I'm going to get the pinstripes from aesthetic creations, and I'm wondering if anyone else out there has done the application themselves. I'd love to save a little money, but if it's easy to screw up, I'll go ahead and take it to a custom paint shop. Any opinions?

 

pin stripes like actually painting the stripes on with a bursh or pin stripes as in a vinyle sticker ...if its a vinyl sticker vinyl is super easy to apply

 

You should be able to do it yourself. Just measure a zillion times before you commit and remove the backing and you'll be fine!

 

Pin stripes as in vinyl sticker. Thanks for the opinion!

 

yeah painting stripes ...hella hard most pros cant even pin stripe nicely ...but applying vinyl is as easy as 123 just get some mildy soapy water spray the vinyl not the car and apply it where you want it and squeegeeee the soapy water out and go over it a bunch to get any bubbles out and them peel off the backing and ur done

 

ive never done pin stripes before but i think i would probably make a
guide using masking tape or e-tape and then apply it dry by placing it
and slightly pulling on the pin stripe while laying it down next to the
guide.

otherwise you'll get those not so straight pin stripes like my old neighbor's
kid did. LOL!

 

Go get some 3M Blue tape, or 3M green fineline tape. Apply it and use it like a guide.

Once it's on straight then butt the pin-stripe tape and liner up to it and tape it in a few spots
- example - Beginning, Middle, End-

Remove the liner and press the beginning onto the paint. Keep the material butted to the masking tape for a guide. Pull the liner from the bottom at a 45 to the striping running your fingers about 3 inches behind the place where the liner is being removed.

Wow, so hard to explain without pictures. I've applied hundreds of feet this way. Wish I had pictures of the process. It really is simple.
My advice when applying the masking tape is to stick one end, then pull out a long portion of tape keeping it tight. Try and pull the entire car at one time. It's almost like working a chalk line except you don't snap it, you just pull it out ad apply it in one shot. You'll get a much straighter line doing it this way.

 

^^ i already posted that...

 

Find a good pinstriper and have it painted on. Good pinstripers (read not tattooed kids pretending to be greasers) can lay perfectly straight lines and/or do any design you can think of for alot less money than you might think. I had my 49 Merc pinstriped by a guy that used to work with Ed "Big Daddy" Roth inside and out for under 200 bucks. Trust me it was ALOT of striping with numerous design pieces. People raved about it everywhere I went.

 

is it easy to find vinyl or colored vinyl? Where would be a good place to start? I could use it for many things.

 

I think the great trick is the blue tape to ensure a straight line. I'm a little leery about actual painting for resale purposes.

 

AutoZone, O'Reilly's, Advance, Pep Boys, etc. About $2.99 a roll, and very easy to apply, and cheap enough if you don't like the job you did rip it off and do it again.

 

You can take pinstriping off with cutting compound.