I´ve been searching but haven´t found if there´s any DIY instructions for the roof decals.

I just ordered the UJ roof decal from my dealer, but really don´t want to pay extra to get it installed, they rip you off with the labor.

My car doesn´t have a sun roof.

Is this something easy to do? What tools do I need and what prep should I do before the install?

Thanks

 

Try this site:

DIY Decals



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Fix it 'til it breaks

 

a good rubber squeegee and some dishwash soap solution light mixture in a
spray bottle will do the trick. :smile: wax your roof after it dries (minimum 24hours).

try not to use your fingers to squeegee the decal as it can swirl it.

 

I would also suggest getting a friend to help out! And, be patient!

Cyndy

 

so lets say that you have a few (like three) small bubbles after application. What is the best way of gettin ghtem out? This is in a sunroof cover. They are all under 1cm diameter, so no biggie, but is there a fix?

 

under 1cm dia? that's a pretty big bubble. but you could pierce it with
a needle and squeegee the solution out, or see if the sun can do the job.

usually the sun can take out small bubbles and shallow/short bubbles.

it depends on how bad the bubble is and where it is.

when i apply decals on the car and if for some reason i really screw it up,
i usually peel it off while spraying more fluid before the adhesive settles.
but, if the adhesive is already attached to the surface, don't pull as it will
stretch the decal. either wait for the sun to do its thing or pierce it and squeegee.

worst thing to do is heat it and squeegee'ing at the same time. permanent
ripple.
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03MCS IndiBlue/Blk


<a href="http://hometown.aol.com/t

 

Cooper Flags has a DIY kit now w/ instructions for thier products but should work w/ factory too. Give Matt a holler.

 

Thanks for all the help. How exactly am I supposed the soap/water solution?

I just waxed my car, should I do anything to it to remove the wax layer?

 

yah, you should take the wax off with the soap/water solution before
you start.

what i do is get a small spray bottle and put 2 drops of dish soap
(Dawn or Ivory) in the bottle and fillup the bottle with tap water.
some guys like to use distilled water as it takes out any chances
of rings between the decal and panel (specially tint guys)...but
usually the soap takes care of that.

Spray the soap/water solution on your waxed panel and wash
off all the wax, dry. then re-spray the panel with the same soap/water
solution. then spray your fingers (both hands), then remove the
backing off the decal while you spray more solution on the decal
itself. the trick is to keep your fingers wet at all times while you
handle the decal.

afterwards, towel dry lightly and let dry for 24hours... then wax.

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03MCS IndiBlue/Blk


<a href="http://hometown.aol.com/t

 

So the roof has to be wet with soapy solution when I apply the sticker, right?

I´m guessing this allows you to move it around before the sticker glue dries out.

Thanks

 

right, both the roof and the adhesive backing needs to be wet. and your
fingers as well while handling it. yep, you will be able to move it around while
the backing is wet.

 

Post some pics of your roof flag when your done!

Heres some other roof flag pics: Custom UJ roof flag

Pirate flag

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Thanks so much Kenchan,

I´m waiting for the decal to arrive at the dealer, supposedly tomorrow.

I´ll post pics, promise

 

The directions with mine said no solution so I didn't use any. Thus the bubbles are air only. I am hesitant to pierce, but it's damn winter and the sun aint doin' nuthin'. . .

Mom's a nurse so maybe I'll pierce with a 25 gauge hypo and syction it out. . . anyone try this?

 

Griswoia,

You were able to but a roof decal on with no liquid? That's amazing, where did you get the decal and how bad are the bubbles you're speaking of?



Cooper flags says to use denatured alcohol to remove the wax before applying, at least for the stripes. I'm sure the same would apply for the roof decal. I was kind of hesitant to put the suff on my paint. But I did and it worked OK. When applying my stripes I noticed the wetter the surface the better. My window tint guy uses baby shampoo instead of the dish washing liquid. He says there's something in the dish washing liquid that over time reacts with the glue in a bad way. Two or three 3 second squirts from the baby shampoo into a 16 ounce bottle should be about the right mix. Anyway, as has been said, make sure both the decal and the roof are very wet before applying and squeege from the center out.

Get a good helper and good luck. :smile:

R.E.

 

the sun won't do much than to expand theat airbubble inside the decal, probably.
the sun/heatlamps work well to rid solution between the panel and decal,
but air bubbles are kinda tough to get out. may take weeks before the
air dissepates through the material. i would perce it before it snows or
something and you accidentally touch it to make a crease.

yah, baby shampoo is a good solution too. ive yet to have problems
with the dish soap solution, but it could be because the mix is very light
(lots of water vs soap). as long as the solution dries completely, i don't
foresee any problems.



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03MCS IB/Blk: 123, Aerokit, R90 17x7, TK5 16x7, 6CDMP3, and a few more.

 

I use to do mounting in a print shop so there are only about three bubles in the sunroof. Each under 1cm. The roof has been on for a while (like three weeks) and I guee that I will get a syringe. . . I'll tell you later.

Ian

 

I just picked up the decal at the dealer. It is a flat cardboard package the size of the MINI´s roof, yet to my surprise when I opened it (of course that huge piece of cardboard was never going to fit inside the MINI unless bent) I discovered that ...

THE UNION JACK COMES IN PIECES!

Only the center cross section of the flag comes in one piece. All other parts are individual stickers.

Guess it´s going to be quite a challenge to install (I´ll have to measure and calculate all the distances so it will look simmetrycal.

I´ve got myself something to do for my next week vacations

 

Griswoia - im impressed! just 3 little airbubbles installing it dry.

mexminime- goodluck with it.

i use masking tape to measure and kind of layout the
decal first so that it would be real easy to aim where the
decal should go after taking off the backing. (i dont have
the roof decal though).

 

Last night I studied the whole thing and I think I was freaking out with no reason.

The most important thing to measure is the center cross, and it will probably be wise to install it first and let it dry completely before installing the rest.

The other parts come together into four pieces that match exactly with the edges of the cross.

Its like those comic books that came with stickers (rembember those?)

Hopefully by Monday everything will be in place. Promise to post pictures

 

couple things,

auto parts stores carry wax & grease remover by 3M, or another called Prep-All. this will strip all wax off the surface & assure adhesion.

you were told how to float it on with a soap solution, but what if you want it to lay down immediately & adhere?
Then you should have another solution bottle of 50/50 h20 & rubbing alcohol. That will make it stick right away. but be sure you have it placed right!

 

Thanks for the tip.

I feel more comfortable now that I found the oem installation instructions down on MINI2.

 

Does the antenna get in the way? I haven't gotten the car yet but I will have the shark fin.

 

Don´t know about the shark fin, but I guess it works the same as the standard one. The antena actually works to center the red cross in the Union Jack. first you just unscrew the antena. The base is easily removed by turning it 45 degrees to any side and popping it out.