1968 Side stripe install... what a PITA....

The jigsaw puzzle continues.

Figured I'd layout the stripes and get them on the side scoops so I can put them on and then get the interior done.

Easy... not.

The dims in the book don't quite line up. So fiddles for 2 hours aligning, taping, eyeballing, readjusting.

On thing that is not real clear is how the stripes align to the wheel opening. When installed as noted in "the book" the top of the stripe is at or just above the upper edge of the lip, so no way to measure the 8" noted.

I did the GT/CS scoop stripe first, top edge of upper stripe 3 1/8" below the uppermost edge (front corner as my car sat) of the scoop. Centered the stripe pretty well. Parallel to body line. Then plotted that drop down from the body line and ran the door and front fender stripe.

On the basic door/front fender line, I found that by shooting a laser level along the body line (amazingly the car sat perfectly level along that line as it sits, no jacking required) and then dropping from that to the line of the scoop stripe worked well.

At the front of the fender I dipped the front end of the stripe 1/2" from level. Sounds odd, but if you don't the slope of the fender makes it look like the stripe tips up at the front, even though its dead level by the laser. (And I discovered I now get to remove the headlight buckets to add the stripes, no clue how Ford did this unless by template on each part off the car or just stopped and trimmed the bucket to fender, and did not wrap. More fun... :undecided

This put the upper edge of the front fender stripe just about 1/8 - 1/4" below the highest part of the fender opening. Does this align with other cars out there? If you drop a string line across the two stripes where does it fall on the wheel opening?

Still need to apply, the day was spent just fiddling with alignment and getting the right look....

Some layout pics...

Step 1 complete. Not "perfect" but pretty happy with a first time effort...

Just did the same job, only backwards from your method. Started at the front, measured 4 inches down from the peak of the body line and held that all of the way down each side. My distance from the edge of the fender wheel opening did not end up the same as in the "book" because it is very difficult to even know what that measurement is. Just made it look correct to my eye, cut the angle in a curve as near the contour of the wheel opening as possible duplicating the cut on each side. Used masking tape as a guide for the stripes. Still a pain! Only when the side striped were complete did I attempt the stripes on the scoops, using a level to get them in the same plane as the side scoops. Took forever to install, mostly the planning stage took forever, once certain of a plan (right or wrong) the actual work took a couple of hours at the most. The results suit me and probably are as good as the guys at the San Jose Ford plant did this back when. I left off the scoop and headlight buckets until the stripe project was accomplished, having drilled access holes for scoop installation in the rear window risers before window install.

I'm confused about the front fender stripes: The set I used a few years ago, the curved contour was pre-cut. Your photos show the stripes without the contour. How come?
I gotta get this right, for when I get my car back from the paint shop.

Neil

Different manufacturer of the stripes? I bought the NPD set, no precut countour, which would make the install a bit easier.

How does the line of your stripes sit in comparison to the opening? Above, level, below?

I did scoops first so I can get them on and then the rear interior in, did not want to cut a hole.

I'll have the car buffed once assembly is done and then do the side /trunk stripes last.

"How does the line of your stripes sit in comparison to the opening?"

I'm not understanding what you're asking.

Neil

Draw a line from the top of the stripe on the front of the fender to the top of the stripe on the rear of the fender. Measure the distance between the line and the upper edge of the wheel arch.

A relative reference for checking my location against others.

Above (plus), even, or below (minus)?



Would also be interested in the actual distance between the two pointy ends of the top of the two stripes as another reference. Be interesting to see how standard the numbers are... (length of thin line, point-to-point at the end of each stripes upper edge)

Here is what we did. I do not believe the Ford wrapped the stripe around the scoop or on the front of the fender. It is belter but I do not think they would have taken the time.
Marty

Ruppstang said:

Here is what we did. I do not believe the Ford wrapped the stripe around the scoop or on the front of the fender. It is belter but I do not think they would have taken the time.
Marty

Click to expand...

Marty, as much as my car was butchered, when I disassembled the car, I found the side stripes wrapped around the front of the fender 1/2 inch between the fender and the fender extension (head light bucket). These were remnant of the factory installed stripes.

somethingspecial said:

Marty, as much as my car was butchered, when I disassembled the car, I found the side stripes wrapped around the front of the fender 1/2 inch between the fender and the fender extension (head light bucket). These were remnant of the factory installed stripes.

Click to expand...

That is interesting Mike I will have to check that out on the next unrestored GTCS I look at. That means that the stripes went on pretty early in the assembly.
I do know for sure that the stripes did not wrap the scoop on the HCS because the scoop stripe was not applied untill it reached a 51 DSO dealer.

I'm confused about the front fender stripes: The set I used a few years ago, the curved contour was pre-cut. Your photos show the stripes without the contour. How come?

Click to expand...

Looked at the box today. From NPD, manufacturer is "Decal Magic", NPD sticker covered any more of their name/location.

So much for the quality of "Ford Licensed" products! :undecided

And a big thank you to R Powell for the black insert material. The stuff he sent me worked great....:smile:

dalorzo_f said:

Looked at the box today. From NPD, manufacturer is "Decal Magic", NPD sticker covered any more of their name/location.

So much for the quality of "Ford Licensed" products! :undecided

Click to expand...

Ford licensed only means that they paid the fee. IMHO I do not think Ford cares about the quality only that they get their cut.

Richard, just measured the stripes on our car and the results are: Point to point of the top, THIN line is 18 and 5/8 inches. That is difficult to measure because the tape must go around the "bulge" in the fender opening so take this as an approximation, not an engineering spec. The distance from the "pointy" end of the THIN TOP line to the top of the fender arc is minus 1/4 inch. In other words the top stripe would fall lower than the top of the arch by 1/4 inch. Hope this helps. Remember, when this stripe was applied I just went four inches below the peak of the horizontal body contour line and held that distance down the entire side of the car - no technical stuff involved. Just attempted to do the job as a factory worker would have done it in 68 which means not to a very high degree of accuracy. The four inch decision was decided after reading everything I could find on where the stripes were located and then sort of averaging the results. I feel they used the body lines rather than any other method just because it was there and it was simple. I always tell myself that Ford was building cars, not works of art and the most simple method always evolved no matter what the engineering department had planned.

murf;
Do you have a photo?

Neil

Neil, I do not have a photo. Posting images is black art to me - guess just too old and too stupid. If you PM me with your email addy I will try and get my wife to take a "phone picture" and maybe I can send it to you - at least will try. Have probably hundreds of images of the build on my good camera in the garage but have not removed the card yet to get a CD made- waiting for the finishing touches which as of today include only a brake light switch plastic plug in to be replaced, final buff, install the trunk stripes and some chrome emblems after buffing, hood locks and front end alignment THE END IS NEAR!.

Richard,
Door alignment looks awesome. Ignore my other post....

Rob

Ruppstang said:

That is interesting Mike I will have to check that out on the next unrestored GTCS I look at. That means that the stripes went on pretty early in the assembly.
I do know for sure that the stripes did not wrap the scoop on the HCS because the scoop stripe was not applied untill it reached a 51 DSO dealer.

Click to expand...

This could be another tell tale sign of an early car vice a later one. My guess is the debut cars did not wrap into the headlight bucker area as the car was already assembled and painted. And the cars pulled off the line, and staged for the GT/CS or HCS option would also have been assembled.

Rob

Murf... thanks for that.

Can you post a pic of your scoops, I used 3 1/8" but from the top of the scoop, did not use the body line there but will check it, should be close to your 4".... but also used the body line as my level, as you note.

ANOTHER stripe question: How do you determine & cut the arc for the front fender openings?
(As I prev stated, the last set I installed, the arcs were pre-cut.)

Neil