home install of VinylGraphics.net Bumblebee Stripes.

[nards444]

you guy have to confidence in your self. If you read the directions and measure once and cut twice attitude you can do a lot. I put through hull exhaust in my boat, which entailed cutting 2 4in holes in boat. I think this something doable, just do your research and ask questions. With that said I would pay somebody to do this though

[Ristaze]

Another Question!! Flat Black or Glossy? Why so many flat black, is something wrong with the glossy?

[Xmicro_SS]

Nice Job.....I like the longer stripes WAYYYYY Better!

[2010 2-Tone]

My Rally Yellow is on order and I have already talked with a large local shop to get mine painted on. I will be doing the stripes that go into the mail slot like those in the shots above and they will be in a glossy black. I will also have a couple of things airbrushed on the car to set it apart. Not sure what that will be yet but don't want to have too much on the car to take away from it.

[LDGn63]

Thank you all for the
I am truly not fishing for compliments. I just wanted to share hope for those that might want to take on this task.
I am 100% happy with the product and support from Vinylgraphics.net… they went above and beyond in helping me feel confident and providing great install pix for me to study. They even said I could buy individual pieces if I boogered one up… this is really nice to know… I thought I was going to need that option when doing the mail slot and hood stripes. (that fading power bulge gets tricky at the front of the hood)
I am about 98% happy with my install performance. I know I could do better the 2nd time around… but at 98% I think I will just leave it at that and not press my luck.
I tried to get quotes from a couple of local shops… one did not have a kit supplier yet ( I wasn’t going to pay for it and then let them risk putting it on)
Another took one look and flat out said "I wont do it."

More pix coming as requested tonight.

Color is Gloss Black (not as shiny as paint but really good IMHO)

These are DRY-INSTALL only stripes… which I was kind of scared by but they are a low tack until you squeegee them.
I really only took a couple of "install pix" because while working alone the vinyl had all of my attention.
One thing that I did notice is that the crest line on my hood is not 100% centered all the way to the windshield… I had to measure from each side of the hood at the back to find and mark center.
The hood stripes are 6" apart so I cut 2 pieces of tape 6" and folded them backwards to find center and then placed the center on the center of the hood. (I did take a pic of that)
The supplied pictures and online instructions let me know what I needed to do the install.

Here is an outline and the order I worked it:
Get a PROFESSIONAL SQUEEGEE. (I got a blue one, whatever that means…?)

Trunk - (with spoiler removed) I started here because I thought it would be a good training ground. The trunk stripes come as one application (all together on one piece) so you do both stripes at once. The pix show taping it in place and using a fornt to back hinge line in the middle of the trunk. Tape at the hinge line and remove the backing to that point and apply 1/2 of the stripe(s). I opted to hinge side to side so that I applied the right stripe fully and then the left stripe… I got lucky. I would do it like the picture showed next time.

Spoiler - what I thought would be easy… wasn’t. I placed the spoiler back on the car with the alignment pin (factory pin) and two nuts finger tight. I lined up the spoiler stripes with the trunk stripes. I bet I spent 15 minutes aligning each one before I had it just like I wanted it. I taped the hinge line side to side and did the top part of the spoiler on both pieces. HERE IS A TIP: place some of the backing paper, that you just removed, between the trunk and the overlapping exposed spoiler vinyl to prevent accidentally sticking the spoiler vinyl onto the trunk vinyl.
I wish I had pictures of the spoiler vinyl before applied because they are not straight cut they kinda have a dogleg to them which makes them become straight once they are wrapped around the spoiler. (very nice design) I then proceeded down the back of the spoiler and it got tricky because of the compound curvature (up/down and side/side) I found that patience is a virtue but a heat gun really helps too. This part was much tougher than I had anticipated.
Next I removed the spoiler and wrapped the front around the edge, and then the back edge… again, a little heat is my friend.

Hood:
Found center, taped both stripes on using the inside line as the hinge for the whole stripe… I just did not think I could do it in 2 sections. I worked the top of the bulge first and then SLOWLY and EVENLY progressed down the ramp of the bulge working back to front and then front to back while holding the loose vinyl off of the hood. This worked really good for me until I got to the outboard front 12 inches of the hood… the vinyl started to try to eat itself! OK well it just started trying to bunch up and crease. I did not use any heat here for fear of stretching the outer stripe… just had a lot of patience.

Front facia - the dreaded mail slot!
I am sure the info and pictures they sent to me are proprietary so I do not want to post it exactly but I will tell you that heat is your friend again. I hinged these side/side and started with the inside to line it up. As I worked to the outside I heated the vinyl ever so slightly and pulled just a little to ensure that the outside lined up so that it all looked like it was out of one piece. HERE IS A TIP (again): place some of the backing paper, that you just removed, between the hood and the overlapping exposed mail slot vinyl to prevent accidentally sticking the mail slot vinyl onto the hood vinyl.
The mail slot area is not pre-cut or cut out… I did that myself…. VERY carefully. I did not cover the yellow 100%... But I've got tricks… the average viewer will never know. If I had been thinking more clearly I would have taken the black plastic thingy out of the mail slot before applying… as it is I just trimmed mine with a razor at the black panel.

If you guys can post ideas for making this all better/easier I welcome input…. In case I ever need to do another one…. Like when my mom (67yo) gets hers!

[Chris-10]

looks great, good job

[LDGn63]

mo pix:

[SummoneR]

Originally Posted by jr_hoyt

Looks great, but do you mind posting some information about the actual process? I've never worked with decals before, but wouldn't mind figuring it out if it isn't too tough. Thanks in advance!

+1 I would lke to know too.

EDIT: never mind I see the post now.

BTW LOOKS AWESOME! GREAT JOB!!

[SS-LS3]

looks great - could you shoot a few pics from farther away so i can see the whole car - maybe one straight on from front and back.... cant get enough of yellow with stripes....

they look really good!!!!!

dry install - WOW it must have been hard... would you be able to use a slippery liquid to install them?

thanks again for the info on this... i am planning to get stripes for mine and stopping on the hood (like stock factory) is not an option!!!!

[LDGn63]

Originally Posted by SS-LS3

looks great - could you shoot a few pics from farther away so i can see the whole car - maybe one straight on from front and back.... cant get enough of yellow with stripes....

they look really good!!!!!

dry install - WOW it must have been hard... would you be able to use a slippery liquid to install them?

thanks again for the info on this... i am planning to get stripes for mine and stopping on the hood (like stock factory) is not an option!!!!

thanks again folks.

the kit has a BIG sign in the box that says DRY ONLY... so i did 'em dry.

i'll try to do a better photoshoot soon.

[TXInfernoSS]

great job. looks very nice

[Wolverine]

[Camaro_Corvette]

Very nice!

[King Mouse]

You did a great job!