| Prior to the invention of the car, pin striping was | | | | Another way of pin striping a vehicle is to use stencil |
| being used as ornamental decoration on horse drawn | | | | tape. You will soon find that there are several kinds |
| buggies, coaches and carriages. | | | | of stencil tape available which are suitable for using |
| However, the use of pinstripes to customize cars | | | | when carrying out pin striping on a car. However, |
| began to appear on them during the middle of the | | | | with this method you will need to use brushes and |
| 1950's. Even though it seems that pin striping had in | | | | the purchasing of a pin striping brush is essential if |
| fact been appearing on cars prior to this time and the | | | | you want the project to be a success. The benefit |
| last American car to appear with pin striping on it | | | | of this method is that you are able to apply different |
| straight from the factory was made by General | | | | colour stripes to your vehiclewithout having to wait |
| Motors towards the end of the 1930's. For many | | | | for the other stripes to dry. |
| people who own muscle or sports cars today, | | | | The last method for pin striping is Freehand and this |
| customizing their vehicle is as important as actually | | | | is certainly the most difficult and requires a lot of |
| owning and showing the vehicle off and pin striping | | | | practice before it is mastered fully. However, it does |
| seems to add those final finishing touches. | | | | allow the person carrying out the pin striping to have |
| Normally pinstripes appear on a car using two colours, | | | | more freedom in relation to what they create on |
| the first is used to help set off the body colour and | | | | their vehicle. The best way any freehand pin striping |
| then the second thinner line is used in a contrasting | | | | newbie can do is lay a strip of masking tape about |
| colour to make sure that the stripe actually stands | | | | ¼ inch down from where the finished line will be |
| out. | | | | and then use this as a visual guide when painting on |
| Nowadays, mechanical pin striping is the best method | | | | your stripes. However, remember you should not use |
| for applying stripes to larger vehicles such as trucks, | | | | regular masking tape otherwise the pin striping paint |
| vans or station wagons (RV's). This system ensures | | | | will actually bleed under the edge you can purchase |
| that the stripes being laid down are of a constant | | | | auto body masking tape from any reputable |
| width and allows you to focus more of your | | | | automobile supply shop/store. |
| attention on getting the stripe placed correctly on | | | | At the end of the day it does not matter which |
| the vehicles surface. This can be done using magnetic | | | | method of pin striping you decide to use, just |
| pin striping strips with a central groove which is | | | | remember it is a great way of making your car look |
| designed to be used as a paint template. They are | | | | that little bit different from the rest. But it is like |
| specifically designed to hold fast on to any steel | | | | anything else, practice makes perfect and by having |
| surface and can also be used a guide line for your | | | | the best equipment as well to use will help also. |
| hand when actually doing the work. | | | | |