AUTO PINSTRIPING
Auto pinstriping is a way to make your vehicle unique. Pinstripes are applied in a color that compliments the body color. If applying your own pinstripe, make sure your vehicle is completely clean. Get rid of all dirt and grime with a good pre-surface preparation product. The following are some of the methods for applying a pinstripe to a vehicle.
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Mechanical Pinstriping
Mechanical auto pinstriping is used mostly for striping long areas like trucks, vans, or station wagons. The stripes are consistently wide, letting you focus more on keeping the contour of the stripe aligned along your vehicle.
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Striping with Stencil Tape
There are a wide variety of stencil tapes available on the market. Stencil tapes give you the ability to lay down stripes of different colors without having to for the other stripes to dry.
Stencil tape striping requires brushes and very good technique. Choosing the right brush will be the key to doing the striping with stencil tape.
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Freehand Striping
This auto pinstriping method has a lot of flexibility in design but is the toughest to master. The easiest method for the freehand striping beginner is to lay down a strip of masking tape about ¼ inch from where you would like the line to be. Use the tape as a visual guide for your stripes. Masking tape shouldn’t be used in this application. The pinstriping paint will bleed with masking tape. Striping tapes come in custom and premium versions. The custom tape is what you’d find at a local auto parts store. It is a somewhat cheaper grade of vinyl and adhesive and is thicker than the premium grade. Being thicker may make it easier to handle but it doesn’t last nearly as long as premium tape. Premium tape is what professionals use including our shop. It is much thinner and will last longer than store bought pinstriping tape. It’s much tougher to handle than custom tape, but looks more like paint once the job is complete.
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If you are in need of auto pinstriping, please call us at 574-288-CARS (2277). We offer price match guarantee and can get parts within 24 hours. We are proud to serve the communities of South Bend, IN, Mishawaka, IN, Elkhart, IN, Goshen, IN, Granger, IN, and Niles, MI.