With my stripes I have a 1/4 inch pinstripe that follows 1/4 inch around the stripes. When I decide to take the plunge and start painting would it be okay to sand the factory clearcoat from the outer edges of the pinstripe and in then cover the space between the stripe and pinstripe (the part I want body color) with tape then get the black down then remove the tape and clear it all? Or would I have to tape off the section that's body color and sand/paint/clear around it?

Anyone understand what I'm asking? I want a 1/4 inch strip of original paint between my stripes and the pinstripe but I don't know when to mask it off.

 

I am pretty sure I get what your saying...I would think clearing it all is actually better....because the way im taking it is you will be clearing everything including the pinstripe!? If this is so, I would think putting the pinstripe under clear coat would be a good way of keeping it in great condition. I know my dad repainted his motorcycle tank, and he painted the color on, the put the logos, which were vinyl stickers, and then clear coated over the paint and sticker so that the sticker is under the clear coat...it looks great, and is holding up really well.

 

My fiance just detailed a 1970 Super Bee and the Super Bee decal was under the clearcoat. I don't know if this was original or a repaint, but its a very good idea to protect the decal.

 

You definately want to spray the clear over the entire hood at once. After you spray the black just remove the tape from the body color part and then spray the whole panel. If you leave the tape on when you spray the clear you will have a nasty tape line that you will be able to see and feel. Plus it will last longer if you dont have any breaks in the clear.

Is the pinstripe around the actual stripe vinyl or is it painted on? If its vinyl and you are going to be spraying black anyway, just remove the pinstripe and mask off the area and spray on the pinstripe instead. It will last longer and it wont stick up as much under the clear. Get yourself some 1/4" fine line and run the fine line around the main stripe 3 times side by side. Then pull out the center piece of tape you you will have yourself a perfectly even, perfectly spaced 1/4" stripe after you spray.

 

It's vinyl now, but the stripes are going to be removed before too long and I'd like to paint them on. Thanks Matt, you answered what I wanted to know.

I never thought of vinyl under the clear, but I think I'd rather have them painted.

 

If done right, you can spray clear over vinyl but alot of times you get little bubbles in the clear around the edge of the vinyl. IMO I would never put vinyl under clear coat unless it was something you could not paint on. It will never last as long as it would if u painted it.