When it comes to distinguishing factors on our Mopars, what catches your eye first? If it's a '70s production car, the H.I.P. (High Impact Colors) are definitely high on the list. Maybe you think the various hood treatments are the most eye-catching: Six Pack Scoops, Air Grabbers, Shakers, and Ramcharger air induction systems, or simply painting the hood black to contrast the color of the car? Mopar definitely cornered the market when it came to hood treatments.
One thing that no other car manufacturer had the audacity to do was to wrap the rear end of a car with a wide noticeable stripe. The stripe was a status symbol. It let everyone know that you were a member of an elite group. In the Dodge camp, you were known as a Scat Packer. We just happened to have a '69 Charger sitting around that needed an R/T stripe placed upon its rear flank. The question arose, how do you go about placing the stripe in the proper location? Well, we figured that standing back, eyeing it up, and hoping for the best was not a good approach. So we put some thought into it, and then decided we would give you guys some insight into how we did it.
First, you need to find the...
First, you need to find the center location of the stripe. Find the center of the side marker light, and then measure out the width of the stripe and mark with the red crayon. Note: Use the kind of red crayon that will wipe off. Here you can see the centering marks, and the mark noting the bodyline.
Some of the supplies you'll need (besides the stripe kit) are masking tape, a straight edge, a red crayon pencil, a bucket of water, dish soap, sponge, and a razor blade. You need to begin by first locating the center of the stripe location. To find this, find the center of the marker light opening, and use that as the center of the stripe. Now measure out the width of the stripe using that centerline. Some stripes are just the stripe with no distinguishing marks. In this application, the car is a Charger R/T, and the stripe has the R/T marking on it. Since our stripe incorporates the R/T logo, we must be sure to place the logo in the proper location on the quarter-panel. The proper location is to center the R/T logo on the center bodyline of the quarter. With your quarter marked out with the red crayon pencil, take a bucket of clean water with just a little bit of dish soap, and wet the quarter-panel where the stripe will be located. Be sure not to add too much soap; you do not want an exorbitant amount of suds in the bucket. Now remove the backing paper from the stripe and place the stripe in the bucket. You need to be careful because now that you have removed the backing paper, the stripe will want to stick to everything. Do not roll the stripe up and then place in the bucket or you'll have a nice rolled stripe that's unusable. Now with the stripe wet, place it on the wet quarter-panel, lining up the centering marks you made earlier. use a new soft-rubber squeegee to smooth out the stripe and remove the water. Be careful not to crease the stripe as you squeegee. When you are satisfied with the squeegee job, remove the protective covering from the stripe. Do not pull straight away from the body when removing the covering. Instead, pull in either a downward or upward direction and go slow, making sure not to pull the stripe loose from the car. Do the same to the other side, then the trunk lid, and you have given your Mopar the impact and badging it deserves.
Mark where the stripe will...
Mark where the stripe will "fold over" and be at the top of the quarter-panel. To do this, take your straight edge and align it with the edge of the narrow stripe. Next, move the straight edge to a point where it follows as much of the edge of the stripe as possible. Now draw a line following the straight edge that follows the outside edge of the narrow stripe.
Do this for the front and...
Do this for the front and rear narrow stripe. Next, do the same thing from the other end of the stripe. Where the two lines intersect should give you the location of the top edge of the quarter-panel. If all measurements are correct, the R/T cut out should fall on the center bodyline.
Marking the bodyline will...
Marking the bodyline will give you the location of the R/T lettering of the stripe, as it centers on the bodyline.
Before you start to apply...
Before you start to apply the stripe, attach it to the car with masking tape and use your marks as location points to make sure it lines up properly.
If all of your marks are correct,...
If all of your marks are correct, the stripe should line up at the top edge of the quarter-panel, and the R/T cut out should be split by the center bodyline.
When you are confident you...
When you are confident you have it located properly, remove it from the car, take a clean five-gallon bucket with clean water and mix in a small amount of dish soap. Take a clean (Did we emphasize CLEAN enough?) sponge and get the area receiving the sticker good and wet.
Remove only the backing paper...
Remove only the backing paper from your stripe. While holding onto both ends of the stripe, you need to get the entire stripe good and wet. Start at one end of the stripe and feed it through the bucket of water until the entire thing is wet. Be careful not to let the stripe touch the bucket because it could stick and/or ruin the stripe.
Place the wet stripe on the...
Place the wet stripe on the wet quarter-panel and line up your marks. With a new plastic squeegee, squeegee the water and air bubbles out from under the stripe. Always start in the center and work your way out to the edges.
Next, it's time to remove...
Next, it's time to remove the paper that covers the stripe. We started at the top edge and worked our way down to the bottom of the quarter-panel. Do not pull the protective paper straight away from the car; this could pull the stripe loose. Instead, pull the protective paper down, keeping it as close to the car as possible. Take your time and make sure to squeegee any remaining air bubbles out as you go.
After you have the stripe...
After you have the stripe completely applied, take a sharp razor and cut out the side marker light. Leave about 1/16-inch of stripe protrude into the marker light opening. The opening should be centered in the large portion of the stripe. You will also need to trim the edge of the stripe that protrudes into the trunk area. Use a razor and straight edge to do this.
With the stripe applied, make sure there are no air bubbles under it. If there are, parking the car in the sun may help. If not, puncture the air bubble with a very small needle and work the bubble flat. After that, you can install the marker light.
After you have done the other...
After you have done the other side of the car the same way, it's time for the trunk lid portion. Begin by laying the stripe out on the trunk lid and center it accordingly. measuring the side stripes and placing them will give you the location for the trunk lid stripe. Align the trunk stripe to the side stripes, and mark the edge of the trunk lid on the stripe using the crayon pencil. Now, wet the trunk lid and the stripe and place on the trunk lid. Squeegee the stripe using the same process as the side stripes.