VNMOUS1 Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Maybe it WAS stripes and not snakes that Indiana Jones feared. Maybe it's "Stripes on a Plane" with Samuel L Jackson. Stripes....is there any worse horror??!! Now that the drama is out of the way, let me pose a question to all owners that have taken delivery. I've personally seen three cars...including mine. All three had their stripes done (somewhat) differently. Let me describe what I think is screwed up with mine and you tell me about yours. For the time being, let's forget about things like bubbles because the real issue is placement/straightness/overlapping. On the lower valance, front, driver's side....this is one small piece that wraps over the edge from the lower grill. Facing it, the right side of the right stripe is lifted away from the leading edge of the piece. They can't make square tape go around corners. The front bumper. Mine has a VERY visible seam this is about 1/2 inch below the top of the front of the bumper. In other words, it comes away from the grill, across the top of the bumper, folds down over the front (about 1/2 inch) and overlaps another piece that goes from there, downward, covering the front of the bumper and ending underneath it. How many of yours have that same overlap at the top of the front of the bumper? I saw one that looked like a solid piece all the way over. Rear spoiler. God, this looks like !!! It comes up from the trunk, to the top of the spoiler, but it overlaps another piece right on the visible edge of the spoiler. Worse yet, both pieces are tapered and they don't match up at all. Same goes for the next piece going from the top of the back of the trunklid downward. The seams are unsightly. They're starting to change a few for me, but would you please let me know how YOURS look so I have a reference? Thanks. bj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Shelby Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Maybe it WAS stripes and not snakes that Indiana Jones feared. Maybe it's "Stripes on a Plane" with Samuel L Jackson. Stripes....is there any worse horror??!! Now that the drama is out of the way, let me pose a question to all owners that have taken delivery. I've personally seen three cars...including mine. All three had their stripes done (somewhat) differently. Let me describe what I think is screwed up with mine and you tell me about yours. For the time being, let's forget about things like bubbles because the real issue is placement/straightness/overlapping. On the lower valance, front, driver's side....this is one small piece that wraps over the edge from the lower grill. Facing it, the right side of the right stripe is lifted away from the leading edge of the piece. They can't make square tape go around corners. The front bumper. Mine has a VERY visible seam this is about 1/2 inch below the top of the front of the bumper. In other words, it comes away from the grill, across the top of the bumper, folds down over the front (about 1/2 inch) and overlaps another piece that goes from there, downward, covering the front of the bumper and ending underneath it. How many of yours have that same overlap at the top of the front of the bumper? I saw one that looked like a solid piece all the way over. Rear spoiler. God, this looks like !!! It comes up from the trunk, to the top of the spoiler, but it overlaps another piece right on the visible edge of the spoiler. Worse yet, both pieces are tapered and they don't match up at all. Same goes for the next piece going from the top of the back of the trunklid downward. The seams are unsightly. They're starting to change a few for me, but would you please let me know how YOURS look so I have a reference? Thanks. bj I looked at mine, and it is about the same way. I think the best thing to do is have it painted on. I think it cost about 1,500.00 If i keep mine that is what i will do.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest evilchris Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm sure 07 Shelby, RUFDRAFT, and the rest of the people who like to flame me regularly will chime in, but your best bet is have the crap pulled off and just have them painted. You're already at least $43k in, spend the extra $2k or so and have it done right it will look MUCH better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaylan1521 Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Yikes, thankfully mine are not that bad but there's a couple of areas that could've been neater. The painted stripes are on the 3 year to do list. Along with pully swap, tune, gears, and exhaust to name a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcle Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I saw the same issues at a dealer in Kansas posted it a thread "first impressions". Part of the problem I think is that ford is using intermediate grade of vinyl, and not the high performance grade of vinyl. With the intermediate grade there is less pigment so when it is overlapped the color darkens and makes it more noticeable. As far as the alignment of the stripes quite frankly there is no excuse, with the price the car is brining they should be right. I am buying a sign shop in which I take over Sept 1st. This is what I have planned if I still have the cash when the time comes to buy the car. Have it striped then I will use the stripes as tool to make vinyl masking for the stripes. I will then have the body shop I have used for the last 20 years mask it and spray it. I just wish Ford would do this at the plant. Then all the misalignment and seams would go away. In the long run Ford painting them on could save Ford $$$ on the warranty side. “Do it right the first time or don’t do it at all.” As my grand pappy used to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07 Shelby Cobra Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm sure 07 Shelby, RUFDRAFT, and the rest of the people who like to flame me regularly will chime in, but your best bet is have the crap pulled off and just have them painted. You're already at least $43k in, spend the extra $2k or so and have it done right it will look MUCH better. That's a Great Idea Chris! I might do that. Thanks. I do have the same Seams. No peeling yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNMOUS1 Posted August 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm sure 07 Shelby, RUFDRAFT, and the rest of the people who like to flame me regularly will chime in, but your best bet is have the crap pulled off and just have them painted. You're already at least $43k in, spend the extra $2k or so and have it done right it will look MUCH better. I certainly won't flame you. I've got four bids to stripe it. The highest is $3500!!!! The lowest was $2300. The difference was probably worth it. I saw everyone's work and the most expensive guy does his own fabrication and custom painting for serious show pieces. I looked at a number of paint jobs over the past couple of weeks at shows. Man, there are a ton of $2000 jobs out there where you see bleed on corners, uneven stripe thinkness, all kinds of stuff. The high buck guy not only (obviously) removes everthing, he also works with a glass specialist and removes windshield and rear window trim...and windows..so the stripe goes all the way in to every crack and crevice. For example...simple things like not breaking the stripe at the trailing edge of the hood, but bringing it all the way under so when you sit behind the wheel you see a prefect edge and paint that runs through under the hood. In the rear, he'd bring the white all the way down through the plate cutout so it really looks like one continous stripe. That said...it's is over 3g's. I think I'll have it restriped on their dime now (keep in mind I have to have the hood fixed, too, due to the delinquents). I'll have it painted next year. The Shelby club folks say keep it vinyl to stay original. Hmm..... bj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Cobras Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 My car was produced the same day as yours, BJ. Where there are joints / overlaps, almaost all look the same as your third picture. There are no bubbles I have seen, nor does my front bumper cover have the blistering yours does. Sorry, man. The largest joint overlap is about 1/4", and the largest mismatch in width where two pieces join is about 1/64" or less. Leaving aside the discussion of vinyl versus painted, I think they did a pretty good job puting the vinyl stripes on my car. It seems odd that ours were built the same day (serial numbers are less than 50 apart as I recall), shipped out weeks apart with yours the later one (picked mine up 21 July) and yours looks more rushed in the stripe application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNMOUS1 Posted August 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 My car was produced the same day as yours, BJ. Where there are joints / overlaps, almaost all look the same as your third picture. There are no bubbles I have seen, nor does my front bumper cover have the blistering yours does. Sorry, man. The largest joint overlap is about 1/4", and the largest mismatch in width where two pieces join is about 1/64" or less. Leaving aside the discussion of vinyl versus painted, I think they did a pretty good job puting the vinyl stripes on my car. It seems odd that ours were built the same day (serial numbers are less than 50 apart as I recall), shipped out weeks apart with yours the later one (picked mine up 21 July) and yours looks more rushed in the stripe application. Thanks, I'm using the photos....a personal observation and all your feedback to give the dealer the info he needs to order the replacements. Yes, I think mine was rushed, because I raised a stink over it not being done. I know for a fact that they didn't do it til the day it shipped (8/3). It had been sitting and had fallen through the cracks. I bitched loudly enough and to the right people to get it shipped (and had it in two days), but apparently they needed to finish up some work (oops!) bj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSOLVER Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 The Shelby club folks say keep it vinyl to stay original. Hmm..... That is some heavy irony isn't it? They would be the ones most inclined to pay the extra $ for the factory to do it NQA, and they suggest that Fords decision to decontent it will add some value? I'll bet somebody at Ford got fired over this decision. At least I hope a bean counter got the boot. The law of unintended consequences. Wait until the fall, and get them painted. There are enough being put away raw. I'll bet you enjoy it a lot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Cobras Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Thanks, I'm using the photos....a personal observation and all your feedback to give the dealer the info he needs to order the replacements. Yes, I think mine was rushed, because I raised a stink over it not being done. I know for a fact that they didn't do it til the day it shipped (8/3). It had been sitting and had fallen through the cracks. I bitched loudly enough and to the right people to get it shipped (and had it in two days), but apparently they needed to finish up some work (oops!) bj BJ - I think I may have generated some interest in my car that got it out of the Stripe Valhalla sooner. And, they may have jumped on it to get it out quickly, but still did a good job from what I can tell. PM me if you want more details. I am generally a perfectionist, but I have to admit it would be nearly impossible to do much better than what they did on my car on a production line basis. Those wide stripes will stretch or narrow as they are pulled tight when they are applied no matter how carefully they were cut initially. I considered the 1/64th" misalignment along edges at seams to be pretty darn good. Not perfect, but pretty darn good. Just about impossible to see from any distance. I can't say they did as good a job on yours, though. I'm not trying to make out that I'm someone special, or anything like that. My wife works for the railroad and she had some of their folks at the plant look into my car. I think they took a personal interest judging by the responses to her e-mails. I leave aside the arguements about painting and cost, etc. It would seem to have taken less labor had they been painted, but a friend familiar with assembly plant production methods says the cars would have had to make two trips through the paint line and it would have had a big impact on all other vehicles to do so. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildosvt Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Well, I would love to see what people are going to be charged to have the stripes put on and then re-clear the whole car. It will look like doggie doo if its not re-cleared! So many times Ive seen people paint stripes on their car just to not clear the whole car again. Looks like-Poop poop poop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckySnake Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Maybe it WAS stripes and not snakes that Indiana Jones feared. Maybe it's "Stripes on a Plane" with Samuel L Jackson. Stripes....is there any worse horror??!! Now that the drama is out of the way, let me pose a question to all owners that have taken delivery. I've personally seen three cars...including mine. All three had their stripes done (somewhat) differently. Let me describe what I think is screwed up with mine and you tell me about yours. For the time being, let's forget about things like bubbles because the real issue is placement/straightness/overlapping. On the lower valance, front, driver's side....this is one small piece that wraps over the edge from the lower grill. Facing it, the right side of the right stripe is lifted away from the leading edge of the piece. They can't make square tape go around corners. The front bumper. Mine has a VERY visible seam this is about 1/2 inch below the top of the front of the bumper. In other words, it comes away from the grill, across the top of the bumper, folds down over the front (about 1/2 inch) and overlaps another piece that goes from there, downward, covering the front of the bumper and ending underneath it. How many of yours have that same overlap at the top of the front of the bumper? I saw one that looked like a solid piece all the way over. Rear spoiler. God, this looks like !!! It comes up from the trunk, to the top of the spoiler, but it overlaps another piece right on the visible edge of the spoiler. Worse yet, both pieces are tapered and they don't match up at all. Same goes for the next piece going from the top of the back of the trunklid downward. The seams are unsightly. They're starting to change a few for me, but would you please let me know how YOURS look so I have a reference? Thanks. bj Hi, I have the same colors, same build date. S/N 213311 Thank God I didn't get the same Tape person. I did get a smudged right rear window, looks like a thumb print, only its inside of glass. I also have ever so slight flaw in the straightness of the top of drivers door skin, you can only see it in the right light while looking in the rear view mirror. I also have what looks like ever so small dents from passenger seat hitting door rocker, as if the seat attach points bumped the rocker, you can only see in the right light. I have gone over about every square inch, and I think the car is pretty damn close to perfect. Bottom line is, don't feel too bad about something easily corrected. The cars Rock!!! Only concern I have about the bubbles in the stripes is: sure as heck hope there isn't any moisture in them bubbles, especially on that aluminum hood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColdwaterHotrod Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 After seeing this I'm strongly considering having them painted on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronlstiles Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 After seeing this I'm strongly considering having them painted on. Man I have to agree Ford really dropped the ball on the Stripes. They look really bad the first one I saw I was still kind of in shock of and wasn't reall looking. One came in yesterday at our local dealer and the stripes looked really bad. One on the deck lid was actually torn, the fake shelby gas cap door was falling off. The tape that holds it on was coming off. Then the overlap on the front cover is really bad. I think If I can I will order my car with no stripes. You think for 20K over sticker which most people paid they could have done a much better job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07Snake Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Get your car re-striped! I picked up my car on 11, Aug, this was after a one month delay due to the factory quality control caught similar problems as yours and it was sent back for re-striping. My car was due for delivery on 09 July, it arrived on 11 August. My car is black with white stripes, there is no other more contrasting colors. The stripes on my car are are beautiful now, however it did take them two tries. Your pictures tell the story and if it shows up that dramatically in a picture, no doubt it is more pronounced in person. Make the call and get er done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FormerGmc Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Get your car re-striped! I picked up my car on 11, Aug, this was after a one month delay due to the factory quality control caught similar problems as yours and it was sent back for re-striping. My car was due for delivery on 09 July, it arrived on 11 August. My car is black with white stripes, there is no other more contrasting colors. The stripes on my car are are beautiful now, however it did take them two tries. Your pictures tell the story and if it shows up that dramatically in a picture, no doubt it is more pronounced in person. Make the call and get er done! I agree! Get it re-striped . I have a tiny bit of mis-match like in your third photo, but nothing like what yours look like. Make them re-do em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadTony Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 And if they decide to get it re-striped, where would that process take place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sssss Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 I'm sure 07 Shelby, RUFDRAFT, and the rest of the people who like to flame me regularly will chime in, but your best bet is have the crap pulled off and just have them painted. You're already at least $43k in, spend the extra $2k or so and have it done right it will look MUCH better. Hey,..a good post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomAce Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 I'm sure 07 Shelby, RUFDRAFT, and the rest of the people who like to flame me regularly will chime in, but your best bet is have the crap pulled off and just have them painted. You're already at least $43k in, spend the extra $2k or so and have it done right it will look MUCH better. Hey EC' I don't think anyone want's to go out of their way to "flame" you. Personally, I find many of your posts enlightening, once you read them in a toned down way. Just a recommendation here, take it for what it's worth: In my younger days (whan dinosaurs walked the earth) I had a supervisor that told me once that "tact" is a huge ally. Her definition of tact was: "The ability to tell someone to go to hell, but make them look forward to the trip". Stuck with me all these years. Of course, I'm sure the fact that she was a total hottie didn't hurt my memory retention skills at all... Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadTony Posted August 26, 2006 Report Share Posted August 26, 2006 Hey EC' I don't think anyone want's to go out of their way to "flame" you. Personally, I find many of your posts enlightening, once you read them in a toned down way. Just a recommendation here, take it for what it's worth: In my younger days (whan dinosaurs walked the earth) I had a supervisor that told me once that "tact" is a huge ally. Her definition of tact was: "The ability to tell someone to go to hell, but make them look forward to the trip". Stuck with me all these years. Of course, I'm sure the fact that she was a total hottie didn't hurt my memory retention skills at all... Mike. You forgot to mention you aced that class Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustang Joe Posted August 26, 2006 Report Share Posted August 26, 2006 “Bill, if more than three people in your life are utter, total holes, then maybe it’s you.” —Bill Whittle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColdwaterHotrod Posted August 26, 2006 Report Share Posted August 26, 2006 Tact = making a point without make enemies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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