Dodge Dart Tail Stripes - Install Factory Stripes

We were slow and extra cautious around any areas with lettering or horizontal stripes. The plastic squeegee helped to hold down the fine edges. If a letter lifted a little, we just patted it back down with a paper towel. Once the backing was removed, we patted the entire area dry.

We laid the stencils on both quarters first, then we used the quarter stencils to line up the trunk-lid section. To make it look correct, we wrapped the stencil around the underside of the lid.

From here on, we were dealing with pretty standard paint procedures; we masked off everything that wasn't part of the stripe. The MCR crew recommended masking off the entire car so there was no chance of overspray anywhere. Regular masking paper should be used for the immediate area, but plastic is OK for the rest of the car.

MCR recommends a Scotch-Brite pad to prepare the surface for new paint. We used a fine sanding pen around the letters and other detail areas then wiped the area clean and tacked it off. Be careful not to leave any debris stuck to the stencil along the edges.

Using a solid, single-stage color makes these kinds of applications about as easy as it gets. When we were finished, we waited about 12 hours before beginning to unmask. If you wait longer than 15 hours, you risk the paint becoming brittle.

Remembering that the paint was still soft, we peeled the stencil back slowly and carefully. The tip of your razor blade will help you lift a corner to get it started.

There you go. A Dart tail stripe just like the factory intended it to be. Except...did you notice that the "Dart" and the "GT" are reversed? With this application, "Dart" should be on top, but the owner wanted it this way, so MCR asked Phoenix Graphix to swap the lettering.