Auto Body Tacoma

Many people don’t know that pinstriping predates the automobile. Pinstriping is another vestige of the horse & buggy era that has carried over to the automobile. Pinstriping was an ornamental design for horse and buggy carriages. Pinstriping on cars was frequently done at the factory up until the later 1930′s. The final production automobile to have pinstripes was manufactured by General Motors in the late 1930′s. Custom pinstripes, added after the factory assembly line, started appearing on automobiles in the 1950′s. For those people who had muscle or sports cars, frequently referred to as “Hot Rodders,” customizing the appearance of their ride was the final step to complete modification. When all the performance changes to your auto such as, camshafts, valves, exhaust, intakes manifold, headers , wheels & tires, the only thing left is apply a unique paint finish to make your car really stand out.

The most typical applications for pinstripes are to paint in two colors: one that accents the primary color of the car or truck, and another, a narrow line, in a tone contrasted with the stripe to make it visible and stand out.

For larger vehicles, such as trucks, station wagons, vans, mechanical pinstriping is the easiest way to get good looking pinstripes. Mechanical pinstriping keeps a constant width, so that you can get the best alignment on the finished surface of your automobile. Magnetic pinstriping uses center grooves to hold paint templates for even more choices for stripe design. Two magnetic strips applied to your car hold the template in position while paint is applied & can also act as a guide for your hand. Obviously magnetic pinstriping is not an choice for cars with a fiberglass body.

Stencil tape is another common option for applying pinstriping. Stencil tape comes in many different choices that are suitable for the myriad of designs for car pinstriping. Stencil tape striping uses brushes, & a specialized pinstriping brush is an essential component in a successful project. One of the main benefits to stencil stencil tape is that you can apply different color stripes without waiting several hours the other stripes to dry.

For unrestricted creativity applying pinstripes freehand is the only choice. It is also the most difficult method to master and takes some practice to get right. If you have never done it before, you may want to try a few practice stripes on some scrap metal or wood. For beginngers, the simplest plan for a freehand striping is to apply a strip of masking tape down approximately a quarter inch from where you want the finished line to be, and then use this tape as visual guiding for your stripes. Household masking tape will allow paint to bleed through, whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of using regular masking tape. Auto body masking tape can be purchased from any auto supply store.

Any method that you use will give your vehicle a distinct look that is uniquely yours. Practice makes perfect, just like anything else worth doing right. Patience is elementary when painting anything. Don’t hurry through or try & take shortcuts. Don’t attempt to pinstripe your vehicle without proper equipment and tools, painting errors are costly to fix and take time. Great results make pinstriping your car, truck, or van uniquely yours.