If you'd like to raise the "sport quotient" on your sports car, two relatively simple and low-cost projects are the addition of racing stripes and fender trim. Applying Racing Stripes Racing-stripe packages can be purchased as kits, most of which are vehicle specific. For our demonstration, we chose wide dual-stripes that are centered on the hood and trunk of the vehicle. Materials: Racing-stripe kit
Grease pencil
Masking tape
Denatured alcohol
Clean rags
Speed square
Utility knife
Spray bottle
Liquid-soap solution
Squeegee - Begin by test-fitting the front pair of stripes on the hood of the vehicle. The stripes come with a protective adhesive-backing applied to both sides. Following the instructions and diagrams that come with the kit, and without removing any of the adhesive backing, place the stripes in position on the vehicle (figure A).
- Once you have made any fine adjustments and placed the stripes precisely so that they are straight, centered and even, tape the stripes down with short strips of masking tape and mark the outlines of the stripes' exact locations with a grease pencil (figure B). In our example, the striping package also included short portions for installation above the air intake on the hood. These were placed so that they were centered and spaced just as the main stripes were, and marked off as well.
- After you've marked the locations for the stripes, remove them, and prep the surface where you'll be installing the stripes by cleaning thoroughly with denatured alcohol. This step ensures that any wax has been removed from the surface.
- Once you've thoroughly cleaned the areas where the stripes are to be mounted, spray the area with a mild solution of soap and water (figure C). The solution is made up of 1 tablespoon of dishwashing soap to a quart and a half of water.
- Carefully peel back the upper portion of the adhesive backing on the adhering surface of one of the stripes. (Don't pull the backing completely off just yet.) Spray the adhering surface of the stripe with the soapy solution (figure D). The soapy solution allows the stripe to slide around on the surface for exact placement. Use your grease-pencil markings as a guide.
- With the adhering surface saturated with spray, lay the stripe down in position, and continue pulling back the adhesive backing from underneath.
- Make minor adjustments as necessary until the stripe is precisely aligned with your outline.
- With the top-side adhesive backing still in place, use a plastic squeegee to remove excess water from beneath the stripe, and smooth out the stripe so that it conforms to the curve of the hood. Take your time and carefully draw the squeegee across the stripe to remove wrinkles.
- Very carefully peel away and remove the top section of adhesive backing.
- Using a plastic paddle (supplied with the kit) covered with a soft cloth, carefully smooth out and remove any bubbles that might have formed beneath the stripe (figure E).
Tip: If there are any trapped air bubbles, you can remove them by piercing them with a pin and squeezing the air out through the pinhole. - The final step is to cut a separation for the seam between the hood and bumper. Use a utility knife to make a straight slice in the striping (figure F).
The procedure for applying stripes to the rear of the vehicle is the same as outlined above. Repeat these steps to apply the rear stripes. In our example, we had an additional challenge on the rear of the vehicle since we were applying upper and lower striping -- to the trunk lid as well as the top of the rear spoiler (figure G). The striping on the spoiler had to be aligned to match perfectly with the stripes on the trunk lid. The lower stripes were applied first. A speed square was used to measure off and align the upper stripes with the lower (figure H).
Applying Fender Trim
If you want to add a bit of flash to your vehicle, applying fender trim is a quick and easy addition. It does, however, require some drilling into metal body parts. For our example, we installed stainless steel fender-trim pieces that came in a kit. Trim can also be purchased in colors to match your vehicle, or in contrasting colors. Each trim element is held in place on the lip of the wheel well by three screws. Materials: Fender-trim kit, including trim pieces and mounting hardware
Cordless drill
Silicon sealer
Phillips screwdriver
Awl Important : For any project that involves drilling into the body of the vehicle, first check the locations where you'll be drilling to be certain you won't pierce or damage any crucial parts such as brake lines, electrical lines, etc. - Begin by checking the fit of the pieces by holding them in their mounting locations (figure I), according to the instructions and diagrams that come with the kit.
- Using the pre-drilled holes in the trim piece, mark the positions where you'll be drilling the mounting holes in the underside of the fender, inside the wheel well.
- Once you've checked the drilling locations to be sure there are no parts underneath that might be damaged, carefully drill the holes at the marked locations. Use a bit of appropriate size to accommodate the fasteners that come with the kit.
- As with any project that involves drilling into metal body-parts on the vehicle, apply a small amount of silicon sealer to the holes (figure J) prior to installing the fasteners. This will help guard the exposed metal against rust.
- Once the holes have been drilled, reposition the trim piece so that the holes in the trim and fender line up.
Tip: It may be troublesome to find the holes and insert the screws once the trim piece is in positioned place. As a solution, use the tip of an awl to help locate the holes through the openings in the trim piece. - Insert the screws and finger-tighten them (figure K).
- Once all the screws are in place, go back and tighten each one with a screwdriver.
Repeat the steps for each trim element.
RESOURCES :
Ultimate Auto Detailing
Model: 0879389419
Author: David H. Jacobs
(1995)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International
Some vehicles provided by Beaty Chevrolet
Beaty Chevrolet
9615 Parkside Drive
Knoxville, TN 37922
Phone: 865-693-7712
Web site: beatychevrolet.com
Vehicle trim accessories from RK Sport
Vehicle trim accessories from
RK Sport
251 Airport Road
Oceanside, CA 92054
Toll-free: 800-214-8030
Fax: 760-433-1477
Web site: www.rksport.com
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