1970 dart swinger tail stripe, help needed

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K.O. SWINGER

Meeting in the alley since 1976
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So I already crapped my first attempt of putting the bee's tail on my 70 340 swinger would somebody tell me how they accomplished it without flaws. Please.
 
Yes..more details...I just did one not long ago..wasn't real bad.

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They are waterslide right? the sides line up around the quarter lights and I believe the trunk isn't exactly "straight" more like a "boomerang" because of how the body and trunk lid is. I haven't done one but will when I get mine in paint. This is just what I know from research. This is in terms of the kits out there. if painting one on I would assume the same holds true ,you wouldn't mask it exactly straight it wont look right.
 
The one I put on from Phoenix graphics is "boomarang" across the trunk lid. If you were to paint it on you would do the same thing. The shape follows the shape of the rear of the trunk lid.

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Mines painted on. Impossible to screw up a decal. Disregard the reflections in my stripe from the picture also. Everything is perfect with them.
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The one I put on from Phoenix graphics is "boomarang" across the trunk lid. If you were to paint it on you would do the same thing. The shape follows the shape of the rear of the trunk lid.

View attachment 1715697759
You will love this, because the trunk lid has a faint bend in the center, and the designers wanted the stripe to look like it was straight across when viewed from the back of the car, they put that shallow bend in the stripe. Give it a try, stand behind the car and take a look and... damned if it doesn't look straight. Clever fellows, those factory guys!!!
 
@K.O. SWINGER
Wash the *** end of the car, mild soap and warm water, you want to remove the wax/cleaner on the painted surfaces. You would want the water to pool on the trunk lid instead of beading and shedding off normally as if it was wax. The car should be cool to the touch, get your spray bottle set up, faucet water with just a drop of dish soap, you are not blowing bubbles....

Lay the stripes out flat and give it a day for them to relax. Remove the rear park lenses and cleaned the recessed area and in the trunk area around the hole.

The fender stripes go on first and run parallel with the fender extensions and ALSO the park lens hole is centered in the stripe. The top on the stripe just touches the rubber trunk weather stripping.

Water bottle, and spray and spray the underside of the stripe, you cannot over spray here, carefully position the stripe as stated above. Damp sponge squeeze some of the water off. Make a cut like this >----< where your holes are and gently tuck the flaps into the trunk area. Repeat for the other side, the hard part is done. You have to make a choice here... cut the stripe where it meets the rear valance and tuck it in or not.

The big easy, spray the trunk lid and underside for the stripe, gently position the stripe using the already there fender strip for aliment and center the stripe by looking how much you have hanging over the edge of the trunk. When done open trunk lid water spray and take the stripe and work it around the underside of the lid. Use sponge ever so gently if you have bubbles they will dry out or take a needle pop it. Let sit out in the sun and stand back and give it big smile...
 
Yes I tried to apply my first one and I had a dry spot creased it and Bam $100 down the drain thank you for your direction. Brian
 
I'm not worried about placement my car had the factory stripe and I have good reference pics I just had problems applying the first one and when I talked to a professional he said he would apply it dry so I was looking for some more opinions thank you for your responses.
 
if you get some small bubbles, don't sweat it. First good sunny day leave it out in the sun and they will come out through the stripe. I had pro do my first set and it had 10 bubbles under the stripe - I freaked. He told me not to worry, be patient. I took it to a show 2 weeks later, with the bubbles, and it was sunny and hot. By noon they had all disappeared... go figure
 
No matter how tempting.. DO NOT poke the bubbles with a needle. They will start to show as dark spots very shortly afterwards as they collect dirt and start to show the body colour through the stripe. Some of my small ones took a full month to finally disappear, but as noted above by str12 they will go away.

My paint guy stated something similar to your guy... "I just put them down dry" and that's when I immediately decided to do it myself.

*** end of car cleaned with dish soap and water, then endlessly wiped down with Naptha (Coleman stove fuel) to be spotless. Same deal on the aluminum sheet I had the decals laid out on before install.

Here's the install of the trunk strip on my Bee. Not sure which I like the most showing the install or the fact that my Wife of 39 years is right there helping install it to the car we were married in in '82! :thumbsup:

 
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No matter how tempting.. DO NOT poke the bubbles with a needle. They will start to show as dark spots very shortly afterwards as they collect dirt and start to show the body colour through the strip. Some of my small ones took a full month to finally disappear, but as noted above by str12 they will go away.

My paint guy stated something similar to your guy... "I just put them down dry" and that's when I immediately decided to do it myself.

*** end of car cleaned with dish soap and water, then endlessly wiped down with Naptha (Coleman stove fuel) to be spotless. Same deal on the aluminum sheet I had the decals laid out on before install.

Here's the install of the trunk strip on my Bee. Not sure which I like the most showing the install or the fact that my Wife of 39 years is right there helping install it to the car we were married in in '82! :thumbsup:


I have heard to do your side stripes first but you started with your deck stripe?
 
Makes more sense to me to do the deck stripe first and then line each quarter up to match, vs quarters first and then trying to line the deck up with two locations. Also note the tape location marks to line things up... allowing for the backing overwidth to do so. (my battery died before finished on this one and I didn't know it)
 
Makes more sense to me to do the deck stripe first and then line each quarter up to match, vs quarters first and then trying to line the deck up with two locations. Also note the tape location marks to line things up... allowing for the backing overwidth to do so. (my battery died before finished on this one and I didn't know it)

I can't imagine how fast and how non perfect they must have been when they put them on from the factory, lol. I'd be willing to bet no two are the same. Nice job, beautiful car!
 
I have heard to do your side stripes first but you started with your deck stripe?

Nope - always start installing in the middle of any stripe kit that way if you are a little out of whack you can compensate instead of carrying the error out over a longer area. Side stripes, install doors first. Bumblebee stripes, install deck lid first.
 
Yep. Saw the pics yesterday and was curious as to how mine was. A-OK

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I can't imagine how fast and how non perfect they must have been when they put them on from the factory, lol. I'd be willing to bet no two are the same. Nice job, beautiful car!
I bought my 340 swinger in 1978 and the stripe was in good shape overall, I would have to think the decal department would be pretty Kush on the assembly line you mess up too many and you'll be heading back to the grinder shop LOL
 
Hey, You said this stripe is Phoenix Graphics...Is it Matte or Gloss ?? It looks matte in your photo's but the one I got from them was VERY glossy looking ?? Where do you get a Matte One ???
Earl
The one I put on from Phoenix graphics is "boomarang" across the trunk lid. If you were to paint it on you would do the same thing. The shape follows the shape of the rear of the trunk lid.

View attachment 1715697759
 
I believe it was from Phoenix. It is matte. I will be seeing they owner of the car in the next couple weeks, I will ask him to be sure where he got it.
 
The ones on the Dart in my avatar are matte and have held up very well (2005?). They came from Phoenix Graphics and are matte, but repeated application of detail spray have made them more glossy (but still matte) over time. Phoenix will make the stripes in any color that they can get 3M vinyl in. My Plum Crazy 70 Dart that I just completed has "gunmetal gray" stripes that I picked from several samples that they sent. They are gloss (what I picked) and have fine metallic in them that really goes well with the fine metallic in the paint. If you are unsure ask them for samples (like black in all available finishes).
 
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