Review: Phoenix Graphix Sword Stripe
 

Got bored with the way my 72 GTO looked, so I decided to put a stripe kit on the car. Yes, the GT/GT-37 sword stripe is not correct for GTOs, but after polling LloydTX, PB and a few others I decided a below the belt line sword stripe looks better than the above the belt line 9 stripe kit. Anyway here is my review of Phoenix Graphix and their stripe kit.

-Cost: Average. Comparable to other vendors. I think Stencil & Stripes is a few bucks cheaper.

-Customer Service: Average. Guy on phone tried to sell me their stripe application gel. Do not buy, I used soap water for the installation and that works just as well. When I inquired about free promo gift they advertise with order, the guy on the phone did not know and said he will throw in a free pen. Lol.

-Shipping: Good. Prompt

-Packaging: Excellent. I never did get my free pen, but they threw in a squeegee that helped with installation and a $20 coupon for next order. Stripe came rolled up so it took a couple of days to lay out and get stripe flat.

-Product: Average. Stripe was made with Avery Dennison material (same company that makes mailing labels). Was disappointed that stripe mil was not as thick as OEM 3M brand material. Cut was precise. Stripe does have reflective properties and does “pop” at night.

-Installation: Good. That little squeegee helps remove air bubbles. Helps to have another person help hold stripe when you install.

Overall Rating: Good. So far stripe has not peeled back when driving on the road. Lol. Would recommend and pleased with results.

Before and After pics

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/...psvjk8cwmb.jpg


http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/...psys1c3cf9.jpg

Good job. I like your stripe combo!

Turned out real nice! well done and nice choice

Beautiful job with the stripe application. LOVE that color. And check out those sheetmetal gaps! Fantastic car!!

I like it! The more of these I see, the more I want to put a stripe on my father's car so it doesn't look so plain and boring.

That stripe looks great on that car. :)

I like that stripe far better than the strobe or 9 stripe GTO stripe. Would prefer to put that one on my 72 when/if I repaint it but the 9 stripe would be correct.

Looks good!

72 Pontiac A-bodies didn't make any sense....stripes included. Especially verts

I like it!

I did a black one on my yellow car.

I always though it might be nice if they were to make "GTO" cut out on the rear portion though instead of the factory GTO decal.

Just for something different.

Really looks great, John. Good choice. The before and after shots tell the tale!

Amazing difference. Not only the stripe looks great but you did magic on your lawn and landscape as well......

you did a great job on the stripe!..mine is applied identical to yours.. it is correct!:hooray:

Forrest - you can post photos of your awesome HO GT all day long. What a beauty!

Lol....yeah, it is amazing how much light those stripes reflect to help get my lawn to grow like that.

Thanks for all of the compliments guys.

New street light as well. ;)

What a improvement, I have always liked that stripe. A guy posted this pic on FB of his Moms '72 with the stripe on it. So was it only available on the GT Lemans with and without the T-41 front end?

Guess I'm in the minority, but In my opinion the original is better.

Zombie thread back from the dead.

For 1972 model A body's, there were several different factory applied stripes.

'72 Base LeMans 2 doors could order a D98 (body stripe) the following I continually ran across in the '80's when I preparing to reproduce the reflective "sword" style stripes, as well as all through the 90's hitting boneyards working swappers, attending regional & National POCI & GTOAA shows.

-when a dealer ordered D98 stripes on a '72 LeMans 2 door hardtop or convert, with the standard chrome front bumper, the car received one of the 4 different color 3M reflective "sword" style stripes.

-when a dealer ordered a standard chrome nose '72 LeMans with the WU2 (LeMans GT) option, the body stripes were reflective "sword" style stripes with GT decal on the the rh of rear trunk lid. Most such equipped chrome nose LeMans GT's had the GT cutout in the front of each fender stripe. Some such chrome nose '72 LeMans GT's had from day 1 front fender stripes with no GT cutout. There was no rhyme or reason to this, I have always assumed the assembly plant workers went to the non GT cutout style when they ran out of the GT cutout style. Will never know.

-when a dealer ordered a T41 endura nose on a '72 LeMans 2 door with the GT option, typically, the stripes would be the reflective "sword" style stripes. There were however numerous original '72 LeMans GT's built out of the Lakewood assembly plant that received the 9 stripe decals with the GT decal on the trunk lid. Totally original cars, I examined several such built factory endura nose built '72 LeMans GT's when I was running the GT-37 Survey & driving all over the country hitting boneyards. Each such equipped Lakewood LeMans GT had telltales of the GT option, one I even managed to find its original buildsheet.

-when a dealer ordered the GTO option on a '72 LeMans hardtop or Coupe, the available D98 stripe was the 9 stripe style that Ralph @ Stencils & Stripes first brought to market as a reproduction. 9 stripe type decals are also what I ran across in bone yards all over the Southwest & Plains on basic '72 T41 LeMans that were not equipped with the GT package.

-In the late 80's & early 90's when I was reproducing the reflective "sword" style stripes, I also received many inquiries from owners of original '72 endura nosed cars desiring the non reflective 9 stripe decals & they noted how their '72's were optioned.

-each factory color of '72 LeMans (or '71 1/2 GT-37) received a certain color of reflective stripe. There was no other color selection, no "color keying" to the interior or vinyl top color.
Examples: factory white cars received "BLUE" reflective stripes, factory Brittany Beige '72's received "BLACK" sword style stripes. Cardinal Red '72 LeMans GT's (& 71 1/2 GT-37's) received "GOLD" stripes, not "BLACK". There seems to be quite a bit of owner picking of repro stripe colors over the last decade, I just throw out this info if one plans on having their car Judged in Concours @ Nationals, hopefully the judges know how these cars were built.

-the factory available D98 stripes for '71 model LeMans & GTO's were either the red/black or red/white thin eyebrow style stripes. This style of stripes continued to be offered as the '71 A body D98 stripes well after the '71 1/2 GT-37s were introduced in mid March of '71. Have personally parted several such factory D98 equipped LeMans & T-37s built out of Fremont plant, as well as Pontiac plant builds from late May & June of '71.