The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors How to paint stripes on '54 dash?

The stripes on each side of the speaker grill on my '54 3100 have been painted over. Any suggestions how I can accurately paint them? Have any of you successfully painted or vinyl striped them on your '54/'55-1st?

I was gonna have black vinyl stripes cut, but black vinyl sign material is way too shiny. I don't think that I can uniformly mask off the stripes and air brush them. My shaky hand could never brush them.

Hope to do the stripes, my new radio block out plate, and the white Chevrolet logo on the dash next month. (FYI - I'll try to scan and shrink the Chevrolet letters on a grill decal to fit the dash, then have them cut by a vinyl sign shop.)

I appreciate any advice that you can give me.

> Original '54 doc (second diagram)
> Tim Lederman's restored '54 dash Tim - what's your "stripe" secrete? Also, how did you paint the Chevrolet logo?
> Another restored dash
> My '54 dash
> Stovebolt thread about my dash

Thanks,

I'd find a local pin-stripping guy ( check with Hot Rodders in your area ). These guys are usually pretty inexpensive for a small job and amazing what they can accomplish with a brush and a steady hand

CHEVROLET in white by hand - no masking tape

Black bars by hand - masking tape was used

My friend Dave did it - he's good at everything

A local pinstriper wanted $200-$400 to do those two places

You asked about the Chevrolet logo - where? Horn button?

> britcon - pinstriper seems like a good idea ... until I saw the price that Tim was quoted. I'll still check local stripers (not "strippers," that would require a fist full of dollar bills!)

> Tim - OUCH! $200-$400 is a little beyond my budget. I'll check locally. When is Dave coming to Disney World? I'll drive my truck to meet him!! RE: Chevrolet logo, I was refering to the Chevrolet letters on the dash above the speaker grill.

Anyone else have more suggestions?

How can anything so simple looking be so baffling to me????

$200-400 for a local pinstriper sounds like his rates are high or he really didn't want to do it. I was talking to a guy on Friday who had a local pinstriper here do his whole car with 2 colors and he charged him $200.

if anybody in your family does model cars, maybe they can help. maybe a grandkid if you have one(or more)?

Lonnie, find a sign painter. Around here, there is a local "stock car track". There are lettering guys that do the work with beer as the preferred currency. The funny thing is that you have to "prime the pump" as their hands are not at all steady until the first six pack is history.

From my own experience, thinning the paint a lot is key to hand painting.

I found the solution to "painting" stripes on a '54 dash ... 3/8" black 3-M Scotchcal Striping Tape #73302. Unfortunately, it only comes in 150 foot rolls. I summarized it in a new thread about '54 dash details ...

> '54 Dash Letters, Stripes, Grille, Bowtie