how many people here have installed stripes themselves??? i just called mini to install mine and they wanted 450 for the bonnet boot and roof?? i mean thats plus the stripes but still i feel like thats super high? any input on this? or is there anyone willing to help out that lives on long island?

 

I ordered my replacements from Aesthetic Creations for around $50.00 which came with good instructions and installed them myself in probably an hour or so. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, just take your time, don't get in a hurry to avoid air bubbles. If you have to remove old ones, a hair dryer does the trick. Be sure to mark boarders with painter's tape before removing the old ones. Speaking of hair dryers, don't do what I did and shed a hair just as I was laying down a stripe. In just the right light, you can see the impression of the little bugger under the stripe. It's OK though, it just adds to the Youafication.

Somewhere in this forum there are excellent instructions on how to install boot stripes with detailed photography.

 

hahah thanks for the info! i might do it up... ill search for the instructions... im just thinking my short little legs cant reach the roof well enough ahhah...

 

I paid a local professional to do mine (I went with a fat middle stripe and two smaller outside). I watched him do it and I'm convinced I couldn't have done it as professionally and accurately as he did even if I'd taken twice the time. I should admit that I'm artistically challenged, but I only paid about half the quote you were given, so I was very happy with the outcome. I think stripes add so much to most MINI's, so either way you decide to go, you've got my .

Oh, and if you're in SoCal and would like the professional's number, just let me know.

 

I tinted my windows myself and the stripes are much easier. With the proper application solution and squeegee it would not be hard to do yourself. Question is do you want racing stripes or viper stripes? Let us know!

 

i have a chili red with white top... i would love to put the viper stripes on it to make it look like the mini challenge cars... with the white stripes on the bonnet and boot and the red on the roof! where did you guys get our stripes... ive looked at the "show me your stripes" thread and i saw some pretty cool ones... im just hesitant because i dont want to get them crooked...

 

edecals.com is where i got mine... here's how they look

 

ya that looks so good! heres what mine looks like now... i think it would look good with those stripes!

 

you should totally go for it.. just take your time, and it will come out great

 

Just what the other guys say, do it yourself. I was at MINI United @ Silverstone and they had a bonnet stripe application station. I couldn't believe how popular the station was. I tried my hand had applying a bonnet stripe and it brought up my confidence level to where I would probably do it myself. It was almost too easy.

 

hmmm you guys are pretty confident sounds like ill have to order me up some stripes and do it up! i just dont know about the roof anyone do that themselves?

 

what size are yours???

 

Cut a few lengths of masking tape, fold each back about half leaving an inch or so to stick to the bonnet perpendicular to your stripes and a few inches outside of where the stripes are to go. Three per stripe should do it, one a few inches from each end and one on the middle. Measure carefully where the outer edges of the stripes are to line up and mark that on the tape. Now you have benchmarks you can fold back out of your way and still be able to replace if you need to double check as you stick down the stripes.

 

Mine are the 6" set. as far as getting them straight/ centered goes, just use reference points like the mini emblem, washer jets, etc... Also, be sure to measure and once you have it centered, and use tape like brick said. Another thing i learned while doing mine, is that once you have the stripes anchored, you should cut the backing that holds them the fixed distance apart, because the contour of the hood will not allow a perfect 2" gap. Just take it slow and watch for wrinkles. Small bubbles will go away over time but avoid them as well.

Best of luck

 

Not that difficult like mentioned. My uncle owns a sign shop, so i had all needed tools at hand. Make sure you thoroughly clean the surface with a wax stripper, mark out necessary measurements with a grease pencil, wet the vinyl and surface with a solution made for this application to prevent premature adhearing, you could also use a soapy water mix. Make sure to get a squeegee. If for some reason there are some tiny bubbles left, they should eventually come out after sitting in the sun. If not, you can take an xacto knife and carefully make small punctures in them. Took me a while to get every small area striped (incl wind baffles for sunroof, wing, and front and rear valences). Heres my color shifting viper stripes:

 

those are some nice viper stripes!

 

I ordered my sport stripes from Morristown MINI for $70 and installed them myself. I was a bit hesitant but glad I attempted and completed the project. I posted some lessons learned in the exterior mod forum a while back.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-stripes.html

 

Thanks (i assume youre talking about mine)

Keep in mind, you DO get what you pay for. Cheap vinyl might be a quick grab, but can very easily fade (faster than usual), crack, lift, separate, and make a real mess when trying to remove. AND, remember, like anything thats stuck on the paint, it will leave a "tan line" when removed after a period of time.

 

both of the stripes posted are awesome! but ya im not trying to buy cheap stripes just didnt want to pay a ***** load for an install...

 

Their site says to only install using a dry method, but most of my reading says the wet method is easier to do. Which did you do?

 

I used a very weak car wash solution in a generic spray bottle, just enough to raise a vew bubbles. Someone somewhere mentioned using windex, don"t know why that wouldn"t work as well.

 

i used dry, but it's just a matter of personal preference i guess

 

At auto parts stores they sell a solution in bottles that is used for this and window tinting. The option is a recommended mild soap/water solution. It allows the decals to slide so that they can be positioned for a period of time.
Water drys too quickly and dry application has to be difficult. Take a look in the stores. We also have in NY a store called "Colours" that sells only car exterior supplys like black out tape, stripes etc. There are two stores in my area. I don't know if they are a national chain or not. Its another option though.

 

I applied the MINI sport stripes myself.

I sprayed a diluted solution of baby shampoo on the surface of the car first. It was pointless because there was really no repositioning the stripe (or sliding it around) once it was on the car. Next time I will skip a wet application.

It seems like most of the quality stripes are meant for dry install, which is no problem really. It just means you need to position the stripe on the car first, secure with masking tape, and take it slow. (Check Youtube for videos)

My advice is to position the stripe with precision. Once it's on, it's on. And if it's off more than a couple of millimeters here or there it may be noticeable.

 

I'm usually not afraid to tackle things like this, but with the winter temps I entrusted the dealer (MINI of St. Louis) to do my sport stripes yesterday. Their installation is pretty much flawless, and I really like the look:







Spridget