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Did anyone apply clear coat on the car including stripes or decals?

rigogarcia

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I am going to buy some stripes and decals for my RR 1973, but I am not sure if they won't be damaged with UV and sun exposure.
I know the clear coat protects against UV.
My car is going to be black eggshell and black reflective or glossy stripes and decals.
If I apply eggshell or flat clear on my reflective stripes, are they going to loose the reflective feature?

Any suggestion would be appreciated
TIA
:):):):):):):):):):):):):)
 
Quality decal paper should be UV resistant. Decals are applied over the finished paintwork, otherwise if they are removed, you will end up with patchy paint underneath where the decals used to be.
 
Yeah. Don't bother clearing over stripes or decals.
Especially if you're concerned with the loss of reflection...which wouldn't happen regardless.
I've painted bikes with a satin clear over reflective (3M Scotchlite) tape and it made no difference in it's reflective ability.
The only reason I sprayed clear over it is because the tape stripe was applied over the bead of the rim and I wanted a bit more adhesion/durability in that area due to the R/R of tires and tubes.
 
You should use an adhesion promoter then clear. I'm thinking you're clearing the whole car after basecoat. Watch your "window" on drying time between coats when applying the striping, decals.
If it's already painted I wouldn't clear them. You would have to scuff the whole car, apply stripes, then clear everything.
 
Where did you get your stripe kit? If you got it from Phoenix Graphix, sponsor here, they sell quality kits, and you should not need to clear coat over the stripes, here is their description.

"At Phoenix Graphix, we use only the highest quality, automotive-grade vinyl for ALL of our decals and stripe kits. Correctly colored inks together with a patented high gloss UV clear-coat assure your decals an exceptional shine and long-life."
 
image.jpgGood thread. Just a note on stripe sourcing, I got the R/T bumblebee stripe years ago from Year One. It came in a quality 3M package. However, the R/T cut-out is crooked. Had to adjust and it was difficult to line up with the side reflector etc. Stripe quality is good, may just have been an isolated bad cut. Noticed years after purchase.
 
Where did you get your stripe kit? If you got it from Phoenix Graphix, sponsor here, they sell quality kits, and you should not need to clear coat over the stripes, here is their description.

"At Phoenix Graphix, we use only the highest quality, automotive-grade vinyl for ALL of our decals and stripe kits. Correctly colored inks together with a patented high gloss UV clear-coat assure your decals an exceptional shine and long-life."

I have not ordered my kit yet, but definetely I will contact Phoenix Graph, I have seen a lot of good reviews

- - - Updated - - -

View attachment 270242Good thread. Just a note on stripe sourcing, I got the R/T bumblebee stripe years ago from Year One. It came in a quality 3M package. However, the R/T cut-out is crooked. Had to adjust and it was difficult to line up with the side reflector etc. Stripe quality is good, may just have been an isolated bad cut. Noticed years after purchase.

looks awesome!
 
I brought my Phoenix Graphic billboard for my cuda to a local vinyl installer to install on my cuda. His comments....although they are made of 3M material, they use the old school product of 3M, not the new top shelf 3M. The quality is good but the newer 3M vinyl is easier to install, can be removed and replaced easier, thicker, more forgiving, no need for soap and water solution to install and has been used for years now.
 
Interesting observation slepr1, i had the exact opposite observation from the guy that installed the stripes i got from Phoenix Graphix saying they were top quality, and the one set i sent back to Year One was the lower grade vinyl.

Anyway, rigogarcia, here is a picture of my 73 RR and stripes! Very happy with them.

20140521_172859small.jpg
20140521_172815small.jpg
20140524_111433small.jpg
 
One thing I've learned over the years is heavier vinyl, like reflective stripes, are more prone to cracking than thinner non-reflective stripes. It's just a price you pay for reflective stripes. The good news is this occurs over many years.

I had some custom decals made for my Roadrunner, and they warrantied the decals for three years with just the use of 3M reflective tape. You could also have a special coating put on them that would extend the guarantee to six years.
 
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