Pinstripes were once a popular way to make your car look sexy and showy without splashing out huge amounts of money on a new paint job. However, they're not to everyone's taste and if left on for too long, can actually damage the paint color. Many people have to spend extra time and money having their cars repainted after attempting to remove these decorations themselves, which can be avoided by following these simple steps. Before you start, gather the required equipment which includes: hair dryer or heat gun, plastic cutter, rubbing alcohol, adhesive removing sprays, Goo Gone (or another adhesive remover), electric drill and cloth.

Depending on what kind of pin stripe you have, the first thing to do is clean the area to make sure there's no dirt or debris that might scratch your paint as you try to remove it. Then, apply the heat from the blow dryer or the heat gun to a small section of the vinyl and wait until you can feel it starting to soften. Once you can, use a plastic cutter to run through underneath the pinstripe to cut it free.

If you've got tape stripes, the rest of the process is relatively straightforward. Rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl, applied to a paper towel can loosen up the glue and help the pinstripe come off in a few minutes. If you've got painted stripes, it might be a little more difficult to get them off without damaging the paint, but there are some tricks. WD-40, for example, is safe to use on the car and can help strip the paint. Always be sure to clean and wax the area after removing the stripe as well.