67 68 Le Mans Stripes

[Bob Gaines]

This post not meant to troll for drama but to inform those that may be under the misconception that 67 and 68 Shelby's typically had Le Mans stripes from the factory. Or installed by the Dealer. I had a forum member ask a question about the lay out of the stripes on the fastback body style and why they varied . From the tone of his message I got the impression that he thought it was a option and should have a standardized layout. Le mans Stripes were not designed for the 67/68 body style just the 65/66. They were not installed by the factory but typically past owners. I have yet to have ever seen or heard of anyone with evidence to support them even being installed by a dealer back in the day. It is likely some Dealer somewhere did back when the cars were new but apparently it was rarely done by a dealer if at all back when the cars were new. " The Dealer installed option " is so over used to justify anything out of the ordinary that it has lost all credibility without some reasonable back up evidence. That is not just my opinion but a sad fact. There is even a deduction (67/68) for LeMans stripes if entered in a concours regardless of venue because they were not factory . They are excepted in concours with reasonable evidence (hearsay from a past owner not typically accepted) of installation by the dealer when the car was sold to the first owner when new. FYI back in the day there was no tech info for dealers to apply the stripes for 65/66 back in the day (not all 65 and 66 came with factory Le Mans stripes) let alone 67/68 if they wanted to. The dealer was on his own and had to create the pattern himself . With that said that is why the stripe application technique varies from one car to the next on a 67/68. I suppose since they were never a factory or typically a dealer done application that there is not a wrong way just various ways that appeal to a variety of owners . I would suggest not striping the car first and then after spending time if you don't think it looks cleaner without the stripes and after if you just have to have them go and stripe the car doing so in the way that looks best to you. Once they are on there is no turning back. You can always put them on later if you choose but very hard to ever take them off. You would be surprised after living with the car without stripes how many owners choose to not put the Le Mans stripes on. Of course do what you think is best for you. It is your car after all. There are always those that feel compelled to justify ether way but there is no need to post why you put stripes on your car or why you did not . There are always a lot of good reasons ether way. To each their own . This post is just meant to provide information so that each owner can make a informed decision ether way that is best for them in case they were unaware.

[68krrrr]

Or you could have one those vinly wrap guys put on some removable strips & ? when did it become a popular thing, was it right away in the late 60's or 70's or maybe those darn Big 80's

[2112]

It is amazing how good vinyl stripes have become. If a guy wanted stripes and did them in vinyl it would be so easy to remove them at a later date.

Edit; 68krrr beat me to it

[Richstang]

No doubt Bob gets asked this question all too often.
Take his advice and live with the car sans the top stripes for a while. You might just like what you end up with and save a few dollars by leaving them off.

I posted an in depth look into the topic of Le Mans stripes and how they relate to the 1967 Shelby in our research group.
This was all from a perspective of Shelby American documentation, including some marketing materials, advertisements, and factory paperwork.
Here's a link to the topic for those would like to take a deeper look.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?oldui=1&pli=1#!topic/shelbyresearch/mxaLAl-p1kU

[JD]

The vinyl stripes comes up in discussion - but the reality (in my experience with buying and applying vinyl) is stop and look at the cowl vents slots - try cutting, stretching and wrapping all of those and getting ALL those edges to stick and stay stuck. Also, the compound curves on the hood and deck lid although they do not seem that extreme, it's different once you start trying to do them.  There is material meant to be stretched and wrapped, but it is a not white-white and has a sort of honeycomb structure that you can see up close - it's not solid white material.  It's also a bitch to get off as all the honeycomb bits fragment.

In many instances when installers are doing those they have to cut on the surface of the car (or whatever the vinyl in being applied to) to get the final shape just right.  When doing a full-wrap many pieces are used and overlapped. 

They can do custom contoured, cut shapes to accommodate compound curves, but that scanning and cutting is not cheap.

The next time you see a wrapped vehicle parked, go up and look CLOSE ALL OVER, you'll see many edges, overlaps and elements that are not perfectly aligned.  They are advertising - meant the be seen/read at a distance or at speed.

If it was easy or cheap you'd see it being done, how many have you seen?  There's a reason.   ;-)

And yes they do mask off areas with tape to be sprayed - but note they start with 1/8 inch tape not 10 inch wide sheets.

[67 GT350]

It is amazing how good vinyl stripes have become. If a guy wanted stripes and did them in vinyl it would be so easy to remove them at a later date.

Edit; 68krrr beat me to it

That is a good idea......!!!

[2112]

I agree a lot of vinyl is sloppy, but there are some installers who have really mastered the technique to the point you can't tell it's there. The cowl will be a challenge tho.

[greekz]

Nice explanation, Bob.

Today, I wish I had not put stripes on #2339, when she was painted in 1990.  Thirty years later I have grown to like the cars more without stripes.  So much so, that 6S1134 is not going to have stripes this time around.

The stripes do make the cars look more aggressive in my opinion, but they also look cool without them.  It is amazing to me when I explain to the casual observer the cars did not originally come with stripes, other than some '65's, '66 Hertz models or the Super Snake, they have a hard time believing me.  So many cars people see, mine included, think they all came with stripes.  It is easy to see how the perception started and is perpetuated.  In fact, when 6S1134, is completed I am sure the first question will be "where are the stripes?"

We all like our cars to look a certain way, and that is what make this hobby so great. 

[shelbymann1970]

I like the look of cleared in stripes so vinyl would not work for me. Yeah, I'm a stripe guy just like I'm a louvers spoiler magnum guy on 69 Mach1s. Gary

[2112]

Nice explanation, Bob.

Today, I wish I had not put stripes on #2339, when she was painted in 1990.  Thirty years later I have grown to like the cars more without stripes.  So much so, that 6S1134 is not going to have stripes this time around.

The stripes do make the cars look more aggressive in my opinion, but they also look cool without them.  It is amazing to me when I explain to the casual observer the cars did not originally come with stripes, other than some '65's, '66 Hertz models or the Super Snake, they have a hard time believing me.  So many cars people see, mine included, think they all came with stripes.  It is easy to see how the perception started and is perpetuated.  In fact, when 6S1134, is completed I am sure the first question will be "where are the stripes?"

We all like our cars to look a certain way, and that is what make this hobby so great.

Though I like stripes on White, Brittany and Lime cars, I prefer none for the other colors (on '67s) and the fact that so many observers think they were factory makes me like no stripes even more.

[gt350hr]

   greekz ,
      Don't forget that many Hertz cars didn't get roof stripes. The 18 white/blue and several red ones in the northeast. Black certainly got them . I don't know about blue and green cars without them. Mine did not have them and doesn't now.
   Randy

[greekz]

   greekz ,
      Don't forget that many Hertz cars didn't get roof stripes. The 18 white/blue and several red ones in the northeast. Black certainly got them . I don't know about blue and green cars without them. Mine did not have them and doesn't now.
   Randy

I was debating whether to include that fact, but thought I was getting too wordy.  Thanks for including that fact.

[Shelby_r_b]

What's interesting is when people assume your Shelby isn't real, because it doesn't have top stripes. 😏

[greekz]

What's interesting is when people assume your Shelby isn't real, because it doesn't have top stripes. 😏

Exactly!

[gt350hr]

  +2 . I had one guy say "this is a nice conversion , when are you going to add stripes?" I handed him a copy of the invoice to Hertz and asked why I should add stripes. He responded "All real Shelbys had stripes". I replied thanks.
   Randy