A cheap way to enhance the look of your vehicle is to add racing stripes. Vinyl racing stripes can be purchased for almost any make and model of vehicle from a number of automotive stores specializing in detailing of vehicles. These stripes require only a few tools and can be completed in a matter of minutes. For best results, complete the installation indoors out of the wind.
Clean the car thoroughly to remove dirt, wax and any other buildup.
Tape the racing stripe in place on the side of the car. Do not remove the backing from the vinyl yet. This allows you to make adjustments to the stripe before tacking it down to the car.
Use long strips of masking tape to create panels on the stripe. Apply these stripes to the middle of doors, between the door and the rear of the car, and between the door and the front of the car. This will create three to four panels, depending on how many doors are on the car.
Mark the seam between the door and the rear of the car with the squeegee.
Cut the indent with a X-Acto knife.
Remove the backing off the vinyl stripe until reaching the tape hinge. Cut off the backing with the X-Acto knife.
Spray the stripe and the car with the wetting agent.
Replace the stripe back into position and smooth with a squeegee. Wipe away excess liquid with paper towels.
Remove the tape hinge and backing from the non-attached side of the stripe.
Spray stripe and car with wetting agent.
Smooth stripe with squeegee.
Repeat steps 4 through 11 for each panel created with the masking tape.
Remove transfer paper from outside of vinyl stripe if it is present.
