Don't Settle for Stick On Stripes For Your New 2010 Camaro, Go for Painted Ones

2010 Chevy Camaro Ss Stripes Two Coats Of Orange

2010 Chevy Camaro Ss Stripes Completed Stripes

Just like two fat burnout marks say a gearhead has been here, two fat stripes across the hood and decklid says a car means business. Back in the '60s and early-'70s Chevrolet was king of the muscle car mountain with multiple platforms stuffed full of tire-shredding power. As the '70s wore on, the power output slumped and Chevrolet's street presence kind of slipped.

Chevrolet is aiming to regain its muscle car clout with the '10 Camaro. The SS version is one of the fastest F-bodies ever offered from the factory so it should wear the stripes its earlier brethren had. You can get a Camaro with a stripe kit from the dealer, but its not going to be paint like the old days. Thanks to the modern need to be cost-effective, Chevy decided to tack on a set of vinyl decals. While the decals are simple and cost-effective to apply, they are still just glorified stickers and because they are sitting on top of the paint the edges are going to hold dirt and dried wax. To give the car the stripes it's worthy of, we decided to find a car and have a set painted on by a professional.

2010 Chevy Camaro Ss Stripes Before Stripes

Here is Mark Going's Cyber Grey Metallic SS right before it was pulled in the shop. By the end of the story it will...

Here is Mark Going's Cyber Grey Metallic SS right before it was pulled in the shop. By the

We talked Mark Going into taking his factory-fresh Cyber Grey Metallic SS over to Clean Cut Creations in St. Louis to have John Meyer and his crew (Richard Kuehl and Tim Genz) stripe it up. John is well-versed in muscle car painting and agrees that the new Camaro should have painted stripes buried under the clear.

John had an idea to make these stripes a little different than most by changing the outline color to a high contrast orange instead of the matching black. If you're not into the orange then you can glaze over a few steps, but as you can see the orange adds a little modern flash to a classic design.

... have a killer set of stripes that will be buried under the clear instead of stuck on top like GM does with its vinyl decals.

... have a killer set of stripes that will be buried under the clear instead of stuck on t

If the depths of your painting skills end at a rattle can (spray paint), then this story will show you the amount of work something like this takes and why paint shops charge what they do. Now, if you fancy yourself a painter, then there are a few killer tips in here to keep them symmetrical and help reduce the bump under the clear to keep the finish nice and slick.

Also, John at Clean Cut Creations is now offering a stencil kit of these stripes to simplify the masking process and allow you to focus on shooting the slickest coat of paint you can.

The rear taillight panel of the car is going to be blacked out to complement the stripes. For clean, professional results, the Bow Tie emblem is removed. It's held on with two-sided tape and is easily removed with some wire form the MIG welder. The line will cut through the tape without damaging the finish or the emblem, but it will leave behind some tape residue that can be rubbed off with your thumb. This is a great way to remove late-model emblems if you are looking to de-badge your ride.
The rear taillight panel of the car is going to be blacked out to complement the stripes.
The areas that will be receiving the stripes (hood, front fascia, deck lid, wing, and rear taillight panel) were lightly wet sanded with a red scuff pad. Scuffing the surface will provide the correct finish so the new paint adheres properly. John warns that you don't have to go crazy sanding here because factory clear is pretty thin. Just knock down the clear until the shine is flattened out.
The areas that will be receiving the stripes (hood, front fascia, deck lid, wing, and rear
With the initial sanding complete, any areas that are not going to be painted are masked off with 3/4-inch American masking tape and Finish Pro masking paper.
With the initial sanding complete, any areas that are not going to be painted are masked o

To start laying out the stripes, John will need a centerline. He first finds the center on the back of the hood by measuring from each edge of the cowl. The front is a bit easier as the hood comes to a point. This is also where John tries a few strip sizes and spacing combinations. The final version that looked the best with the lines of the Camaro was 15 1/4-inch-wide stripes with 53/8-inches separating the two.
To start laying out the stripes, John will need a centerline. He first finds the center on
After finding center and his sizing, John laid out the inside of each stripe with 3M's 1/4-inch Fineline tape. These initial tape lines will actually become the painted portion of the stripe. John does it this way so he can see the true size of the stripe as he goes. The best procedure to lay a long straight line across a curved panel is to stick the rear and then unroll enough tape to get down and sight the tape as you stick it down. The tape will want to drift over to the low side as you stick it down and this will be the best way to see it.
After finding center and his sizing, John laid out the inside of each stripe with 3M's 1/4
It's a good idea to have a tape measure handy when laying out stripes, but don't solely rely on it. Even if it measures out to be the same doesn't always mean it looks the same, so a combination of measurements and a keen eye will produce the best results. Also, fight the urge to pull the tape super tight as you do this, there is a point where the tape will actually thin out and leave you with uneven lines.
It's a good idea to have a tape measure handy when laying out stripes, but don't solely re

With the entire perimeter of the stripe laid out, John comes back and carefully puts tape on both sides of the initial line.
With the entire perimeter of the stripe laid out, John comes back and carefully puts tape
Then he pulls out the first line he laid out, leaving the perfect 1/4-inch separation. This is why John uses this procedure; the stripes don't become larger or smaller than his original plans. Any pieces of tape that overlap into the paint area, like in the corners are trimmed off with a razorblade.
Then he pulls out the first line he laid out, leaving the perfect 1/4-inch separation. Thi
To duplicate the front spacing on the trunk, a pounce pattern will be made out of a large sheet of masking paper and a grease pencil or crayon. John taped the paper on the hood and rubbed the edge of the crayon over the design. The crayon will leave a darker line where it crosses over the tape, which will be easy to follow in the next step.
To duplicate the front spacing on the trunk, a pounce pattern will be made out of a large

The rubbing is removed from the Camaro and laid on cardboard. A pounce wheel is used to follow the traced lines, punching tiny little holes in the paper. These can be picked up at most automotive paint supply houses or from companies like Eastwood.
The rubbing is removed from the Camaro and laid on cardboard. A pounce wheel is used to fo
After the holes are in the pattern, it is lined up on the center of the deck lid. An old, but clean sock is filled with ordinary line chalk and taped shut. Rubbing/patting the chalk-filled sock over the pattern will send chalk through the holes and leave a nice dotted line to follow with tape.
After the holes are in the pattern, it is lined up on the center of the deck lid. An old,
After following his dotted line and laying out the decklid, the rest of the areas that will not be painted get carefully masked off. Make sure the tape is nice and smooth. Any wrinkles in the tape can let the paint creep in, which will then need to be sanded off before you can lay down the clear.
After following his dotted line and laying out the decklid, the rest of the areas that wil

The paints John used for this project are Debeer/Valspar Paint Products he got from Gateway Coatings and Supply. They are urethane paints mixed with a hardener rated for a non-baked booth at a temperature range of 64 to 95 degrees fahrenheit, perfect for his location. When asked why John uses these products he said, "They are cost-effective urethanes with a full spectrum of colors for custom and collision refinishing." After mixing up the custom orange, John dumped it in his Sata Jet 3000 HVLP gun with a 1.3 tip, set his air pressure to 29psi and adjusted his fan down. John focuses his spray to just the outer stripe and lays down two coats of the orange.
The paints John used for this project are Debeer/Valspar Paint Products he got from Gatewa
After about 20 minutes at 70 degrees, the orange is dry enough to mask off. Masking over the orange will protect it from the black that will be sprayed in the center stripe.
After about 20 minutes at 70 degrees, the orange is dry enough to mask off. Masking over t
Same gun, same procedure. John now fills in the center stripe with three coats of black. The wing and taillight panel also got sprayed at the same time but those are out of site in the back of the booth.
Same gun, same procedure. John now fills in the center stripe with three coats of black. T

After another 20 minutes, the tape was removed to reveal the SS stripes. This is the point where the stripe areas are scrutinized for any miss tapes or blow-throughs. A careful masking job will prevent these, but if you happen to find one you can just lightly sand it off with some 800-grit paper.
After another 20 minutes, the tape was removed to reveal the SS stripes. This is the point
Before the design is sealed up with the clear, all the areas are cleaned off with a water-based wax and grease cleaner and then a tack rag. This will cut down on the chance of fish eyes and dust from screwing up your finish. A fish eye is a tiny surface blemish that resembles small circles of popped paint bubbles usually caused by a small amount of oil on the surface.
Before the design is sealed up with the clear, all the areas are cleaned off with a water-
For the clear, John switches to a DeVilbiss JGA 53G gun with a 1.4 tip. John says, "If you are spraying clear over graphics that have tape lines like stripes, spray a light coat (tack coat) over the stripes first. Let it flash, and then you can do go back and do two wet coats. This will reduce the chance of creating runs along the tape lines where clear will build up the fastest.
For the clear, John switches to a DeVilbiss JGA 53G gun with a 1.4 tip. John says, "If you

After the fist round of clear was dry, John came in and sanded it with some Mirka 800 wet or dry paper. This will lessen the bump where the clear goes over the stripes. To cut down on the chance your paper will gouge as you sand, soak all the wet or dry paper in a bucket of clean water overnight to soften the paper's backing.
After the fist round of clear was dry, John came in and sanded it with some Mirka 800 wet
Another round of clear and sanding with 1500 paper was performed before the car was rubbed out, producing a nice, slick shine. John passed on a tip: On your final coat of clear, go ahead and over-reduce it by one more part. This will help it lay flatter, but make sure to turn down the air just a bit.
Another round of clear and sanding with 1500 paper was performed before the car was rubbed
After it was all said and done, the Camaro had the paint to match the power. John said this job ran a little shy of $2,000, but would be a little less if the stripes were all black. Now if you want the stencil kit that John has crafted from these...
After it was all said and done, the Camaro had the paint to match the power. John said thi

2010 Chevy Camaro Ss Stripes Finished Stripes

...stripes, which will include the stripe map, stencil ends and finished pictures for reference, just give him a call or check out the shop's web site at right. Also, if you mention Super Chevy magazine, they will ship it out for free.