94 Ls400 Side Pinstripes

[SLORICK]

Poll: Are the original side pinsripes placed below or above the side body crease?

I bought 94 LS400 at 30K miles. Used Car dealer said car had hood replaced and repainted? Crash?

My pinstripes are just BELOW the side body crease, where the sheet metal descends vertically or curves up to meet the door windows or horizontal top of hood and trunk. Two lines, larger and smaller, fading from car washes, appears to have been hand painted. Reading posts, I learn they are decals and read post about removing them with oven cleaner. One member asked if I saw small "LS", but I don't and don't know where to look for that, or if it indicates original decal vs. hand painting.

So, other day, I follow identical car into shopping center and park next to it. I notice it has silver badges and I have gold.

I say "You have a very handsome car" and they smile noticing mine. When I come out of store to get in my car, I notice their car paint is very nice, like it has been repainted, THEN I notice their pinstripes are just ABOVE the side crease line.

I look at mine, noticing they are just BELOW the side crease line, think mine are better, but now I wonder if mine are original.

ANYONE a "Pinstripe Expert" on this forum?

[1990LS400]

I'm no pinstripe expert but I've seen them only higher up on the car sides -- as shown in the oven cleaner removal tutorial: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/body/pinstripes.html

I don't remember how much (posted it in the past) but a repair shop wanted what I thought was an excessive amount of money to remove the pinstripes from the 2000 LS400 I bought in 2003. He was going to use a commercial quality heat gun. I removed them myself in about an hour by heating up the stripes a little at a time with a hair dryer and removing the residue with car wax. Don't know about using oven cleaner ... seems a little harsh.

The local Lexus dealer seemed to put pinstripes on the majority of the cars he sold back in the 1990s. I never cared for them but apparently many people do.

[VBdenny]

pinstripes are ugly and dated. I find it hard to believe that a dealer would put them on a Lexus.

[fiveofakind]

Slorick,

Instead of oven cleaner....why not try muriatic acid.......that should work for you.......then get car re-painted.......pinstripes gone..........I am a pinstripe expert when it comes to suits for business......not cars......just having a little fun....no malice intended here......

Hope you can enjoy a joke.....

5

[SLORICK]

Another Wise Guy, eh? :P

Oh No, I ain't repainting the car, then I would be in the middle of those threads about Maaco, or Earl Scheib, or Dealer or $50 DIY marine boat paint, and that would drive me crazy. LOL

[steve2006]

I hear an Oxy-acetalene torch is good for removing pinstripes,paint and the metal beneath all in one quick operation!!!

[fiveofakind]

Steve & Slorick.....now thats funny......good one.......somethings a little humor goes a long way....these cars can be frustrating at times.....

[jdavis]

Pinstripes are not factory "original" equipment but are installed either by the dealer or another aftermarket source as are the gold emblems. Therefore, the pinstripes can be placed anywhere the installer or owner desires. The nice paint that you noticed on the other car could be simply a well maintained garage kept car that has been washed and waxed regularly. The advice to remove the pinstripes with heat (hair dryer) is the proper way to remove them.