Hitman's Pontiac Trans Am Forum
Vendors and Distributors => Phoenix Graphix => Topic started by: BAMA TA on October 30, 2012, 08:18:00 PM
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Well, the paint shop called me today and said the decals won't release from the paper backing. This is the second shop I have carried the car to , but at least he finished the flaws, wetsanded and buffed the car that the first shop took over a year after painting to do. I'm going to pick it up Saturday, drive it home, put it in the garage and take a chill pill again. I guess projects aren't worthwhile if you don't have numerous problems and long periods of time where nothing gets done.lol Lack of stories to tell makes for a boring project.
As you can tell, I'm a patient person when it comes to projects. I'm going to tackle these decals myself before I call PG and start complaining. They sat for two years in the tube and out of the elements in a climate controlled room so they should be fine. I installed a stripe kit a few years ago on my 80 Z28 and they came out just fine. Those were loooooong stripes down the sides too and a big one on the hood scoop.
I'm not sure how my paint man was prepping the car or what, but I'm just ready to get it home before the weather gets cold every day. That way I can get to it at my convenience.
Any suggestions on installing are welcome. Meanwhile I'll read the other threads on here concerning installation issues people encountered. Thanks in advance.
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There is one recent one stating that the new Backing or method needs to stay 24 Hrs as apposed to just a couple hrs like the old stuff. I think it matters who made the decals to as some have different procedures!
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I put everything on the car Saturday except the bird. It all went without a hitch. Not sure what problem he was having with installing them. Granted, I haven't tackled the bird yet, but so far everything is fine and looks good.
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YAY!
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When I called and talked with Chris at PG he said that the decals do have a shelf life and that they should basically be ordered just right before you want to put them on. I let mine set for about 2 yrs and had problems with the backing paper not wanting to release the decals. A minimum of 24 hours drying time is what is needed now for the new decals from PG and from what I can gather from Chris you will have glue residue on your decals just the way it is. Chris said clean with lighter fluid or a wax and grease remover. I suggested making the cover a little larger than the decal to make it a little easier to make sure you get the sides to lay down he said wasn't going to happen that that's how they are set up to die cut it. I also suggested that they put a little better description for installation procedures with the kits, he told me that they don't send anything like that with the kits or placement measurements I'm thinking why not? Chris said he couldn't do anything about my bird cause it had been so long since I ordered it He said he might be able to give me a discount on a new one. I really don't think I'll buy one from them I think I'll have one made from another vinyl decal maker. I would say that if your decals are older than 6 months and you try to put them on you are more than likely to have a problem.
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Well, I put the bird on today and let it sit for 5 hours (directions say a minimum of 3, so I thought I would give it a little extra time.) Turned out good except for a lot of bubbles. I used a pin and worked most of them out. I'm going to let it sit out in the sun this Saturday and see if the heat will shrink them. It's not perfect, but I think it turned out pretty well if the bubbles go away. By the way, the gel makes a hell of a mess!
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I have purchased my decals from Stencils & Stripes after numerous problems from PG as well. The folks at Stencils & Stripes (Ralph) recommended placing any decals that are being stored in a high quality zip lock freezer bag. He said the air will dry out the backing and decal causing a lot of headaches when attempting to release or apply the decal.
Needless to say, all of my decals in storage are in a zip-lock bag. I haven't experienced any problems with the quality of decals at Stencils & Stripes. They seem like a smaller firm, more control over their inventory and quality?
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While the shelf life may be plausible, many would prefer they used decals that were a few years old in recent times that still had the old paper backing. NOS GM decals on 3M paper still work fine from 30 years ago if stored properly. And I bet many of the decal kits in the warehouses of the stockists are not all recent, some of the rarer colour schemes or stripes could be there for years, while the typical black and gold SE gets replaced every week. I still have a full set for mine in the original mailing tube from 5 years ago, and they better be fine for another 5 years before it gets paint, especially when shipping overseas alone cost the same as the decals.
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While the shelf life may be plausible, many would prefer they used decals that were a few years old in recent times that still had the old paper backing. NOS GM decals on 3M paper still work fine from 30 years ago if stored properly. And I bet many of the decal kits in the warehouses of the stockists are not all recent, some of the rarer colour schemes or stripes could be there for years, while the typical black and gold SE gets replaced every week. I still have a full set for mine in the original mailing tube from 5 years ago, and they better be fine for another 5 years before it gets paint, especially when shipping overseas alone cost the same as the decals.
Mine released from the backing fine, the only problem I have is with the air bubbles which I'm continuing to work out. I let it sit overnight in the basement (where it will always be anyway), and a lot of the bubbles have disappeared. I've worked more of them out with a pin and hairdryer as well. It's starting to look really good now. Knock on wood.
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Bama TA, mine did the same thing but like you said let the sun work on those bubbles and they will slowly but surely begin to go away. Good luck !
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Well, instead of leaving out in the sun yesterday in the driveway (a few trees overhead with acorns bombing the driveway), I backed the a** end out of the garage, cranked it and ran the motor for about 20 minutes. An hour later ALL the bubbles that were left are now gone. I would never have thought this bird would look as good as it does. Turned out better than I could have imagined.
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HELLO! PICS?! ::)
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(http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h379/carcrazy8/79Bird.jpg)
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Looks great
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Your car looks great!
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Thanks, this has been a long time coming. I've still got the engine compartment to redo (after sitting in the body shop for so long). I'm happy with the way it came out.
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I plan on going white with the black window trim to but I'm going to do blue decals on mine. I've still got a long way to go yet though. Hope it turns out nice.
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White hides A LOT. The body work turned out so good on this one, it could have been a dark color and been just fine. My trim started stainless. I've blacked out the trim on previous Z's and always liked the look. I used SEM trim black. No need for a primer coat. I love the blue birds. It's a clean, classy look against a white base color. Good luck!
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Ive heard that white is a forgiving color to work with. I plan on doing everything I can as far as body work goes (I have no experience :/ ) I love a really bright white. It stands out but It gives it a really clean look. My car was originally silver and the trim is black Im not sure if its been painted. but I work in a powder coat shop so I will probably just have them repainted with a semi gloss black.
Do you have other pics of your car?
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Ive heard that white is a forgiving color to work with. I plan on doing everything I can as far as body work goes (I have no experience :/ ) I love a really bright white. It stands out but It gives it a really clean look. My car was originally silver and the trim is black Im not sure if its been painted. but I work in a powder coat shop so I will probably just have them repainted with a semi gloss black.
Do you have other pics of your car?
I used just straight PPG mixing white. I know it's not a factory color, but I like the white that makes you sneeze when the sun hits it. No real good pics of the car yet. I've still got some work to do on it this winter. Some of the trim isn't on , one of the grills, headlight bezel and general clean up.
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Very nice Bama! I love the white and gold cars
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Ive heard that white is a forgiving color to work with. I plan on doing everything I can as far as body work goes (I have no experience :/ ) I love a really bright white. It stands out but It gives it a really clean look. My car was originally silver and the trim is black Im not sure if its been painted. but I work in a powder coat shop so I will probably just have them repainted with a semi gloss black.
Do you have other pics of your car?
i just had mine powder coated in a satin which is the correct sheen. Semi gloss might be a bit too shiny.
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That's a great looking T/A, love the Gold over White! Bubbles in the application are normal and as you now know within a few days they completely disappear. Several people have expressed concern over shelf life as well as the clear transfer tape we use on this thread. I'd like to take a second to address those issues.
As long as the decals are stored in a cool, dry place they'll store for many years. It's very important that the decals are not exposed to water or humidity. If the backing paper get wet and reacts with the adhesive, its game over. It will not release. If the decals are going to be stored for a while, it would be a good idea to unfurl the decals a few days prior to application, thus letting the vinyl relax.
As far as the clear transfer tape goes, we've been using it for a few years now. It has a little different feel and appearance from the paper mask originally used by GM (most new decals come with a clear transfer tape). The clear has been met with some mixed reviews but overall most people are very happy with the product. Application fluid does not evaporate as quickly through the clear so a couple more hours of "curing" time may be required. If the tape leaves a residue, it can be easily wiped away with a clean towel and a little lighter fluid as earlier stated.
As always, we stand behind our products 100%. We feel our products are second to none and will continue to strive to be the best. If anyone ever has a concern or question we can be easily reached on our toll free 800.941.4550.
Awesome looking T/A, Bama - glad it all worked out for you in the end!
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I second Stencil and Stripes far better than the PG stuff and goes on without any problems.
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our products are second to none and will continue to strive to be the best.
No comment
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our products are second to none and will continue to strive to be the best.
No comment
also no comment. Stencil and stripes has superior customer service
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our products are second to none and will continue to strive to be the best.
No comment
also no comment. Stencil and stripes has superior customer service
Agreed!
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Wow! It looks like Phoenix Graphix has some thinking to do. The guys who support Stenciles and Stripes have been long time members and contributors here. This isn't the only forum that the majority has complained about the clear release film. I don't know where PG is getting their info from but if they litsten here to their customers, They hate it!.
Either PG goes back to paper or PG just goes!
Well PG, the ball is in your court.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN9tR_TZa9w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN9tR_TZa9w)
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wooooooooooow! If I had that much trouble, I probably would have just ripped my bird off the hood. The paper backing wasn't bad at all, but that clear stuff looks like a nightmare!
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I've done both styles with paper and vinyl backing and I have never had problems. The only issue I have known of or dealt with is the guys that order the decals too early and have them sit in storage forever and it causes issues. But can still be dealt with. The gold that Phoenix uses on stripes fades to brown really fast, and the clear layer pulls color out of them too. But again I would still use them...
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I applied my S&S decals in 2009 and they have not lost color or any other issue.
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Wow, that video says it all......:(
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...well, I'd say that video only tells part of the story.
What you're not seeing or hearing about is the great lengths we went to in effort to redeem ourselves in the eyes of this customer. Admittedly, this kit should've never left our building and it's frankly quite embarrassing that it did. In hindsight I think we rushed too quickly to bring this kit to market and it came back to bite us. As soon as these issues came to light, it became a priority to try and satisfy this gentleman and make sure this doesn't happen again.
Unfortunately, as they say, "you can't please all the people all the time". As a bunch of hard working car guys, we'll continue to to our best. For whatever reason there will always be some people with a bone to pick or an agenda. If only our thousands of satisfied customers were as vocal as those with a gripe! :)
I'd like to say "thank you" to all of our loyal customers over the last 28 years and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
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i agree its not just the sales its the after sales that make a great company
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PG, now that you are responding here may I ask what is the reason for the change in the mask? I did read your post above but with all the trouble people have with them are you considering returning to the paper mask. The video truly showed issues. Do you use NOS decals as patterns for your products? Do you knowingly produce a decal that may not be correct in size or color when compared to a NOS decal? If so why?
Thanks for communcating with your customer base.
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...well, I'd say that video only tells part of the story.
What you're not seeing or hearing about is the great lengths we went to in effort to redeem ourselves in the eyes of this customer. Admittedly, this kit should've never left our building and it's frankly quite embarrassing that it did. In hindsight I think we rushed too quickly to bring this kit to market and it came back to bite us. As soon as these issues came to light, it became a priority to try and satisfy this gentleman and make sure this doesn't happen again.
Unfortunately, as they say, "you can't please all the people all the time". As a bunch of hard working car guys, we'll continue to to our best. For whatever reason there will always be some people with a bone to pick or an agenda. If only our thousands of satisfied customers were as vocal as those with a gripe! :)
I'd like to say "thank you" to all of our loyal customers over the last 28 years and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
I too would like to know if you would go back to the paper mask?
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There's far less trouble with the clear transfer tape than you seem to realize. We've been using the clear mask for years now and many people like it just fine. In fact, I've talked to a lot of people who prefer it.
There are many benefits to the clear mask. The end user can see the color of their decal easier prior to application. If there's an error in ordering or packaging it's more obvious. Many applicators like being able to see the decal for ease in placement as well. We also like the way the clear masked decals roll for packaging. This was absolutely NOT a cost cutting measure, as the clear material is in no way any less expensive than the paper mask. At this time there is no intention of going back to the paper transfer tape.
I feel there may be a misconception that we manufacture raw goods. We do not. The vinyl, premask, stencil materials, inks, and so on we use are manufactured by companies like 3M, Avery, etc. They’re all very high quality raw goods used world wide in similar applications.
I believe what you saw in the video was actually the clear protective laminate being ripped from the decal. That laminate is not supposed to come off and that’s why there was a struggle. The laminate should not lift up at all, but again, this particular kit was problematic in more ways than one. The kit in the video is not manufactured in the same way or in the same facility as our Trans Am decal kits.
Now, as far as the accuracy of our kits – yes, we always use original, NOS pieces when available. Granted, not every decal, stripe or individual piece of a stripe package is going to be at our disposal. In those situations we’re forced to rely on other means. We will always bring the most accurate kits to market that we possibly can. We have thousands of decal and stripe kits available not only for vehicles from the big three but AMC and Jeep as well. Are there going to be some hiccups here and there? You bet. Do we do our best to fix them? Always.
Like many of you, I’ve been a muscle car enthusiast my entire life. Anyone who’s restored an old car knows reproduction parts may sometimes slightly differ from originals. Heck, even over the counter service parts are often different than the ones originally found on the car. This is not an excuse for shortcomings, just an explanation as to why original parts may not be exactly the same as NOS parts or reproduction parts. Our mission is to produce decals to look the way they did when the car was new. Some of the finest, most valuable muscle cars in the world wear our stripes and we're proud of that.
We do not take our customer’s concerns lightly. Your feedback is important to us and we appreciate your interest in our company. We have customer service reps available M-F from 8-5 MST to answer any questions you may have about our products. Thanks for your continued support!
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Well I had the same problem with the clear protective cover it came off that same way and pulled some of the color along with it.
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about your 77-78 SE kit why is the gold not correct if you use NOS material to go by?
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Well I had the same problem with the clear protective cover it came off that same way and pulled some of the color along with it.
Was this brought to our attention? Was it replaced for you? I've seen paper mask lift ink as well. Not saying it's not a problem, just that it's not because of a different type of premask. Please call our customer service reps at 800.941.4550 to resolve problems such as this. Thank you.
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about your 77-78 SE kit why is the gold not correct if you use NOS material to go by?
As far as I know, we've never had any complaints about the coloring of our 1976-78 S/E kits. Those kits dress some of the highest quality, show winning, magazine featured Trans Ams out there.
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Well I had the same problem with the clear protective cover it came off that same way and pulled some of the color along with it.
Was this brought to our attention? Was it replaced for you? I've seen paper mask lift ink as well. Not saying it's not a problem, just that it's not because of a different type of premask. Please call our customer service reps at 800.941.4550 to resolve problems such as this. Thank you.
Yes I did call told them all the issues I had with the decal they said since they couldn't find the original order number they couldn't replace it said they would give me a discount on the next one I bought. I told them I was not going to buy another one and that I was just going to tear off the one I just put on and throw it in the trash.
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about your 77-78 SE kit why is the gold not correct if you use NOS material to go by?
As far as I know, we've never had any complaints about the coloring of our 1976-78 S/E kits. Those kits dress some of the highest quality, show winning, magazine featured Trans Ams out there.
That doesn't mean the color is correct. It just means people don't know what is correct. If I can find the pictures of the comparison I will post them.
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about your 77-78 SE kit why is the gold not correct if you use NOS material to go by?
As far as I know, we've never had any complaints about the coloring of our 1976-78 S/E kits. Those kits dress some of the highest quality, show winning, magazine featured Trans Ams out there.
That doesn't mean the color is correct. It just means people don't know what is correct. If I can find the pictures of the comparison I will post them.
This was the same exact excuse I got when I called them even though the order was placed the week before :/ Mine seemed to match OK but the clear premast was a pita to pull off and I do a lot of vinyl. It pulled harder on the names. It pulled so hard on those that it pulled some of the color off and stayed stuck to the premast.
I tried to find anywhere else to get what I needed but PG was the only choice for a '80 Pace car. :(
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I had the eagle on the side of my car give me issues. Fr the record they were replaced at no cost after I brought it up a few times. I think part of the issue is the premask is the exact size as the emblem so when you try to lift it, you catch the decal as well. This seems the case in he sail panel bird especially. Maybe make the masking a tad bit larger so you have something to grab ahold of?
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I had the eagle on the side of my car give me issues. Fr the record they were replaced at no cost after I brought it up a few times. I think part of the issue is the premask is the exact size as the emblem so when you try to lift it, you catch the decal as well. This seems the case in he sail panel bird especially. Maybe make the masking a tad bit larger so you have something to grab ahold of?
I brought up that same issue about the premask being made bigger when I talked to them. The response that I got was that their manufacture of the graphics Die cuts the stuff that way and they can't change it. So I wonder does Phoenix Graphics actual produce the graphics in house or are they just a distributor and have them made somewhere else to their specs.
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I had the eagle on the side of my car give me issues. Fr the record they were replaced at no cost after I brought it up a few times. I think part of the issue is the premask is the exact size as the emblem so when you try to lift it, you catch the decal as well. This seems the case in he sail panel bird especially. Maybe make the masking a tad bit larger so you have something to grab ahold of?
I brought up that same issue about the premask being made bigger when I talked to them. The response that I got was that their manufacture of the graphics Die cuts the stuff that way and they can't change it. So I wonder does Phoenix Graphics actual produce the graphics in house or are they just a distributor and have them made somewhere else to their specs.
It's just a cheaper way of doing it therefore they are not going to change. Heck, I feel the quality was better from PG 20 years ago compared to today.
For custom stuff I use a smaller company that cuts/prints vinyl in house. They wait 24 hours after printing before applying premast. They too recomend the plastic over the masking type because it will help keep the decal from stretching when applying too much pressure when you are working out the moisture. They do have a machine that cuts out the premast but it is always at least a 1" bigger than the decal itself.
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Because of customer feedback, our 1978-1980 style hood bird decals have been modified to make removing the transfer tape easier for less experienced applicators. There will be a 1/2" boarder of mask surrounding the decal. This has been in the works for a while and in fact, all of the Blue kits that we have in stock at this time were produced that way. Other colors will follow in the months to come. Clearly this as nothing to do with cost saving measures as previously stated. As always our goal is to produce the best product possible.
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For LESS experienced applicators that's funny.
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Now they need to supply installation instructions in the kits describing the application process. Things like recommended drying times before peeling off the mask and ways to remove excess glue residue left behind things like that.
Hey PG how about you guys doing an installation video of your own product and posting it on your Youtube site. How to video's would be great from Phoenix Graphics. It might save them a lot of phone calls. I'd be more than happy to come work with you guys on these video's.
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Now they need to supply installation instructions in the kits describing the application process. Things like recommended drying times before peeling off the mask and ways to remove excess glue residue left behind things like that.
Hey PG how about you guys doing an installation video of your own product and posting it on your Youtube site. How to video's would be great from Phoenix Graphics. It might save them a lot of phone calls. I'd be more than happy to come work with you guys on these video's.
They would have to get off the computer and find a car to slap decals on then instead of blaming those of us for improper techniques. Funny, I guess me doing vinyl for the last 15 years I've been doing it wrong. I could just see my area dealerships if I told them on a brand new ZL1 Camaro that I will put the decal on today and tomorrow I will pull off the pre-mast lol. That'd go over well. Again I will state even with the cheapo aftermarket decals I get for dealerships that cost $50 or even the high end aftermarket that run $600, never had I've ever been told I have to wait a day to pull premast off. I've also never had the premast pull the colors off the decals either.
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I will suggest one better, I have sent an email offering my vehicle up once painted for an instructional video in their place of business. Anxiously waiting for a reply! ;)
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I will suggest one better, I have sent an email offering my vehicle up once painted for an instructional video in there place of business. Anxiously waiting for a reply! ;)
Good Luck with that.
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THANKS!^
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I know this is an old topic but my decals are not old and I still had an issue with the premask not coming off. I have done a lot of decal and never had it be such a pain. The sign shop has been doing this for 30 years and agrees that it shouldn't be this tough. Now I have a crappy looking bird on my hood.
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I recently ordered a set also, but they haven't arrived yet. I plan on having an experienced sign shop do the install. I guess we'll see how it goes.
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Hitch, make sure to let your person know about these issues. Like I said, I am a seasoned veteran when it comes to vinyl and stripes. I also do complete vehicle wraps too. Never had I see such an issue than when using these PG kits. Now a few years ago I installed just a hoodbird for a friend on a '78 TA and that one didn't seem too bad. The last one for my PACE was horrid though.
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I will do that, thanks. I'll give an update on this thread once they're on.
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Sorry, I'm kind of late to this topic, but what are the alternatives to PG?
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Stencils and stripes. Hitch btw it was a professional sign shop I used.
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My initial order was to Stencils and Stripes, but they were out of the gold fender decals and expected at lease 6 weeks before another run, so figured I'd try PG, in spite of the feed back I've read. Decals arrived yesterday and I plan to make an appointment with the sign shop this week.
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Well, took my car the sign shop today to have the new decals installed. Drove it there in the pouring rain ( new Hurst seals didn't leak! yeah!) and dropped it off about 9:30am. She called me back about 1:30pm and said they were all done. End result, couldn't he happier. Everything came out very nice and she said she had no problems with the installation. I asked her about the plastic vs paper, and she said she actually prefers the plastic because it stretches or something. ?? Anyways, here's a pic:
(http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr239/Hitch967/DSC02327_zps9674ee4c.jpg) (http://s487.photobucket.com/user/Hitch967/media/DSC02327_zps9674ee4c.jpg.html)
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Now THAT looks great!!!
A sign shop did it? Are they used to working on car decals too?
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Thanks!
Yes, she does signs, auto graphics, banners, etc. I think these types of places have more experience installing decals than most body shops do.
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Thanks!
Yes, she does signs, auto graphics, banners, etc. I think these types of places have more experience installing decals than most body shops do.
youre in meadville? I work in Greenville lol
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Thanks!
Yes, she does signs, auto graphics, banners, etc. I think these types of places have more experience installing decals than most body shops do.
youre in meadville? I work in Greenville lol
Yep, I work in Meadville, but live closer to Cambridge Springs. I get down around Greenville now and again for work also. Isn't there a big auto parts meet in Canfield?
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Looks good. Most sign shops do graphics/lettering on vehicles too. Glad it turned out well. Also, the plastic keeps the vinyl from stretching while the paper backing can rip a little causing it to stretch vinyl. Depending what and where I am placing the vinyl, sometimes I like to have no premask at all.
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Thanks!
Yes, she does signs, auto graphics, banners, etc. I think these types of places have more experience installing decals than most body shops do.
youre in meadville? I work in Greenville lol
Yep, I work in Meadville, but live closer to Cambridge Springs. I get down around Greenville now and again for work also. Isn't there a big auto parts meet in Canfield?
yes. It was a month or so ago. Which shop did the bird and are you still doing bezels?
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[/quote]yes. It was a month or so ago. Which shop did the bird and are you still doing bezels?[/quote]
The sign shop is in Saegertown, just off the I-79 Exit and called 'Signs by Renee.' She said she's been doing the sign work for 26 years now.
Yep, I still do the bezels. I never advertise, as the work always seems to find me. Let me know if you need one done.
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The sign shop is a really good Idea. Also try window tinting...they are mobile, and can apply them in your garage.
Applying decals for the first time can go great, or go horribly wrong. Experience is everything. I've done a few.
I spend 15 minutes on each decal piece making alignment point with blue painters tape, so when the process starts, all I had to do was center my alignment points on the decal to the alignment points on the T/A.
When I did mine, I started with one small piece on the fender, and probably spent 1/2 hour understanding how PG's Slide product line worked.
1) Use painters tape to set alignment points
2) Pre-App(Stage I) cleans and preps the area. Let dry.
2) Soaked a sponge in a bucket of warm water. Rung out, squirt some Slide On (Stage II) on to the sponge, and apply it to the area of interest. I like to apply it heavy, although it gets messy. I then dry my hands, and carefully pull back the masking, paying attention that the vinyl decal is staying on the pre-masking (very important or you will ruin the decal). I then take the sponge and apply Slide On to the vinyl decal. When the decal goes on the car, it should slide easily across the area (Slide On makes this happen). Center your alignment points, and carefully start squeeging the liquid out the side, along with any air bubbles (This is where experience is key). With small decals, air pockets can be easily removed, and experience level is somewhat basic. Once the decal is applied, and air bubbles removed. Use a hair dryer and your hand to dry out the pre-mask (don't let it get hot!!!). Go over the dry decal pre-mask again with the squeegee lightly, working out the air bubbles. Of coarse the bird is the hardest, because air bubbles can be trapped 8 inch from any edge or more, making the hood bird frustrating. This is why window tinting applicators might have the talent needed to apply the big bird. Remember, alignment points need to be ready before the Slide On is applied to the decal and car. Go heavy on the Slide On
Decal's don't last forever, at some point they need replaced, like 10 year old tires. There are some tricks to prolonging the appearance of the decals, and that is the use of a vinyl conditioner/UV protectant. Part of PG's kit is the Slide Over product. On new decals, Slide Over is a protectant. On older decals, it restores...up to a point, and slows down fading. I bought a couple more bottles and use it on the interior.