Watch us take this Dart from...
Watch us take this Dart from meek to chic.
There's no way around it. A bad first impression is very hard to overcome, and the paint on your car is the first thing everyone sees. I guess that's why we pay painters so well. They have the ability to put the finishing touches on our projects, which can make or break the whole deal.
If you've ever had someone else apply your paint, you know that little twinge of apprehension that hits you right after you give up the car. You're wondering inside, "Will it turn out OK? Will there be any flaws? Will anyone notice?" Painting is not like tuning an engine, which can be tweaked until it's perfect. All the chemistry, temperature, and humidity issues must be right on the first time or you could end up with a mess that forces you to start over, and you can't control that. But you can take control after the paint job and claim some of the glory for yourself by installing finishing touches like factory tail or hood stripes.
To get us going, we asked John Balow, owner of Muscle Car Restorations (MCR), to help us add a set of tail stripes to an A-body with a minty-fresh paint job. Stripes and graphics are the fastest way to improve first impressions, and it's hard to go wrong with the factory graphics because they were originally designed for your car. Besides, that's how most folks remember these cars.
You might think factory stripes and lettering are more difficult to apply than the color on the rest of the car, but that is not the case. The guys at MCR use stencils from Phoenix Graphix in Chandler, Arizona. They produce stencils and decals for most of the OEM graphics.
The beauty of stencils, of course, is they can exactly reproduce the factory design. All the proportions are correct and everything lines up like it's supposed to. And, Phoenix Graphix takes custom orders, so you can customize your graphics to keep everyone guessing. In fact, the Dart tail stripe that MCR showed us how to paint has been modified from the factory look. See if you can spot the change, and we'll tell you at the end of the text.
 Stencils often come together...  Stencils often come together on a large sheet that must be cut apart. Take care that you don't separate parts of the design that need to stay together to be properly registered. In this case, we just have right and left sides and a third part for the trunk lid. |  After cleaning with a wax...  After cleaning with a wax and grease remover like PPG DX330 and wiping with a tack cloth, we sprayed some water on the back of the stripe and the area where the stripe was to be applied. The key to positioning the stencil correctly is putting the right amount of the right kind of soap in the water. Too much soap will cause the stencil to move around too much; too little will make it difficult to reposition if needed. The MCR guys swear by four drops of Deft per quart. |  This is the part that makes...  This is the part that makes most people nervous. While it does take a steady hand, if it doesn't line up just right the first time, pull it back, make an adjustment, and lay it out again. With this Dart, there is a body line and a marker light to provide a couple of reference points. It's also a good idea to have some close-up photos of a correct car to refer to. |
 Once we were satisfied with...  Once we were satisfied with the stencil's position, we squeegeed the water and air bubbles out and dried it with a paper towel. |  Give some extra attention...  Give some extra attention to the area inside the trunk jamb. Make certain this part of the stencil is flat against the inside corners. If it lifts even a little, you'll get overspray under the stencil, and this detail area won't have a clean edge. Your stencil will likely be a little longer than you need, so use a razor blade to trim it for an exact fit. |  We allowed the adhesives to...  We allowed the adhesives to take hold before we started pulling off the stencil backing. It's important not to pull the backing up but rather pull it back flat against the panel. This should keep the stencil from lifting off the paint. If it does, push it back down with a paper towel. |