Need Help With Stripe Tape

[Tank Guy]

I ordered this truck in late 97 and picked it up in January of 98. It's been well cared for over the years as I firmly believe it's generally less expensive to maintain a vehicle that it is to replace it. It's a three quarter ton quad cab with a Cummins engine and it's been nearly trouble free for twenty six years. It even still has it's original clutch. The reason I'm here now is I have a stripe tape issue. I used to live in Southern California, and the truck spent a lot of time sitting in my driveway with the drivers side facing south. This thoroughly baked the stripe on the drivers side which I would like to replace with something that matches the original tape. The current tape is not original and was installed when the truck was repainted after being rear-ended while parked in front of my place late one night. The original tape was metallic green at the top and bottom with a silver stripe in the center. Phoenix Graphics sells the exact opposite and won't replicate mine until they have a good sample to base their reproduction on. So that's why I'm here. I'm hoping someone here on this board has the center band two tone paint job like mine as seen in the photo below and can send me a good picture of the stripe tape that I can forward to Phoenix Graphics. Even better would be an actual sample of new old stock tape if such a thing still exists somewhere.

 

[Tank Guy]

This is the damage I mentioned. This is the worst of it here, but the entire drivers side needs to be replaced. The correct part numbers are 5010870aa for the left side and 5010871aa for the right.

 

[Tank Guy]

After at least a ten year search I finally found a correct new old stock stripe tape for the right side. It's coming from Italy, so I'll post a better image of it when it gets here in a couple of weeks. Phoenix Graphics says they can replicate it if they have a proper sample, but I wonder about those guys. We'll see.

 

[Tank Guy]

The box of stripe tape arrived safely from Italy. Even though the part number printed on the box indicated right side stripe tape, the complete set in the box was clearly labeled for the left side. I have no idea how or why that would happen, but it's not important. It is the correct pattern that was originally on my truck. A nice sample has now been sent to Phoenix Graphics to see if they can replicate it. As far as I know it's the only one they don't currently reproduce for the 98 year model.

Below I've posted links to their website and their eBay listing where these stripe kits are sold. In their descriptions the top and bottom colors appear first, followed by the center color, so Silver/Green Met (1998-99) would be silver top and bottom with a green metallic center stripe. As mentioned above that's the exact opposite of mine. There's a good chance the colors are correct, just in the wrong positions, but they were unwilling to take a chance on that and insisted on waiting for a proper factory sample to turn up. The proper sample is on its way to them now and they should have it by Monday next week, so fingers crossed. As I said above, I've been waiting ten years at least for this sample to turn up.

Phoenix Graphix 1994-99 Dodge Ram Truck 3-Band (2-color) Stripe and Name Kit

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Dodge Ram Truck Stripe 3-Band (2-color) with Names | eBay

Produced & printed on High Performance, Automotive Grade, 2ml, Cast Vinyl. The best quality available. Fits long and short bed/cab. 1 Tailgate Stripe. MODEL: Dodge Truck. MAKE: Dodge. Phoenix Graphix provides ONLY the correct color stripe for your vehicle!

www.ebay.com

 

[Tank Guy]

I got a phone call today from Chris at Phoenix Graphix and he informed me that they will be able to replicate my stripe tape, so I went ahead and placed an order. They will also be adding it to the list of available stripe tape colors for the 2nd generation trucks, so that's great news. I can finally replace the incorrect tape on my truck with the right pattern and get rid of the badly damaged tape on the left side. Woo Hoo! Thanks to everyone that stopped by and read this thread and might have wanted to help but couldn't. It took me at least ten years to track down an original sample, so it figures that no one else had any idea what to do about it.

 

[huntergreen]

Great detective work. Truck looks to be in great shape. Look forward to mor pics.

 

[Tank Guy]

Just to wrap up this thread, here’s a picture of the new stripe tape that came from Phoenix Graphix. Unless I find something wrong with it when I have it applied, this issue is finally settled. Thanks for stopping by.

 

[zrock]

Nice looking truck and yes it is cheaper to maintain then buy new especially this day and age, unless you get a real lemon of a truck. You replacing both sides now as its really not going to match new and old..

 

[ric221]

Nice truck. Keep on keeping on with it.

 

[Tank Guy]

You replacing both sides now as its really not going to match new and old..

The truck has some minor paint issues that will require some of the green paint above the silver center band to be redone, namely some clear coat failure. I've been putting it off until I could find a proper stripe tape that was a better match to the original, which I now have. So yes, all of it will be replaced once the painting is done.