'85 Capri GS pinstripe question

[MHISSTC]

I'm trying to figure out if the '85 GS came from the factory with pinstripes on the hood or not. I'm also wondering if it was a factory or dealer option kind of like the pinstripes along the body line of the fenders and doors on the Mustang GTs.

I recectly revisted the attached picture of a repainted '85 GS and saw it had pinstripes on the hood in addition to the ones on the fenders. It looks like it could have been factory. However, I haven't been able to find a really good picture here, elsewhere online, or in the dealer brochure of the hood area on an original '85 GS to conclusively determine if it did or did not have the hood pinstripes.

Can anyone help out?

http://foureyedpride.com/merc_rising/85gs/85GS.jpg

[86lx]

I think the only factory pinstripes on the capri were on the fenders.

[negusm]

I think the only factory pinstripes on the capri were on the fenders.

ditto

[ponch85rs]

when i got my car, and 85RS, and i knew the past 3 owners, i have pin striping on the hood, as well as the fenders. They all look to be original. Most of the time you can tell add on's, from O.E.M. Ford.

[MHISSTC]

Are they painted on? Do you have pictures?

[ponch85rs]

yes they were all painted on, i took the old hood off before i had a chance to get pictures, but other than that the rest of the car sits as it was. I jsut had the passanger side strip replaced, which came in a roll, and i watched the body man put it on....makes me wonder if it was done the same way back in 86 or have things changed since then, since i cant tell the difference between what is factory, and what is replacment. I assume the original was painted on because of the texture, but after watching the body man roll on the new stuff i am questioning.

[negusm]

yes they were all painted on, i took the old hood off before i had a chance to get pictures, but other than that the rest of the car sits as it was. I jsut had the passanger side strip replaced, which came in a roll, and i watched the body man put it on....makes me wonder if it was done the same way back in 86 or have things changed since then, since i cant tell the difference between what is factory, and what is replacment. I assume the original was painted on because of the texture, but after watching the body man roll on the new stuff i am questioning.

I can't be 100% sure what Ford did exactly but I always thought everything was done with decals/stickers.

There are part numbers for all the decals, stripes, etc for these cars...no mention of painted on stripes. From 79-86 I don't think I have a stick of literature with hood pin stripes or anything like what you guys mention.

Again I can't say for sure. Usually I thought if a dealer put them on they would use tape or something since buyers often want it removed. Being painted on seems that the car either had a paint job and the stripes were readded or the owner had somebody paint on stripes after he purchased the car.

:?

-Mike

[MHISSTC]

I'll agree that all of the larger RS decals/graphics I've seen have been stickers. I'll also agree that any dealer could have added any combination of tape pinstripe. However, on my GS, the much more subtle pinstripes, as also shown in the dealership brochure, are painted on.

I can see the painted on red pinstipe underneath the crappy dark blue Maaco paint job on my originally tan '85 GS. It's hard to pick out in a picture, especially now that I put on a red tape pinstripe over the blue paint, but in person you can just barely make out where the original pinstrip is/was along the doors and fenders.

I have not been able to detect any pinstripe on the hood, but I haven't really tried to find it there either. I'll attach a picture later today of the passenger rear door edge where I verified it's color and existance.

[negusm]

One last thing I can "add" as to why I don't think the painted on stripes are original is that painted stripes are probably much more costly for a manufacturer than tape....hence Ford probably stopped using them altogether in the 70's....not sure on that but I can't think of a car my family had with painted on stripes...86 aerostar (silver stripes), 82 escort (red stripes), 84 Ranger (silver stripes). They were all tape from what I remember.

For painted on stripes, you need all sorts of paints and a booth and then you have quality control problems etc.

With decals/tape...if you make a mistake, it's easy to remove them and reapply a new/different one. If the customer doesn't like the tape stripe, the dealer can just remove it too. That is sooo much nicer for the manufacturer to deal with.

-Mike

[Travis T]

The pinstripes on these cars were painted on with tiny rollers, they are not stickers. All of the 79-86 cars that I've seen with original pinstripes have been that way, and I recall seeing that in one of the Mustang magazines where they did an article following the last 86 Mustang down the assembly line. Even the pinstripes on the 79-84 Mustang/Capri bumper strips were painted on.

[75coug]

My '85 is stripe-free.

[negusm]

The pinstripes on these cars were painted on with tiny rollers, they are not stickers. All of the 79-86 cars that I've seen with original pinstripes have been that way, and I recall seeing that in one of the Mustang magazines where they did an article following the last 86 Mustang down the assembly line. Even the pinstripes on the 79-84 Mustang/Capri bumper strips were painted on.

Mustangs had an entirely different stripe. I suppose they may have gotten painted stripes. It would have been easier than the Capri since it ran straight from front to back.

Capris on the otherhand got stripes on each flare. Each stripe was actually two stripes, one above the other. They did not run continuously from front to back.

So...the question is, how many Capris have you seen that appear original with painted on stripes? Cause, Mustangs don't count.

It may very well be that the Capri stripes were painted on too. I seriously don't know 100%.

As to the hood stripes on a Capri...I still think they weren't normal factory offerings. Either dealer or owner installed.

-Mike

[Travis T]

I have a pair of Capri doors that I'm 99% sure have the stripe painted, but I'll look at them again to be sure.

[negusm]

I have a pair of Capri doors that I'm 99% sure have the stripe painted, but I'll look at them again to be sure.

Please do. I was looking at the pictures and see that part of the stripes go into the doors on either side. I started to think maybe they would have been painted.

I need to go back and look up the stripe kit numbers on the part sheets and see if I'm remembering the right ones. It seems odd that if Ford was painting them on, that they would also manufacure decals too.

-Mike

[MHISSTC]

It's not the best picture, but here's my door edge where the stripes were clearly painted on. It seems to me it would be kind of difficult to do the portion of the stripes where they taper into each other on the door, front bumper cover, and rear portion of the rear quarter with one of those roller tools. I know it was a real pain trying to do it with the tape and then making both sides match! Can anyone offer any solution as to how this might have been done at the factory?

http://www.st-tel.net/~mhisstc/85GS/accentstripe.jpg

Does this page offer any clue? It appears the colors of the stripes were names of different paint colors.

http://www.st-tel.net/~mhisstc/85GS/85OG4.jpg

Here's a picture of the el-cheapo red tape stripes I applied to the car over the dark blue paint last fall to replicate what should be on there. I think it turned out pretty sexy. ;)

http://www.st-tel.net/~mhisstc/85GS/stripes.jpg

[MHISSTC]

My '85 is stripe-free.

The "Capri 5.0L" a.k.a. "RS" should be "stripe-free".

And yes, I know what your reply is going to be. ;)

[75coug]

My '85 is stripe-free.

The "Capri 5.0L" a.k.a. "RS" should be "stripe-free".

And yes, I know what your reply is going to be. ;)

I will be a nice guy and spare you the expected reply.

[V6DR]

my 84 capri has them painted on i believe.

[MHISSTC]

Here's a few pics of a door I got from Evil86lx off of a '80 Capri. It should very clearly show the stripes were painted on.

Also, the cars in the junkyard bonanza (http://www.foureyedpride.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=27362) thread appear to have factory painted-on stripes, especially on the Metallic Brown '83 Capri.

I'll have to get measurments and/or rubbings of these stripes for future reference.

http://www.st-tel.net/~mhisstc/85GS/paintstripe1.jpg
http://www.st-tel.net/~mhisstc/85GS/paintstripe2.jpg
http://www.st-tel.net/~mhisstc/85GS/paintstripe3.jpg