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How to Install Black Hood Decal on your Mustang

Installation Time

1 hours

Tools Required
  • Spray bottle with soap & water mixture
  • Plastic Squeegee
  • Pair of scissors
  • X-Acto knife or razor blade
  • Painters tape
  • Surface cleaner-Mequiars Deep Crystal System paint cleaner
  • Needle or pin
American Muscle
Shop Parts in this Guide

Prep:  

Clean car well to ensure good adhesion of the decal. Remove any wax from the area using a surface cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of water and soap (we use baby shampoo), about 4 large drops per 32 oz. spray bottle of water. Be sure to install decal out of direct sunlight. Also having someone to assist you if you can is very helpful. 

Step 1:  

Spray hood with a generous amount of the soap and water mixture. 


Step 2:  

On some products you may need to cut the decal left and right side apart with scissors. Peel backing from insert exposing the adhesive. Also spray back of decal as your peeling the backing paper off. 


Step 3:  

Place insert on hood For 99-04 place it up against the plastic scoop trim. For two piece decals, put the outside or inside edge, which ever may apply for the design being installed, up to the body line of the hood to get uniform spacing in the center. Do not use the outside edge of the hood .You will be able to maneuver the insert into position because of the soap and water solution you sprayed on earlier.      

Step 4:  

Once you have the insert in its final position, use the plastic squeegee to push any air bubbles towards the outer edges. 

Step 5:  

Then spray the transfer tape with the solution generous-ly. This will soften the adhesive to let the transfer tape be removed easier. The transfer tape at this point will look more transparent. 


Step 6:  

Squeegee out any remaining air bubbles from the center out 


Step 7:  

Once you have all of the air bubbles out and the decal has dried underneath, slowly peel the transfer tape from the decal. Pull the tape as flat on the car as possible this will help prevent the tape from pulling up the vinyl. One trick that may be helpful is to place a squeegee on the transfer tape and peel it back against the squeegee while holding the squee-gee down on the decal keeping it tight on the tape that’s being pulled. 


Step 8:  

Once the tape is off you can use a squeegee (covered in a cloth that will not scratch the vinyl and keep the vinyl wet) if you need to, but at this point you may need to use a pin or needle to release any bubbles, squeegeeing on vinyl that has been stuck to the surface may wrinkle instead of moving air from under-neath the vinyl. On some products wrapping the vinyl over the edge maybe necessary. 



Installation instructions for Hood Decal


hood decal without transfer tape

Step 1:  

Spray hood with a generous amount of the soap and wa-ter mixture. 


Step 2:  

On some products you may need to cut the decal left and right side apart with scissors. Peel backing from insert exposing the adhesive. Also spray back of decal as your peeling the backing paper off. 


Step 3:  

Place insert on hood For 99-04 place it up against the plastic scoop trim. For two piece decals, put the outside or inside edge, which ever may apply for the design be-ing installed, up to the body line of the hood (not the outside edge of the hood) to get uniform spacing in the center. You will be able to maneuver the insert into posi-tion because of the soap and water solution you sprayed on earlier. 


Step 4:  

Squeegee out the water from underneath the decal with a squeegee (covered in a cloth that will not scratch the vinyl and keep the vinyl wet). On some products wrapping the vinyl over the edge may-be necessary. See photos on page 2. 


Vinyl that needs to conform to curves of the hood can be pressed into place with your hands or if need be the use of a hair dryer to help conform to the shape of the car. Also when tucking vinyl around the edges of the car. Do not over heat it will shrivel or wrin-kle.  

Leave several hours, depending on climate, of dry time before cleaning car. Use a quick detailer in a spray bottle for the initial clean-ing then hand wash car waiting at least several days for the first time after drying. Do not power wash vinyl or wax vinyl. 

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