I just got a new to me '08 MINI Cooper S cabrio. It's a last of the supercharged edition and has the limited edition stripes. I want to take a page from the originality movement in the collector car world and save them as best I can.

What can I do to keep them from cracking off/fading more. I suspect the key with be a tough wax. I'm not sure if one of the new 'forever' sealants would be a good idea; in fact, I've got an unused syringe of opticoat in my detailing cabinet.

So what are your ideas to preserve them?

 

I would check out products on Detailedimage.com, they have fairly high-end auto care on there. I am doing my best to baby my stripes as well by using a combination of Chemical Guys V7 and Butter Wet carnauba wax.

 

+1 on good carnuba wax, just don't use a polish or clay bar over them, mask them off if you intend to do either before waxing. I think I got one of the last sets of laminated bonnet stripes made by Aesthetic Creations about 3 years ago and they look like the day I installed them. I don't know if any of the most popular vinyl shops laminate their stripes or not but if yours do start going down hill, they are easy to replace.
Someone on NAM once said: "Without pictures, it didn't happen." You just got yourself a new motor so show it off.

 

Have it opticoat, it will surely preserve the paint for the longest time. You can also apply good carnauba wax on top of it for added protection.