Vinyl Pinstripes: What Can They Do For Your Vehicle?

Vinyl Pinstripes: What Can They Do For Your Vehicle?

This question might seem stupid, but it's really not.  What can vinyl pinstriping do for your vehicle?  Surprisingly, the answers are numerous, but we'll take a look at a few. Some are obvious and maybe others you never considered.

First and most obvious, adding vinyl pinstripes to your auto or truck can bring some color to a basic paint scheme.  Why not try applying a red accent stripe to a silver or charcoal paint surface to achieve an aggressive color combination that hints of high performance.  You can accent the same paint color with black or charcoal pinstripes on silver paint or silver on charcoal for a soft color complement.  Some folks have even added a completely contrasting colored stripe, even using their favorite sports team combinations to make a graphic fan statement.

Second, car pinstriping tape can accent a subtle body line or even add one to an otherwise bland body style.  Many of the newer auto designs have body accents that are oddly placed for style or even aerodynamics.  Sometimes, these may not appeal to the owner, and placing a pinstripe away from an unwanted body line can detract from the only thing that you may not like about the car.  The opposite is true also.  One can use vinyl pinstriping tape to draw attention to a body line or accent that makes the vehicle look especially unique.

Third, vinyl pinstripes can actually change the size of a vehicle visually.  Of course, it's an optical effect, but placing pinstripes high or low have a tendency to make some body styles look longer or shorter.  Take a look at the image below.  Although both SUVs are the same as well as the size of the stripe, the appearance is completely different.  One looks more utility oriented while the other is sleeker and looks more sporty.

Fourth, vinyl pinstripe tape can cover defects in your paint.  Many body lines happen to fall in an area most likely to get scuffed or scraped in parking lots.  Many times, these marks can be covered with a simple pinstripe. Years back when I was a mobile stripe installer, this was a method we used on used car lots in order to avoid the paint shop.  In fact, when some repairs are made, the pinstripe is often used as a cutoff for blending paint. (You didn't hear that from me.)

Finally, many new cars and trucks come from the factory with their own auto pinstripe kits.  Most of them are fairly conservative in color so they will appeal to the masses.  For example, you can buy a new Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger or Ford Mustang with wide racing stripes, but usually it will be a single color kit.  As mentioned in the first point, adding a hint of color to the edge of your factory stripes can make your vehicle a one of a kind.

Vinyl pinstripes may be small sometimes, but they can have a big impact in many ways, give 'em a try.