How to Pinstripe Your Car

Car pinstriping is one of the best ways to make your vehicle very unique. Pinstriping has been used commercially since the 1800s, and is a definitive style for the decoration of style. Pinstriping can be as plain or as fancy as your patience and level of skill allows.

Pinstriping is, as one may gather from the name, the use of thin “pinstripes” in ornate decorative patterns, commonly used on automobiles and motorcycles. Pinstripes are usually done in two colors: one that compliments the body color, and another, thin line, which contrasts to make the stripe stand out.

Before you start, the vehicle surface must be absolutely clean—no grease, wax or polish. If it's not, you'll have paint adhesion problems with the stripe.

Mechanical Pinstriping

A mechanical auto pinstriping is the best for striping long areas like trucks, vans, or station wagons. The main advantage is that it puts down stripes of consistent width, letting you concentrate more on keeping the contour of the stripe aligned along your work surface. The Buegler pinstriper and accessories are one of the preferred by body shops and pinstripers for their high quality construction and consistent operation.

Striping with Stencil Tape

There are several different stencil tapes that are suitable for almost any auto pinstriping application. Stencil tapes let you lay down stripes of different colors without waiting for the other stripes to dry. Stencil tape striping requires brushes: the pinstriping brush is the most important element for an excellent final result.

Freehand Striping

This method is the most advanced one and requires the most practice to master, but offers unlimited flexibility. The easiest method for the freehand striping novice is to lay down a strip of masking tape about ¼ inch from where you would like the line to be. Use the tape as a visual guide for your stripes. Do not use standard masking tape for edging pinstripes. the pinstriping paint will seep and bleed under the edge of standard masking tape. The pinstriping can be as plain or as fancy as your patience and level of skill allows.