How much does everyone think an install for pre-cut bonnet stripes will be at a tint shop?

 

My dealer offered me that service for $150, but I ended up deciding against getting them put on (the other half stepped on the breaks). I am still thinking of giving them to myself as a Christmas or Birthday present down the line - do you guys know of anyone whose taken them off afterwards? Does that damage the paint job?

 

Overpriced. This is an easy DIY project. Stripes will cost you between $20 and $40. Some careful measuring, a sharp razor, a grease pencil (for easy-to-remove marks prior to install) and you can do this in less than an hour.

 

well, i went the professional route, ended up costing $100, very worth it to me. If I were to mess up and have to repaint, that would have been much more than $100, so I was happy to pay someone to do it right.

 

100 bucks isn't bad

 

How could you mess up so bad that you had to repaint? The last time I put a set on my MINI it took about 20 minutes. Just flood the area with soapy water and use a squeege to remove the water. The pre-cut ones are almost self-aligning, and as long as the surface is wet you can move them to your hearts content.

But, it's only $100.

I removed the first set after about two years, with no paint damage. They were a little hard to remove and came off in pieces. If I had waited until a hotter day and/or used a hair-dryer, they would have came off easier.

 

I have to agree... DIY-ing strips is quite easy, just lay them out with the backing still on them, tape 'em down with masking tape and start squeegeeing. The worst thing that would happen is you'd mess up the stripe - the paint would be fine. They're just vinyl. Of course, if you feel that $100 bought you piece-of-mind and convenience then it's a good deal in my book.

 

My dealer wanted $85.00. I bought a set from Mighty Stripes on eBay for $20.00 (inc. shipping) and did it myself in under 2 hours...and it actually looks good!

 

if it was $100 for the stripes w/ install, that's not a bad deal at all.

the dealer stripes are like $45 each. and i bought 2 pairs.
First time i slapped them on as-is. then i noticed that the white borders
were a little too tacky for my MCS and got another pair and trimmed them
off. i like the clean black stripes.

yah, i could've gotten it for like $30 for the pair elsewhere + shipping,
but their turnaround was like 1.5 weeks. why? ...

 

They are $79 plus labour which was going to be around $200 something at my dealer, but they are going to waive the labour, so it'll only cost me $79. I would rather pay that and trust a professional to install than myself to be honest!

 

Moved from MINI Talk to Interior and Exterior Mods.

 

does anyone know how magnetic stripes perform. are they worth it?

 

Don't do it. I had them on and they marked the paint had a heck of a time getting the marks off.

 

Mgnetic ones will work provided you take some precautions:

1. Clean the bonnet thoroughly and then apply 2 or 3 coats of a good wax (Meguiar's NXT or Gold Class, Zaino's etc.) to the area.

2. Wax the backs of the strips as well in the same manner.

3. Before applying, wipe off any dust or grit from the back of the magnets and the bonnet. if you feel ANY grittness under the strips after laying it down, remove it and re-wipe... Any grit beneath the strips will act like sand paper as you drive around.

4. Leave the stripes on for no more than a day, and remove them if the car gets wet (rained on). Even with the wax coating, moisture pulled beneath the stripe via capilary action will, over time, cause the paint to dull in the spot beneath the stripe.

I use magnetic "temporary tattoo" accents on my car in a variety of applications, and I've never had any problems EXCEPT for the time I applied a magnetic gumball to unprotected (non-waxed) paint. if you keep the application area well waxed and don;t leave the stripes on for days at a time you should be OK.

That said, if you really like the look of the bonnet stripes, I'd recommend a set of the vinyl stripes from a reliable supplier like Aesthetic Creations instead - they're cheaper and can be left on for long periods without harming the paint. If you chose to remove them in a year or two, they can be removed in minutes without scratching the bonnet.