Stripe question for Jeff

[ggunter]

I see that the hole for the trunk handle is offset to the driver side so if the stripes are centered coming down over the trunk they will not run centered around the handle area. Should I just bend the stripes so they center running around the trunk handle. I know everyone says just make them so they look right, I just wanted to ask the expert.

[Jeff Kleiner]

The light pad and handle don’t usually align (maybe 1 out of 20). If you just “connect the dots” you can end up with stripes that lean to one side on the vertical surface of the lid like this:

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I deal with it by jumping the center so that it runs straight up from the handle as shown here:

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It gets hidden by the license plate and lamp and our eye doesn’t realize that the vertical portion of one stripe is maybe 3/16-1/4” wider than the other.

Hope that helps!

Jeff

[Alan_C]

Clever trick shifting the stripes behind the license plate.

[ggunter]

Perfect Jeff thats what I thought but wanted to hear it from the king. I will connect the dots.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Perfect Jeff thats what I thought but wanted to hear it from the king. I will connect the dots.

No, don't connect the dots by making a straight unbroken line from center of the handle to center of the lamp! That's what creates the "leaning stripe" if they are not aligned. Bring the outer edges of the stripes straight down dead plumb. Break the center under the lamp and carry it straight up and down exactly plumb centered through the handle. As an example---if that means that the center of the main body color stripe between the two secondary color stripes it's 1/4" to the right of the portion on the horizontal surface your stripe on the left will be wider at the bottom...but everything will be exactly straight up and down and since the small offset is hidden by the plate our eye doesn't catch that or the slight variation in width. But I guarantee you'll see it if you connect the dots between the center of the misaligned handle and lamp and the stripes end up doing this //

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[ggunter]

Got it, thanks so much for the clarification. I was about to bend the stripes and connect the dots, but I understand now. One of the main stripes will be narrower then the other but hidden by the plate. If I'm correct on that thinking.

[Blitzboy54]

I don't think it will be narrower. I think it will be offset. The strips will overlap behind the plate bracket.

[ggunter]

So coming down the back of the trunk, from the taglight down,the center main color between the stripes will go straight up from the trunk hole and the off set will take place under the taglight. The color stripes coming down the trunk, one will be wider then the other, but hidden under the tag. Going from the under the trunk to the body and the rest of the way down will the wider stripe show up to the eye? It's only about four inches but my trunk latch hole is off center by almost 3/4". Being this close to done I don't want to screw this up.Thanks for your help.

[JohnK]

Wow - 3/4" is a long way to be off! Stuff like this just baffles me. This has apparently been going on forever, and sounds like a trivially simple fix for FFR to implement. If the molds are off and the pad for the light isn't centered, can't they at least fix their jig so they can drill the hole for the handle centered on the light pad? :confused:

[Blitzboy54]

Wow - 3/4" is a long way to be off! Stuff like this just baffles me. This has apparently been going on forever, and sounds like a trivially simple fix for FFR to implement. If the molds are off and the pad for the light isn't centered, can't they at least fix their jig so they can drill the hole for the handle centered on the light pad? :confused:

I've often wondered about this myself. Seems like low hanging fruit.

[ggunter]

I don't get it either, when I worked for a boat builder we had jigs for everything that got holes so they were all uniform. FFR now has the robots that are doing all the trimming and drilling hole so maybe it has improved.

[j.miller]

Dealt with this for years until I really screwed the pooch and had to reshoot a decklid with an intricate stripe color and pattern. ....NOW I JUST FILL THE HOLE !!! I don't drill a new hole until after its painted. Straight and true every time....Just can't believe it to me 18years for that light to come on...da bat

[ggunter]

In all actuality when I laid out the stripe the trunk hole wasn't off as much as it looked to the eye. It was only off a little less then half an inch. Making them offset under the tag light was a good way to make it all work out. Thanks for that tip Jeff.