Boot Stripe Decal Kit Install Guide - MINI F60

THANK YOU for purchasing the MINI F60 Boot Stripe Decal Kit by CravenSpeed. This product is made from the highest grade materials and is guaranteed to be free from defects.

You can buy our CravenSpeed Boot Stripe Decal Kit for MINI F60 here

Items Included:

  • 1 Pair Boot Stripe Decals

Items Required:

  • Soft, Lint-Free Cloth
  • Squeegee
  • Painters Tape
  • Utility Spray Bottle
  • H2O
  • Dish Soap
  • X-acto Knife or Scissors
  • Measuring Tape
  • Writing Implement (Pen or Marker)

NOTE: Installing vinyl decals may seem like an intimidating task, but we have developed this instructional guide to make the process much easier than it sounds. In the unlikely event your decal application goes awry, we offer one-time $5 mulligan kit on each purchase made directly through the CravenSpeed.com website. Just contact support@cravenspeed.com for help.

Procedure

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Clean Boot Surface

  1. Let’s start by giving your MINI’s boot (rear hatch) a thorough cleaning in preparation for the decals. A clay bar treatment would be perfect at this time, but we understand this process is not for everyone. Once the surface is dry, wipe down the area again with a lint-free, soft cloth making sure there are no swirls or debris left behind. Any imperfections left on the surface could potentially be seen through the vinyl once the decals are applied.
  2. Take your utility spray bottle, fill it with water and add a couple small drops of dish soap. Shake it up and set it aside.

Test Fit the Stripes

  1. Before we begin slapping on the decals, we’ll need to confirm their fitment to where they'll lay on the boot, so grab your painters tape and let’s get to it. As you can see, we've made provisions in the decals for the factory emblems on the back of your F60 Countryman. Set the stripes onto your MINI one side at a time and position them so that the emblems are relatively centered in their correct locations. Utilize a few small pieces of painters tape and affix them to the back of your MINI so you can step back and assess their fitment.
  2. The top of the decal stripes should set approx 1/8" (.125") away from the belt line trim, so the width of the paper backing should set right against it. This spacing between the edge of the vinyl decal and the edge of the paper backing will give you the necessary distance.

Apply the Boot Stripe Decals

  1. On a clean dust-free surface, take the passenger side decal and completely peel the paper backing off so that the sticky side is exposed. Do your best not to touch the vinyl and leave any fingerprints on it that could affect the adhesion, and whatever you do.. don't drop it!
  2. Spray an even coat of your soap/water solution to both sides of the decal. It doesn’t need to be completely soaked… it just needs enough for you to be able to readjust the decal if you don’t set it down perfectly straight on the first try.
  3. Spray the stripe area of boot down with an even coat of the solution as well.
  4. Carefully set the decal down onto the boot with the rear window edge of the decal right up against the beltline trim and lining up the emblem cutouts. The decal solution should allow you to pull up and reposition it if necessary and you may even be able to slide it around a bit.
  5. Once you’re pleased with its positioning, start from the middle and gently squeegee the soap/water solution out from under the decal. Use the soft, lint-free cloth to clean up any excess solution while you work the decal down. Use the hard plastic edge of the squeegee on the transfer paper, but once you peel the transfer paper off, to avoid any scratching of the vinyl only use the microfiber edge.
  6. Once you’ve thoroughly gone over the first decal a couple times, give it a rest and proceed with the driver side. This will allow the solution to evaporate a little bit and assist with adhesion before peeling the transfer paper off.
  7. Ok.. you’ve fully squeegeed both decals down. Starting at one corner of your first decal, gently peel the transfer paper back upon itself to facilitate separation of the vinyl from the paper. If the decal wants to come up with the paper, use the microfiber side of the squeegee to press it back down again. Don’t worry too much about any air bubbles or creases at this time. You can address those once the transfer paper is completely removed.
  8. Once you have the transfer paper completely removed, inspect the decal for any creases or solution bubbles. In all likelihood you’re probably going to have bubbles to some extent that will need attention. Use the microfiber side of the squeegee to work the bubbles to the edge of the decal and then soak up the solution with the soft, lint-free cloth.
  9. For pesky bubbles that don’t want to slide to the edge, try to combine them by pushing them toward one another and then piercing the vinyl with your x-acto knife. You should then be able to squeegee the solution out through this tiny hole. Any minor bubbles or surface imperfections that you can’t seem to eliminate should disappear over the next couple of weeks as the solution evaporates and the vinyl decal shrinks a wee bit. Leaving the car exposed in the sun will help speed up this process.