Blue Bimmers Racing Begins

#1

So anybody want to join the Blue Bimmers, haha. Overall I am barely satisfied with how they turned out. They did a pretty good job replicating the Blue Angels stuff, but did a horrible job following my detailed spreadsheet that included all the height, length, and stroke requirements for the graphics. I don’t know why they decided that SE30 needed to become SE 30. They didn’t nail any of the stroke requirements, and I ended up with 3 different sized Toyo Tires graphics instead of the mandated 18" x 2". I already had to have them add an s to Blue Bimmer and redo my name on the windshield because despite telling them only the SE30 had to be mirrored they did the name as well. I plan to remove the TTE stuff once I get done with comp school. I had a question for you guys as well. Do you install the windshield graphics on the inside or outside? If the outside, how do you protect them from your windshield wipers?

Inspiration:

Pics:

#2

Good job Chris, it looks great.

My windsheild graphics are on the outside and are covered by a windshield protector which is made of Mylar, or something like that.

#3

Looks good, reminds me of this one from years ago:

#4

looks good. reminds me of the fly navy car also which is now being raced by the Jadczak’s in the NE.

#5

[quote=“King Tut” post=57061]Do you install the windshield graphics on the inside or outside? If the outside, how do you protect them from your windshield wipers?[/quote]My graphics are on the outside of the windshield. The life span of a windshield is shorter than windshield graphics anyway.:laugh: Some folks like to use tear-offs to protect the windshield but I’ve never seen an application that turned out as clear and bubble free as I’d like. So I just replace the windshield every year or so. If you are going to run at any of the tracks in the SE with gravel traps, your windshield will take a beating.

#6

I was thinking about just covering all the letters with some kind of clear film so the wiper blades won’t tear the letters off. Definitely not interested in covering the whole windshield.

#7

I have run a few rain races and even in the dry I manage to accidentally turn the wipers on a few times each weekend. No problems with the letters peeling off. Worry about other stuff. Ranger has a list to get you started…

#8

Looks great Chris! Very good looking car, almost too pretty to race.

As a solid back of the pack kind of guy remind me to tell you what happens in turn one at CMP when Johan and devinney start in the back… you know they are comming …so first rule is to protect your paint and mirrors! lol

#9

Re. covering the whole windshield. I know that this is going to be a shocker, but I experimented with this. At the end of the experiment I had a band of plastic stuff across the bottom and top of the windshield that left a stripe across the middle of the windshield w/o plastic sheathing.

That gave me the best of both worlds, or so I told myself. I had most of the windshield protected, and the plastic stuff really does protect, while not impacting the better visibility allowed be keeping the plastic crap off of the portion of the windshield I actually used…the middle 10".

I tried and tried to put the plastic on such that it would end up optically perfect. I couldn’t do it.

#10

Ditto what Steve said. I just replaced my 8-month old windshield (two major cracks and serious sandblasting). I also just use Staples vinyl letters for the graphics and I’ve never had a problem with the windshield wipers taking them off (even when I accidently hit the wiper lever during a dry race… :whistle: )

#11

Hmm. I didn’t know Staples did vinyl. I went with a local sign/vinyl shop, and the process of finding one was not fun. I will definitely look into Staples for the future.

#12

Regarding vinyl, go to www.ratracinggraphics.com and talk to Brian. He is a fellow NASA and Factory Five racer, and has done all the vinyl on my cars for years, fast turnaround and reasonable on prices.

Car looks great Chris. Can’t wait to see it come out and play.

#13

I used this company for a tear-off.

http://shop.protint.com/category.sc?categoryId=3

Cant even tell it on the window. They have E30 but just not on their site. I did install it on a new windshield. Only problem is if you buy the premolded kit it cost almost as much as a new windshield at 90 bucks. Molding your own is not impossible, just time consuming.