Flat Black Stripe Discoloration

[Xmicro_SS]

As a business that sells vinyl graphics I will tell you what I send to all my customers as far as care of these products.


The short of it, wash with a mild diluted car wash soap, never power wash, dry with microfiber LIGHTLY, and once dry you can use a SILICONE or Teflon Based Polish designed for vehicle graphics.

Here you go:

http://www.digwraps.com/proddetail.php?prod=WrapPolish

That to me, looks like overspray from the body shop. Do not listen to them, they will not admit if they screwed up. Those should have been covered using a light tac masking tape and paper! If it IS overspray, they will need to replace them. This is a good time to go for painted stripes, I am sure they will work out a deal for you, if you like them enough to go permanent!

If the stuff I listed above does not work to restore, they were damaged at the body shop!

[Verio]

Originally Posted by Xmicro_SS

As a business that sells vinyl graphics I will tell you what I send to all my customers as far as care of these products.


The short of it, wash with a mild diluted car wash soap, never power wash, dry with microfiber LIGHTLY, and once dry you can use a SILICONE or Teflon Based Polish designed for vehicle graphics.

Here you go:

http://www.digwraps.com/proddetail.php?prod=WrapPolish

That to me, looks like overspray from the body shop. Do not listen to them, they will not admit if they screwed up. Those should have been covered using a light tac masking tape and paper! If it IS overspray, they will need to replace them. This is a good time to go for painted stripes, I am sure they will work out a deal for you, if you like them enough to go permanent!

If the stuff I listed above does not work to restore, they were damaged at the body shop!

How does overspray work? When I received my car the stripes looked great (this was in July). Now it's October, and they're starting to look faded and turning white.

[Susantroy1]

Originally Posted by Verio

How does overspray work? When I received my car the stripes looked great (this was in July). Now it's October, and they're starting to look faded and turning white.

Verio,
Did you ever get your paint done right?? I know you were having issues with dealer and perhaps if they took your car in to be repainted this could be an issue from that as well. Bro your like having 0 luck with this Hope all turns out for you.

[EarliestMemory]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! I think I am going to take these off in the spring, and get painted or glossy vinyl stripes, depending on if I can get my brother to do the painting. He just repainted our dad's '69 Camaro (also red w/black stripes) and did an excellent job!

Originally Posted by Verio

Mine looks exactly like yours, except worse. Any verdict from the dealer on this yet? Do they plan to replace these?

My stripes were waxed, and I think that may be the issue. It almost looks like sunlight fading... just curious if I destroyed my stripes or not :-s

I haven't pursued this with them lately - if they replace them under warranty, it will be the same, flat, black stripes. I'd rather just get them painted or at least get glossy vinyl. Yes, I did put Zaino on them - once. A good couple months before this was noticeable.

Originally Posted by kga10734

If you can't wax the matte black stripes, how can a person wax around them to make sure at least the body color gets waxed and none gets on the stripes?

Gotta admit, I was wondering that too. Another case for painted stripes!

Originally Posted by Xmicro_SS

As a business that sells vinyl graphics I will tell you what I send to all my customers as far as care of these products.


The short of it, wash with a mild diluted car wash soap, never power wash, dry with microfiber LIGHTLY, and once dry you can use a SILICONE or Teflon Based Polish designed for vehicle graphics.

Here you go:

http://www.digwraps.com/proddetail.php?prod=WrapPolish

That to me, looks like overspray from the body shop. Do not listen to them, they will not admit if they screwed up. Those should have been covered using a light tac masking tape and paper! If it IS overspray, they will need to replace them. This is a good time to go for painted stripes, I am sure they will work out a deal for you, if you like them enough to go permanent!

If the stuff I listed above does not work to restore, they were damaged at the body shop!

Thanks for the tips, I will check out your link. I don't think this is overspray, because I took the car back for that twice. The car felt like sandpaper, and not just on the stripes. They got it off, but the stripes still look bad. I'll check into your suggestions and ErasedGod's.

Originally Posted by Verio

How does overspray work? When I received my car the stripes looked great (this was in July). Now it's October, and they're starting to look faded and turning white.

Bodyshop manager explained to me that they basically spray the whole car with a spray mask to prevent overspray from getting on the car. Then they take it all off. They claimed that what I felt and thought was overspray, was actually the spray mask. I don't know how much of the car they taped off.

[EarliestMemory]

Originally Posted by erasedgod

I had the same discoloration on my stripes after I waxed them . The guy who was detailing my car used this stuff and it looked great.

http://meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+YELLOW+16

Do you mean your detailer used this product after your stripes discolored, and it made them better?

[glambert1]

flat black or flat paint on a car is such a bad idea I'd remove them now and paint . If you can, in a couple years I worry that everyone who got the flat stripes put on will have similar issues but much worse

[lcmc]

Why are they spraying the car and with what?

[Susantroy1]

Originally Posted by lcmc

Why are they spraying the car and with what?

I think she is saying If I May.... that the painter said that he sprayed the car down with a "spray Mask"so they can save a step of taping off the whole car. any over-spray will wash away with the "spray mask" when washed off never heard of that before.....

[EarliestMemory]

Originally Posted by Susantroy1

I think she is saying If I May.... that the painter said that he sprayed the car down with a "spray Mask"so they can save a step of taping off the whole car. any over-spray will wash away with the "spray mask" when washed off never heard of that before.....

You are correct Susantroy, that was my understanding. And they didn't get it all washed off twice. I'd never heard of it before either, but then I don't do bodywork.