Pinstriping Possibilities Portland ME

Your techs don't need the artistic skills of Picasso to repair or create pinstriping patterns. With a small investment in tools and supplies, they can accent customers' vehicles - and your bottom line.

By Bob Leone
9/1/1999

Today's collision repair shop has never had a bigger opportunity to pick up work by delving into the artistic side of vehicle appearance. Vinyl art, computer-produced graphics, paint-on murals and, especially, pinstriping are sought after by consumers in every age and car-buying bracket.

New, exotic, deep-sheen pearls as well as other "glamour" finish systems are dazzling today's consumers. And even with today's high-tech colors and wacky finishes, pinstriping remains a constant element. And why not? It's a simple and inexpensive way for vehicle owners to accessorize and set their glamour finish apart from the next guy's.

But just how does pinstriping accent your shop's bottom line? Becoming proficient with any or all of the pinstriping techniques out there can spell profits almost immediately with very little investment.

Stencil Tape
Today, air-brush guys with the talent that custom painters had years ago are tough to come by. (If your shop has such a commercial-art type, count your blessings.) Junior college and vocational art programs tied to many community colleges can sometimes take an automotive paint technician and teach him the fine points of air-brush technique, but gaining the expertise necessary to free-hand work takes...