Grand Sport Hash Marks

[Tin-can]

I spent about $US100 to purchase chrome hash mark appliques and really messed them up! I got them on the car, but both the positioning and the bubbles were really cheap looking, so I took them off and trashed them. I still want to add them to the car, but have learned that someone more skilled than me will have to do it.

Has anyone else had a similar failure?

 

[Phil]

eeeek... to take the OEMs off is one thing, to try and apply is a whole other can of worms. good luck

 

[Tourmax]

I’ve never put those particular stripes on a car, but have done lots of vinyl applications to cars, motorcycles, boats, windshields, etc.

Did you use the “spray bottle and squeegee” technique? Basically, you wet down the car where the stripes will go. The water allows you to move the stripes/vinyl around without it sticking. Just use plain, clean water under the stripes. Once you get them postioned to where you want them, you take the squeegee and work the graphic out form the center, carefully pushing the water out from underneath the graphics and forcing the adhesive down on to the painted surface. Be careful when you first start as the graphic can slip and move until you get a good portion of it applied/stuck. Once it’s stuck, it ain’t coming off in one piece so make sure it’s where you want it.

You will still get “bubbles” with this technique, but they will be minimal.

In order to deal with bubbles you can’t work out to an edge to release, you can take a small sewing needle and prick a small hole in the center of the bubble. Don’t go crazy here, you only want to let water/air out so you only need a teeny-tiny hole to break through the vinyl. Then take your squeegee and work the bubble from it’s edges in to where you made your small prick hole and it will lay flat as the adhesive grabs the surface.

Keep your squeegee wet while doing all this work as a dry squeegee can scratch the graphics or even grab the vinyl/graphics and move it out of position. The water makes sure the squeegee doesn’t grab/scratch your vinyl. Personally, I use a little soapy water (on the outside surfaces only!) to keep the squeegee sliding easily and smoothly. You don’t want to use soapy water when you lay down your graphic, clean water only! The soap residue will hamper the adhesive from doing it’s intended job, so clean water underneath for postioning, soapy water once applied to keep the squeegee sliding nicely.


Or, you can drop the car and strioes off at a vinyl shop and pay them to do it for you. They will use the same process, but if they mess it up, they’re on the hook to replace it. Just read any “condtions” they pass under your nose when you drop the car off to make sure they don’t have a “we’re not responsible” clause on the work order.

Good luck.

 

[Tin-can]

Good advice! I totally screwed this up. Now I need to decide if I really want the hashes and find out who can reliably apply them.

 

[JCWP]

Get the dealer to install: something they must do frequently.

 

[ddgermann]

Get the dealer to install: something they must do frequently.

Don’t use my dealer... their guy did a hack job on my Xpel the first time.
I would trust a good detail or body shop before a dealership for this.
Warranty for install... haha. Unless you bought it there l... good luck.

 

[Tourmax]

Get the dealer to install: something they must do frequently.

Not unless they have a body shop, which most dealers don’t. Body work is usually “farmed out” to a local shop. That would include applying vinyl stripes. There’s just not enough body work with new cars to justify the expenses. Hense, they usually partner with a trusted local shop.

All they want in house is mechanical repairs and sales. That way, they make cash off the sale and (besides the fact they have to) they make cash off warranty repairs and servicing.

 

[AxeZ06]

Head to a vinyl signmaker in your area. That's what they do.

 

[dannyboy]

Find out if you really want the hash marks...

 

[Silver C7]

Ordered mine from motorwork ( see attached ) they look great. My wife helped out. Speak to them first.

 

[ccltj]

Get the dealer to install: something they must do frequently.

Great advice. Paid only $115cdn, using My Local Dealership’s recommended Installer!

 

[JohnnyLamour]

I bought the hash stripes for my 2011 GS from Vette Stripes of Dallas Fort Worth Texas, www.vettestripes.com. They have great You Tube tutorials on how to apply their different types of stripes, as well as "how to" pdf documents. They also recommend a particular soap and the correct soap to water ratio. Recommended locations for the hash stripes for a base versus GS/Z06 body style are stated.

I waa initially hesitant to do the installation but eventually worked up the nerve. The first side took longer than it should have, but the second side went quickly. In hindsight I would say don't spare the soapy solution on the stripes, your prep area, your hands or the squeegee! Once on the fender floating on a film of soapy solution they are easily positioned. Using the 8" squeegee I purchased at Dollarama they settled down nicely! Once left to dry overnight I think they snuggled down even tighter.

 

[Tin-can]

Thanks. I'll give Vettestripes a shot.