Prius Pinstriping

My 1995 Mazda's pinstriping was still perfect 16 yrs later when we sold the car. We had it done professionally, though.

 

Silver exterior....
I'd go black to match the tires.

Red very bold, gold might now show, silver/ grey very subtle.

Tape pinstripes are easy to install with a low cost for the product.
Many choices...single line, two line w/ differing thicknesses.
Hardest part are the ends where one may typically wish to bring the two lines together.

Stripe can last the life of the car or easy enough to remove and redo.

If you have never done this...I'd bet U Tube has a plethora of how to videos.

Good luck with your project.

 

What is pinstriping?

 

Ok, I feel old now!! Originally, pinstriping was done by hand. Usually someone taking their car to a painter, and they would hand paint thin lines along the body of the car to accentuate the design. This was extremely popular on custom vans in the 70's. The thin lines usually went down the center of a hood, along the creases of the side of a car. Google it, you should see pictures. Today, you can buy pin striping kits, that simply stick to a car, much like the Prius chat decal. Hopefully this helps.

 

Its really up to you. The idea is to have pinstriping accent the color and lines of a car. This is why back in the day, you took your car to a pin stripping specialist. They knew what they were doing. But in your situation, just do what you like. Do what looks good to your eye.

 

If you use the tape method from AutoZone, don't sweat it if you don't like to color after seeing it on the car. It's easily removable.

Also you can select various colors and ask the clerk if you can hold them up against your car to see what you like best. (Clerk might ask to hold your drivers license to make sure you are going to come back in the store.)

 

Thanks for the explanations. I have also looked up some images. It was common especially in Germany to pinstripe the car back in the 80s/early 90s. Nobody does it anymore more.
What is (or actually was) in fashion lately is cars with matte/opaque/sand dusted colors,rather than shiny. I must admit some look cool, but it would look better on muscle cars, than your average Yaris.
BMW offers such colors standard. Others simply apply special adhesive foils - specialized companies do that for you.

 

I am old and got my 2016 PRIUS pin striped hand painted by Frank Galli here in Michigan. He has been doing this for 40 years. Beautiful!

 

Red looks really beautiful.
I ordered it In Dark grey, but told this week my dealer that if by any chance he sees in the system a red one with the same options as mine to let me know.
But I doubt he will get much any sooner than my order.

 

I'm not a fan of the pinstriping on the front fender though. It isn't inline with the accent line on the rest of the side, seems disjointed/distracting somehow.

On the gen 3, the accent line runs through the front fender uninterrupted.

View attachment 110759 (image taken from another thread)

 

It's the thing with Gen 4 - there are so many accent lines - you have to work out which to use - or to go it alone and make one of your own. Or just pinstripe each one - the bonnet ones included.

This was posted on FACEBOOK this morning - I'm still trying to work out how I would get it out of my driveway, let alone over the speed bump up the road. Personally, I think the 20" wheels are TOO big.

 

I'm thinking swivel caster wheels under the front and the back. It could be a new look. I think they could be color-coordinated.

Loading it onto a trailer could be tricky, even with a tilt-bed trailer. I imagine a show car like that gets trailered a lot.

 

I am honestly "annoyed" seeing people tuning cars and even exchanging one Gen4 with another one, like as if they are selling them like bread and butter, when I am here not even knowing when I will get mine ordered 2 months ago, like as if I ordered a Ferrari with years of waiting list. Wth.

 

OMG, that's so 1970s

 

My sympathies to you!

Whenever I see these pimping exercises, I have to remind myself that people will pimp ANYTHING! Even the tuk-tuks in Guatemala have flames painted on their sides and spinners on their tiny wheels. And the chicken buses! A school bus with a spoiler on the front and a massive chrome grille??? Although seeing the way they drive maybe they really DO need the added downforce in the corners.

 

That looks clean!!! I think of some of the old Alpina BMW's looked pretty good. A lot of people due graphics on their cars they just don't do them in straight lines any more.

I say whatever you can Spend a Saturday having fun doing and makes you feel good is all right in my book!!!!