Bookwyrm Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Does anyone know someone in the Bay Area who's good at replacing vinyl stripes? It's looking like nothing's going to salvage the stripes on our roof so it's time to bite the bullet and replace them and the dealership's denying its their fault, so I'd like to find someone who's at least going to do it right.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sgt Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 I just got my GTS back from SHELBY and they did a great job . Check out LGO Enterprises , Inc in L.V you may have to stay over night check it out .702-434-7004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelbyTom Posted April 7, 2015 Report Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Does anyone know someone in the Bay Area who's good at replacing vinyl stripes? It's looking like nothing's going to salvage the stripes on our roof so it's time to bite the bullet and replace them and the dealership's denying its their fault, so I'd like to find someone who's at least going to do it right.. Did you try a different dealer ? I would go to 2 or 3 to see if you can get another opinion Edited April 7, 2015 by ShelbyTom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted April 7, 2015 Report Share Posted April 7, 2015 Hopefully you can find someone closer. If not I know a shop in Oakdale that does excellent work. Signs by Randy 209 848-2117 ask for Austin, his work is excellent, he is also very good at graphic designing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Shelby Posted April 7, 2015 Report Share Posted April 7, 2015 Any body shop should be able to reapply the decals. I use Sebastopol Auto Body in Sebastopol when I need work done. 707 823-6451 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted April 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2015 Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I know that any body shop can do it -- I was just hoping to find someone that people have used before that does it well and with quality material (preferably without paying Ford's outrageous price for ~6 feet of vinyl, though I'm willing to if that's what it takes to do it right). Unfortunately we have no proof that the damage was done at the dealership (even though I'm 99% sure it was at this point since multiple detaliers have told me it looks like chemical etching from cleaning products left on too long in the sun, and the only time that could have happened is while it was being washed at the dealership while in for warranty work. They're not even willing to deal to try and keep a paying customer. It's a shame really, their service department was great even if they had an idiot wash the car and then leave it in the sun. And none of the other 2 dealerships I've talked to were willing to replace them either, again because of lack of proof to cover it under warranty. The only one I haven't tried yet is the dealer we actually bought the car from, since it's all the way up in Dixon... I may give him a call this week anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Fest Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) Before you give up, watch this video from Adam's. They actually use a buffer pad on matte black stripes and this might correct your stripes. IMO, it's worth a try. If the product doesn't correct it, you can still use them on the rest of your car. A forum member on another site had an issue with his as well and this corrected it. Keep us posted https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt5QdL6pzYQ&feature=youtu.be Edited April 8, 2015 by Ford Fest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank S Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Graphic-Express recommends Armorall for their matte black vinyl products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Before you give up, watch this video from Adam's. They actually use a buffer pad on matte black stripes and this might correct your stripes. IMO, it's worth a try. If the product doesn't correct it, you can still use them on the rest of your car. A forum member on another site had an issue with his as well and this corrected it. Keep us posted https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt5QdL6pzYQ&feature=youtu.be Thanks! A friend of mine swears by Adams products so he probably even has the ones they used for me to try... I'll let you know how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMcGuirk Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 http://millersvinylgraphics.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' data-author="MMcGuirk" data-cid="1606506" data-time="1428670797"><p><a class='bbc_url' href='http://millersvinylgraphics.com'>http://millersvinylgraphics.com</a></p></blockquote>Thanks, Michael! I should've guessed that you'd know someone.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 I tried the suggestions from Adams over the weekend -- their products definitely helped, and it looks better but still not great. More hand polishing or maybe using a machine polisher may actually get it all, but the pitting is so deep I'm concerned there won't be any vinyl left after all the effort. So it looks like plan C -- I'll be getting in touch with Miller's Vinyl. We may have them do a couple other things for us too while we're there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedrx Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 I just got my GTS back from SHELBY and they did a great job . Check out LGO Enterprises , Inc in L.V you may have to stay over night check it out .702-434-7004 Is LGO Enterprises where Shelby sends their cars for stripes in Las Vegas? I know they use a supplier somewhere close to the new shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB12 Cobra Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 I tried the suggestions from Adams over the weekend -- their products definitely helped, and it looks better but still not great. More hand polishing or maybe using a machine polisher may actually get it all, but the pitting is so deep I'm concerned there won't be any vinyl left after all the effort. So it looks like plan C -- I'll be getting in touch with Miller's Vinyl. We may have them do a couple other things for us too while we're there. Any luck on your stripes? I'm looking to possibly add white OTT stripes to my 2012 GT500 stripe delete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Talked to Miller's Vinyl and got a reasonable estimate.. Just need to find the time to drop the car off to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB12 Cobra Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Talked to Miller's Vinyl and got a reasonable estimate.. Just need to find the time to drop the car off to them. Cool, if you don't mind me asking....are you getting both stripes replaced? and if so how much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted May 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 We're getting pieces of both stripes replaced.. depending on how well the vinyl she has matches we could replace all of them. The high end quoted if they need to replace everything (including the bumpers) was 1200 plus ~65/hr for removal of the existing vinyl. Which is substantially cheaper than even just buying the OEM vinyl from Ford, not counting labor. Now we just need to decide if we're going to get them replaced now or suck it up and save that towards a Super Snake package later, which we're already leaning towards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 We're getting pieces of both stripes replaced.. depending on how well the vinyl she has matches we could replace all of them. The high end quoted if they need to replace everything (including the bumpers) was 1200 plus ~65/hr for removal of the existing vinyl. Which is substantially cheaper than even just buying the OEM vinyl from Ford, not counting labor. Now we just need to decide if we're going to get them replaced now or suck it up and save that towards a Super Snake package later, which we're already leaning towards... Have them buy a roll of vinyl or at lease enough to re-strip your car a few times. In the event you damage a strip in the future you will not have to worry about vinyl color mismatch because you will have a roll of matching vinyl, sitting in YOUR GARAGE for your use.... We had to look through rolls and rolls of the same color coded vinyl to find a match for my car and it took along time to find. Once we found it I bought enough to re-strip my car several time and have use used some since... I am very glad I have the extra matching vinyl, cost a bit more up front but makes life so much more easier later on that it will be well worth your investment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITHERTZ66 Posted May 8, 2015 Report Share Posted May 8, 2015 Dont forget to consider the shelf life of your vinyl. Not very long! It does matter. One more resaon to go with paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HARALD KELLEY Posted May 8, 2015 Report Share Posted May 8, 2015 (edited) We're getting pieces of both stripes replaced.. depending on how well the vinyl she has matches we could replace all of them. The high end quoted if they need to replace everything (including the bumpers) was 1200 plus ~65/hr for removal of the existing vinyl. Which is substantially cheaper than even just buying the OEM vinyl from Ford, not counting labor. Now we just need to decide if we're going to get them replaced now or suck it up and save that towards a Super Snake package later, which we're already leaning towards... Hey did I read SS? Edited May 8, 2015 by H0050 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted February 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 (edited) Since a couple people have asked recently.. After getting a few ridiculous quotes (cheapest from Miller Vinyl to remove and replace just the roof, trunk and top of the spoiler was $1500, average was 2000! IAnd they wouldn't guarantee that they could do it without damaging paint or matching the existing stripes) we decided to do it ourselves. Took an hour or so to take exact measurements (including the taper and bow in the middle of the roof to make them look straight on the curved roof). About $100 for various tools and supplies we didn't have and $90 for way more than enough vinyl. Another hour to put the measurements into illustrator and then the vinyl cutting software at TechShop and 2 hours to cut a test run in paper and then the actual stripes on their vinyl cutter. Then we waited for a nice sunny day (today) to warm them up and took about 6 hours to remove and replace them including a couple mistakes. So 8 hours, $200 and a lot of satisfaction later and they're all better and if we don't wind up super snaking we'll think about painting them on later. Even if we didn't already have the tech shop membership and access to the vinyl cutter, for $160+ an hour in labor I could have bought the same vinyl cutter I used and still come out ahead. Clearly I'm in the wrong business. Edited February 8, 2016 by Bookwyrm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghoust Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Would you have a step by step instructions on how to remove the stripes and apply new stripes? I have a small section on the front bumper with a blemish that I would like to replace. Also where did you purchase the new roll of vinyl matte black stripes from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookwyrm Posted April 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 We haven't measures the stripes on the front bumper yet to make new ones, but here's the overall procedure we used: 1 measure the existing stripes in every dimension -- note that for hood and roof stripes they taper and are not square nor straight (this is to ensure they look straight with the curves of the roof/hood) -- I don't think the taper effect is used on the smaller pieces on the front end though. 2 use a commercial vinyl cutter and rhe software that goes with it and/or adobe illustrator or Corel draw to create computer images of the stripe pieces you need to replace and then cut it on the vinyl cutter on premium outdoor vinyl -- I'd recommend either 3M or Oracal and go with the highest rated outdoor cast vinyl they have (we used Oracal 951 from signwarehouse.com) -- if you don't have access to a vinyl cutter you can order each individual piece from ford parts (or any of the online ford dealerships that sell at a discount like Tasca) but they're a lot more than you'd spend if you can cut them yourself 3 measure where the stripes are on the car from firm reference points, including how far apart they are (roughly 1.5") mark existing edges with a grease pencil and/or painters tape for reference 4 remove the stripes -- we used "vinyl off", a plastic razor blade and a heat gun, following the vinyl off instructions and they came off easily 5 carefully clean where the stripes were, especially any wax residue at the edges -- be careful not to lose your reference markings and then wipe the area down with rubbing alcohol just to be sure it's absolutely clean 6 carefully appty the new stripes using either the wet or dry method -- there's tons of YouTube videos and other instructions out there on both. I prefer the wet method because it makes it a lot easier to reposition until you get it exactly right - either way make sure to have a squeegee handy to smooth out air bubbles and a pin for popping any particularly bad ones. You can also use a heat gun to carefully smooth out edges and pursuade the vinyl to follow the correct contours of the car 7 let them sit out in the sun for a few hours to dry (if you used the wet method) and cure the adhesive Since you're just replacing a small piece you may also have trouble finding matching vinyl (every brand's colors are slightly different, and they all fade at least some in the sun over time) so you may consider at least replacing both stripes on that body panel, if not also any adjacent stripes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghoust Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 thanks man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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