[Dead Duck]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of getting some vipers stuck on the car in a month or so. While I understand they look great and add individuality etc, are there any cons (other than the dealer fitting costs)?

Do they make polishing/detailing more hard work than it already is?
Do they chip or flake off - naturally with age or during washing?
Are they easy to remove if you want them off?
If removed do they leave dark shadows where the paintwork hasn't faded like the rest of the bodywork?

[Hat]

if they're good quality vinyl then none of the above issues should arise. polishing is no different - polish over them if you want, go around them if you don't. removal is usually just a case of some gentle warming & pull off.

[supercharged]

I once asked the salesperson as the local MINI dealership the same question and I was told that the paint shouldn't vary to the rest of the car. I am not sure if it's different in different countries, but here all MINIs come with a 12 year warrenty on paint and everything I just mentioned is covered by that. The only thing that could possible go wrong is if the decal has some kind of chemical in it's glue that could cause some kind of discoloration. I think that's highly unlikely though.

[jwardell]

Stripes certainly look great and at least when I pass someone with them, I know they are an enthusiast.

They are fine from the factory, but if you are adding them, don't go through the dealer. It is something like $150 plus an hour labor so $250! You can buy them from several places online like mightystripes for only $30 and are fairly easy to do yourself.

As for disadvantages, I would say they are minor. But they are vinyl, not gloss paint, so it is obvious up close. Also in the case of mine, a rock put a small tear in my white stripe, revealing the black paint underneath so it was obvious.

Considering the cost and the look when I had a new hood installed and painted, I had them professionally paint the stripes on. It looks spectacular and cost about the same as what the dealer would have charged me for the vinyl ones!

[Dead Duck]

Thanks for the replies, I might look into pricing some painted ones and see how they compare with dealer fitted vinyl ones.

Good to know that polishing won't be an issue though if I do choose the sticker route.

[notts04chillimini]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dead Duck

Thanks for the replies, I might look into pricing some painted ones and see how they compare with dealer fitted vinyl ones.

Good to know that polishing won't be an issue though if I do choose the sticker route.

going for painted ones will definatly void your paint and body warranty for the bonnet.

a good quality vinyl is what you want and altho it will stick on very well and stay on for a very long time, it will still be easy enough to get off if you need to..

[grinner]

Magnetic