphics are going and a tac rag to make sure there is no dust on the surface before I start. I stick with 3M vinyl it seems to hold up well, my wife's PT Cruiser was a year round daily driver in New England and the flame graphics held up well for 10 years.

The links below are the graphics I put on my 17 Ecoboost a couple of weeks ago.

https://goo.gl/photos/TuAw96Mykzt3tktB8
https://goo.gl/photos/rRZEk1MYsFrYtQ3bA

 

[hinch]

paint protection film stops stones from chipping fords sorry ass excuse for paintwork.

 

[brandonsmash]

Has anyone had any luck with any particular UV protectant for vinyl? Mine are just baaaarely starting to fade (only noticeable to me, and only from inside the car) after 2 years.

I wash the car weekly and (since April) keep it in a garage when not in use. I have intermittent shade at my work parking lot, but there's no covered parking and UV is intense out here.

When I wash the car I spray the stripes with the same spray detail wax I use on the rest of the car, and every couple months I also condition them with some Chemical Guys stuff. Is there anything else I can do to make sure they stay vibrant?

 

[hinch]

god I don't take anywhere near as much care of mine as that they only cost £140 custom made and fitted when they fade/tear/whatever i'll just take them off and fit new ones again.

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