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‘85 Hatch Billboard advice.

3K views 30 replies 9 participants last post by  juddmancoony 
#1 ·
There are a few things on my short list that have been there too long. A big one is the hatch billboard on the rear. My ‘85 had been repainted not too long before it became mine. The previous owner hadn’t put the hatch billboard back on. I’ve Been putting it off for awhile, but It drives me nuts to see the bare paint.

Anyway, I looked through a lot of the old posts about it, but most of the posts were outdated and had bad links. i have found a couple of places that make them. RaptorRacing ((Canada) and a place on EBay called ImportAutoGraphics.

I saw a somewhat recent post about a reflective version which, I gotta say, sounded cool. Think I’m gonna keep it as stock as possible though.

Anyone used either of these? Also curious how they hold up over time and the elements. Tips on correctly installing it? Etc..

I figure this is one of those threads that needs a refresh every now and then..

Thanks for any replies or info.
 
#2 ·
Its been 15 years since I did the last one, but I've done three and I've only done the die-cut vinyl ones that we used to get from bshapton. I'd get it all lined up correctly and tape the bottom edge to the car with painters masking tape. Then peel the layer off to reveal the adhesive and flip it up into place, making sure it lays flat and sort of squeagee it down. Finally, I'd peel off the backing and voila! Its really very easy since its going on a near flat surface anyway. Just be sure to get it in the right spot. As much as it bothers you not being there, it bothers me to see when people put them on too high. Yes, the keyhole is in the middle of the "P" and you will need to remove the lock cylinder and cut the decal. And treated like collector cars and garage-kept at this point, they will last decades if not centuries compared to when they were being daily driven and left out in the sun and weather.
 
#3 ·
Thank for the detailed info. Lol, I know what you mean about them being in the wrong spot. My OCD tendencies would drive me nuts about that even worse. That is probably why I have procrastinated so long. I know it will last a long time, so it has to be perfect.

I had seen references to bshapton’s decals, but hadn’t seen anything in the last few years. I like the search feature, but sometimes it is like watching YouTube videos, you look up 2 hours later in a whole different section with no idea where you started. So much good info out here, but a lot is very specific.

As I understand it, the original decals were a wide clear decal with printing on the decal Itself, not individual letters that have to be put on. I haven’t been able to inspect one up close before.
 
#4 ·
As I understand it, the original decals were a wide clear decal with printing on the decal Itself, not individual letters that have to be put on. I haven’t been able to inspect one up close before.
Correct. http://www.torparts.com/CelicaSupra-BillboardDecal-Rear-Hatch-celicasupra-billboard.htm I had installed one of the bshapton die-cut vinyl decals on a Supra in 2002 and after I sold the car in 2007, the new owner replaced it with the OEM style in 2012 when Torparts issued these simply to be more original. If originality is a concern, you may want to check with Torparts to see if you can still get them. The downside to the original type is that the clear part would discolor and crack over time, but again, now that these are collector cars and not daily drivers, that's probably not a concern.
 
#5 ·
Didn’t know about Tor, thanks. Hmmm. I like the idea of OEM, but whatever lasts longest and looks good would probably win my vote. Do the Individual letters stand up to washing, wear and tear pretty well? Kinda like those annoying car dealer name stickers that stick pretty well, but are easy to remove if you want to?
 
#7 ·
You probably want to hear from some others about washing durability. My experience with the vinyl decals is long after these cars were retired from daily driving. Mine get washed like once a year at the beginning of car show season, live under covers and get bug splatters wiped off with quick detailer spray.
 
#8 ·
Gotcha. Mine isn’t a daily driver, but I would like it to be at least a frequent driver. I’m still working it into my “circle of trust”. It’s let me down a couple times in the last year or two. It does have a dedicated garage spot, so it stays indoors when it sleeps.
 
#9 ·
I've put a bshapton in 2005, do wash it 10-15 times a year, and it is still like new.

The original clear overlay was one piece per letter, about 3mm outside the perimeter of each letter.
Yes over time it has always been the clear that degraded compared to the colored letter lines.
I think that overall, it is nicer without the clear overlay, as the car color stays unchanged there.
 
#10 ·
Most of the ones you see online a cut on a plotter from vinyl. It's basically the same stuff as all the stick figure families you see stuck on cars. To me it looks wrong when I see them, but I'm a snob also. .
 
#30 ·
Hi Judd,

I was wondering if you ever got satisfaction from Torparts for this Billboard sticker?

Did PayPal refund your money? Or did Torparts step up and deliver the decal for you?
At least did they let you know why they wouldn't/couldn't deliver?

I'm really curious. I had bought a decal from him in 2017 and he communicated really well with me.
I keep hoping that it was an unfortunate mix-up.

Dale
 
#16 · (Edited)
It has been about 3 years ago now, but I purchased a billboard decal from House of Grafx. It was not at all correct. It was too tall, and the "S" was not shaped correctly. I then purchased one from Tor. It was exactly stock and I was pleased until I installed it. When I peeled off the backing, I discovered it was silver instead of the black that I ordered. At first I was really incensed, but decided to leave it for the time being. Now has grown on me and I just say to myself that I have a custom sliver billboard on a red car. If it had been white then it would have been replaced. It actually does not look bad at all. Anyway, I was happy with Tor as far as being very close to stock and perhaps exactly stock. I'm sorry to hear that their customer service seems to have slipped. If you can get one from them I think you would be happy with it. It came with the hole for the lock already cut, so you can't make a mistake in the correct position. I would add that we should try to support George at Raptor Racing if possible. I did not know about Raptor when I was looking for the decal or I would have purchased from him.

My car is not a daily driver, but does get driven as much as possible if the weather is good. It stays in the garage covered during the winter or if it is raining. I can't say how the decal stands up to weathering or frequent washings. I use a spray detailer to remove bugs and such, remove dust with a soft brush, and then polish with a KOZAK Auto Drywash cloth.

As far as instructions for the installation, House of Grafx has very good videos on their website. Just don't purchase from them.

Hope this helps.

Bob
 
#17 ·
If the car in your avatar is yours and it is an 8B4, you may be out of luck if you want original grey (NOT silver) banner. George hasn't had that shade in a while.

In addition to what rhartmaier said about the S not being shaped correctly in most ebay versions, the TOYOTA is always placed too close to the crossbar of the A. Pay attention to those 2 things when you search

15475
Vehicle Car
 
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#18 ·
I had one billboard that came with the car and one I ordered online but it was white. Redline Designs wraps in Tampa measured both, looked at originals online, and created a black version for my 85 trying to be as original as all the examples allowed. Since they have the design now they said if anyone was interested to give them a call. Another option for you, best.
15476
 
#19 ·
The previous owner repainted it, but said he tried to match the original. Not sure is is truly oem paint color or just close. I guess I assumed white was the original color for that car instead of gray. I’d like to make it as original as I can.

Are the Redline Designs decals like the originals where each letter is an individual letter with the clear material inside of the letters? How much did they charge?
 
#20 ·
Did not remember the Torparts units.
Probably a bit harder to install bubble free, as you can see though it.

Mr Altig, time for a new picture in your signature. Isn't the MK2 now Silver ?
 
#24 ·
Did not remember the Torparts units.
Probably a bit harder to install bubble free, as you can see though it.

Mr Altig, time for a new picture in your signature. Isn't the MK2 now Silver ?
Ok you busted me. Yes time for a new group photo
 
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#25 ·
That's great they have them back in stock! Yes, that is the color on mine and most definitely looks lighter towards white in the sun or bright light. here is the same pic using the camera flash to show what I mean
15490
 
#29 · (Edited)
Got my decal from Raptor yesterday. Can’t wait to see it on the car, but it’ll take a few days to flatten it out from being coiled up. In the meantime, other than the lock running through the middle of the ”P”, is there a prefered method of making sure of proper positioning? I like Phil’s method of using painters tape for final placing. I have yellow Frog tape from a current house painting project. That is somewhat low adhesion, but good stuff. Anyone good/bad experiences putting one of these things on?
 
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