Pin Striping

[RockyTop]

Ok, so I was watching a show on TV the other night and watched a guy doing pin striping after the car had bee clear coated. My question is should there be any precaution when cleaning, polishing, or waxing over pin stripes? I have read multiple times that you are cleaning/polishing the clear coat. I sall pin striping applied after clear coat?

Thanks
Ole Curious RockyTop

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Pin Striping

Originally posted by RockyTop
Ok, so I was watching a show on TV the other night and watched a guy doing pin striping after the car had bee clear coated. My question is should there be any precaution when cleaning, polishing, or waxing over pin stripes?

Yes. Always be careful when working on or around pin striping, especially if you don't know the background behind the pin striping. There are two basic kinds of pin striping, painted and adhesive vinyl. Painted pin striping is typically more durable and easier to work on, you do need to be careful when cleaning, polishing and waxing over painted pinstripes until you get a feel for the quality of the paint used. A quality painted pinstripe will hold up well just like your car's finish.

With vinyl pinstripes you have to be careful not to cause them to lift, especially around edges and tips, especially fine or pointed tips. In most cases, you don't want to clean, polish or wax over or on top of vinyl pinstripes but instead work around them.

I have read multiple times that you are cleaning/polishing the clear coat. I saw pin striping applied after clear coat?

Thanks
Ole Curious RockyTop

If the pin striping is painted on after the clear coat is applied, then you are working on the color of the pin stripe and not the clear coat. If the pin striping, or any graphics are painted over with a clear coat, then you are working on clear paint.

Hope this helps...

[RockyTop]

Thanks Mike. I knew someone could shed some light on this.

RockyTop