Mopar released a lot of cars...
Mopar released a lot of cars from the factory with a stripe installed. Don't look at the stripe as something you have to have a professional bodyman install, you can do it yourself, and we're here to help.
You have to admit Mopar's sometimes flamboyant body stripe accent in the '60s and '70s definitely came across as overstated, but then again, it was a time of hippies, free love, and-dare we say-hallucinogens. Stripes on Mopars ranged from the quarter-panel-covering billboards on Cudas, to tail stripes on Darts, and even simple classic body side stripes seen on the GTX. The stripes planted Mopar firmly in the minds of consumers as stylish, if sometimes gaudy.
But now it's thirty years later, and many of these cars have been or need to be repainted. In future issues, we will show you how to properly place and install all of Mopars famed stripes, but for now, we'll focus on the simple side stripes of the '68 GTX. Extending from the GTX emblem on the lower quarter-panel up to the front tire, the side stripe on the GTX was not one of Mopar's overstated stripes, but it did add a nice accent to the side of the car.
We decided Denny Ackley's '68 GTX needed a little something after it waspainted. the white wrapper on Denny's X was just a little too Plain Jane looking, and a stripe is just what the doctor ordered. A quick call to Phoenix Graphics netted us what we needed. Phoenix Graphics has these stripes in black, white, maroon, or Peacock Blue-a rare color. don't think it's a job you can't handle. It's simple, and in a few hours you can have the apperance of a factory-installed stripe, just not done at the factory.
The first thing you need to...
The first thing you need to do is find the center of the stripe location. To find the centerline, measure from the GTX emblem-mounting hole to the bodyline on the door.
Next, using a grease pencil,...
Next, using a grease pencil, transfer that measurement to a few spots between the emblem location and the front fender behind the front tire.
Now, you can take a chalk...
Now, you can take a chalk line and make a mark. If you don't have a chalk line, place a piece of masking tape on the car following the marks you made. Then, you can take the grease pencil and make a mark along the masking tape. Next, remove the masking tape, and you have a straight line to follow.