applying decals to TA

[whitesnake96]

hello i have a 1979 trans am that i have nearly finished restoring. all i need to is get the seats recovered, exhaust, get the G100 and give it a mirrored finish then apply the decals.
as you all know, the TA's came with stripes and the screaming chicken on the hood. my question is, will the decals stick to the metal if i have #83, #80 under them or should i wipe the areas down with alcohol first?
i am not sure what to do , but id rather ask first before i waste 300 dollar decals
thanks
jake

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

You will DEFINITELY want to wipe these down with alcohol prior to application. You could probably also go with something like Body Solvent from the Detailer product line as another alternative. You will want any oils/glazes/fillers/silicone off the surface before you do your application.

I'm curious though -- why didn't you have the paint shop apply them to the basecoat and clear-coat over them? I would think that would've been a more durable solution....

[MB///HRV]

I would go so far as to wipe the area down with some Dupont Prepsol. This will be sure to get rid of anything that would prevent the decals from sticking. You should be able to find it at a local autobody shop.

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

Originally posted by MB///HRV
I would go so far as to wipe the area down with some Dupont Prepsol. This will be sure to get rid of anything that would prevent the decals from sticking. You should be able to find it at a local autobody shop.

Agreed, but I would remind you that prepsol does basically the same job as body solvent, alcohol, or something like DupliColor Wax and Grease Remover. Any of those (or any similar product... Mar-Hyde Total Prep for example) will work just as well for this particular job.

[whitesnake96]

i did the body work and paint work on the car myself.
i asked at a trans am forum about doing that and alot of ppl didnt recommend doing that. it was something with the clear coat over the decals over time.
i do have the mar hyde total prep. will that hurt the paint's finish any? it was painted in june.

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

Originally posted by whitesnake96
i did the body work and paint work on the car myself.
i asked at a trans am forum about doing that and alot of ppl didnt recommend doing that. it was something with the clear coat over the decals over time.
i do have the mar hyde total prep. will that hurt the paint's finish any? it was painted in june.

It shouldn't; especially since I assume you have wet-sanded and compounded the paint already? I would not spray it on the paint directly though. Spray it on a foam applicator pad or a 'sacrificial' microfiber towel, and quickly wipe the surface with it.

For an added safety precaution, you could follow that up with a clean MF and some distilled water to be sure all of the 'prep' chemicals are off the paint.