Stripes, Stickers And Decals

[AMUSE COOPER S]

Hello to all,

Here are my questions:

1. Do the decals that are offered by MINI/Aftermarket sources come off over time?
2. If the decal is peeling can it easily be repared/replaced?
3. Can the decals be removed entirely leaving the paint work underneath in good condition? i.e: A good polish is all that is needed to match the non decal areas to the decal covered areas?

All information relating to damage that can be done from decals/stickers is much appreciated.

Cheers,

Rob

[-blacky-]

This question should be asked to Boo (Andrew) as he does all this time of work. You should come to one of our pirate drive days (theres one tomorrow at PITS) and you can check out all our stripes.

I have white viper stripes and when I first bought the car I was going to remove them, but they grew on me and I love them.

I notice you are flying the pirate logo............I might have a spare official sticker around if you come along one day.

Cheers


Karen

[X30YES]

Quote: Originally Posted by AMUSE COOPER S

Hello to all,

Here are my questions:

1. Do the decals that are offered by MINI/Aftermarket sources come off over time?
2. If the decal is peeling can it easily be repared/replaced?
3. Can the decals be removed entirely leaving the paint work underneath in good condition? i.e: A good polish is all that is needed to match the non decal areas to the decal covered areas?

All information relating to damage that can be done from decals/stickers is much appreciated.

Cheers,

Rob

1Yes ..7 years so Im told , 2Yes , 3Yes

[Boo]

Quote: Originally Posted by AMUSE COOPER S

Hello to all,

Here are my questions:

1. Do the decals that are offered by MINI/Aftermarket sources come off over time?
2. If the decal is peeling can it easily be repared/replaced?
3. Can the decals be removed entirely leaving the paint work underneath in good condition? i.e: A good polish is all that is needed to match the non decal areas to the decal covered areas?

All information relating to damage that can be done from decals/stickers is much appreciated.

Cheers,

Rob

The vinyl that MINI offer should stay on for a decent amount of time. Aftermarket decals if done on the appropriate vinyl should stay on for minimum 3-5 years without any problem in Southern hemisphere regions. 3M Scothcal or Avery 900 series are best and are made for painted surfaces such as cars.
They can't really be repaired but should be able to be removed without any problem.
For removal, make sure you leave the car in the sun to loosen the adhesive. You can also use a hair dryer or heat gun to remove vinyl without too much residue. Then use something like 3M adhesive remover to get the rest off.
OEM Paint work these days should last at least 10 years without discolouration so you shouldn't have any problem with the covered area being a different colour after time. In saying that, UV will fade paint gradually.
Attached is a PDF for removing Avery 900 series vinyl FYI

[JoeDentist]

The only problem with the paint is not that the stickers hurt the paint, but protect it. If you have a dark color car, the stickers will block the UV rays and the paint underneath will fade less, so if you leave them on for a long time and remove them, the area where the sticker is may be slightly darker. After a real long time, the regular paint will suffer some oxidation, which the paint under the sticker will not.

[Boo]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoeDentist

The only problem with the paint is not that the stickers hurt the paint, but protect it. If you have a dark color car, the stickers will block the UV rays and the paint underneath will fade less, so if you leave them on for a long time and remove them, the area where the sticker is may be slightly darker. After a real long time, the regular paint will suffer some oxidation, which the paint under the sticker will not.

Very true....
if you have the car that long and intend keeping it then probably time to give it a respray anyway

[alexpalex]

Quote: Originally Posted by Boo

Very true....
if you have the car that long and intend keeping it then probably time to give it a respray anyway

Unless you use the 10-12 year cast fims, such as Avery 900QM, 3M 180C in colours or the new Avery A8 range of films. STay away from the american Arlon and Calon films, these will bond into the surface of your paint and leave an embossed image. The OEM stripes from Mini are more likely to contribute to paint fade, as this is probably the thickest vinyl I have ever applied.

The films mentioned above are all removable for upto 10 years, the thinner the film, the more UV light is let through, therefore the less chance of any colour change.

Don't let anyone say the 5 year film will do, even if you only want them on there for a couple of years. This will shrink, and peel and will also leave residue on your paint, this is regardless of manufacturer.

BUY CHEAP BUY TWICE...and fork out for paint damage....