Sockmonkey Designed Retro Stripes - 1st and 2nd Gen Tacomas

Got everything except the hood decals on today. Will followup with pics this weekend. Got a question, though. I have some air bubbles that I don't know will go away on their own. I did the wet method, but think that maybe I didn't put enough dish soap in my spray. Should I leave it alone for a few days and see if they work themselves out? If they don't, is it ok to use a pin to poke a hole in the bubble?

 

I may try to put mine on tomorrow. Turning cold fast here in Ky and I wanted to put them on before the winter. I'll definitely post a pic or two if I get them on soon.

 

give it a week or so, the bubbles should shrink down on their own

 

fyi

don't over think the soap. (you can do it without any soap)
it does help with moving the vinyl around and getting bubbles out smoother, though.

but, too much and the adhesive will refuse to stick until you get the soap off.

 

I didn't use any soap. Just water.

Worked just fine by me.

 

I have a quick/stupid question

How long will the vinyl decals last on the backing paper etc?

I bought two sets, one of which I am keeping untouched in the shipping tube. It'll be in my garage where it will be cold in winter and hot in summer.

 

I recommend taking it out of the garage to somewhere the temp is more stable. Laying it out flat on the top of a bedroom closet or under the bed might be a better idea. You can grab a cardboard box from the post office free (large flat rate game box) and keep it flat and undamaged in there

 

Ok, got all of my decals on this weekend. It didn't come out *perfect*, but I'm happy with the results. This was my first time applying vinyl decals. I think if I were to do it again, I'd be much better just from now having done it once. All in all, I think they look awesome. I LOVE the matte black against my MGM. Makes for some nice subtle accents.

I ended up placing the front stripes a little higher and further away from the fender than is meant, but it's straight and placed evenly on both sides. It certainly doesn't bother me (which is most important) and I don't think most folks would even notice. But, if i were to do it again, I'd definitely line it up lower. I used painter's tape to line up the bottom of each decal, which was also a great help. The side stripes were definitely harder to line up. The hood and tailgate decals were really easy and came out great.

The biggest lesson I learned is to stay out of direct sunlight. I ended up with more/bigger air bubbles on the passenger side stripes because that side ended up in direct sunlight as I was applying the decal. There's definitely a difference in adjustability during the application when in direct sunlight vs shaded. The sun wasn't even that strong, which is why I thought I'd be ok. By the time I noticed it was having an effect, I was already committed to doing the side so just finished it up as best as I could and spraying frequently. I'm hoping these air bubbles will work themselves out over the next week. Will keep an eye on it and see how it goes.

After I got the decals on, I did a pre-winter detail, too. Everything looks shiny and nice now. Just in time for some snow on the way tomorrow...





















And a closeup of the worst of the air bubbles that I ended up with.

 

That is really nice on the MGM... Looks great!

 

looks good Mojo.

the door seam is a bitch, right?

 

You mean the seam between the front fender and the front door? That wasn't that bad for me. I got the decal all lined up across the two, then hit the seam with a hair dryer. Took a sharp knife and cut right down the seam and was able to wrap both sides into the seam. Actually, pretty easy. The hardest part was actually lining up that decal because it's not a totally flat surface.

 

Thank you.

 

Just an FYI

All but two microscopic sized bubbles disappeared within a week for me.

 

Sweet. Thanks, hope that's the case for me as well!

 

Bro your truck is sexy!

so hot!!

 

Thanks! I couldn't be happier with how it all turned out.

 

Layed them out a couple different ways before going rogue and flipping left/right. Installed in the rain after a quick hood-only wash

 

Thats kinda cool. I wouldnt have even thought about that, it actually works!

 

That looks really cool.

 

For the air bubbles, will a small pin hole help?