waxing over my hood/trunk stripes

[mailclerk]

Hello to all,

I just took pocession of a new dark gray Camaro with silver stripes. Instead of paint under clear coat they look like only some sort of vinyl stricker on the hood/trunk areas so I now wonder how long can I expect the stripes to stay soft and plyable. When I get my baby washed is there a wax that can be applied to keep the stripes from drying out and cracking??? I was also thinking on spending some money on getting it Scotchguarded inside and out over the entire car or some other coating like Seal a Jet. What do you all think

Sincerly,

Mail Clerk

[ChrisBlair]

I feel the vinyl is by its nature, not very long-lasting. Then again I saw Trans Ams with perfectly good hood decals in junkyards in the '90s. But I'm not in LA.

I use a synthetic wax partly because of the stripes- carnuba wax, which I use once a year- does make white rings around the stripes and it's a PITA.

That doesn't mean it will dry out in a month. But it will matter what you'll do, depending on if the stripes are matte (dull) or gloss (shiny). Which do you have?

[ec1990]

Originally Posted by mailclerk

Hello to all,

I just took pocession of a new dark gray Camaro with silver stripes. Instead of paint under clear coat they look like only some sort of vinyl stricker on the hood/trunk areas so I now wonder how long can I expect the stripes to stay soft and plyable. When I get my baby washed is there a wax that can be applied to keep the stripes from drying out and cracking??? I was also thinking on spending some money on getting it Scotchguarded inside and out over the entire car or some other coating like Seal a Jet. What do you all think

Sincerly,

Mail Clerk

Keep them properly washed and seal them. I wouldn't wax them because it can lead to a glossy finish on matte stripes.

And like I tell everyone, for the money you spend on scotchguard which I thought was an inside only product and seal a jet (I think you mean Chemical Guys JetSeal?) I would just invest it in products and spend your time learning it yourself. But for the interior I'd recommend CarPro Fabric and Leather Coating, and for the exterior if you want a permanent type coating I'd recommend Opti-Coat 2.0. Or just a good combo sealant (for everything on the exterior) like Sonax Net Shield, Menzerna Power Lock, and wax (all painted surfaces) such as Adam's Americana, Chemical Guys Pete's 53, etc... Depending on the money spent which I'd say for my area would be around $400-500, you could easily build a great inventory to do not only that but much more plus learn the skill.

[mailclerk]

ec1990,

I think it's spelled Cilajet.

mail Clerk

[cliffdog89]

Use Zaino Products on the decals. That will keep them looking great for quite awhile!

[45thCamaro]

Originally Posted by cliffdog89

Use Zaino Products on the decals. That will keep them looking great for quite awhile!

I use the Z-6 on my whole car including the stripes.

[Adam's Polishes]

Dylan made a nice how-to video a while back on how to care for vinyl stripes, check it out here:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...+vinyl+stripes

[Jayrcr3]

If you have mat stripes there are specialty waxes to use. If they are the glossy ones like mine, I just use regular wax, and I've never had a problem.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[warren3537]

I have glossy stripes on mine, and I just used the Adams Brillant Glaze, it took off the water spots and even the built up wax around the edges of the stripes.

[mailclerk]

warren3537,

I too have the semi glossy stripes but I've already just had my car Cilajet so everything should be sealed for another 5 years.

Mail Clerk