The jeepfan.com 2004 TJ Wrangler Unlimited is painted white which can be a bit dull without a little contrast to break it up. Almost all of the non-white things on the Jeep are black which really breaks up the white making the Jeep more interesting. Black wheels and body armor look fantastic but the hood needed more.
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We decided on adding a black decal to the Jeep’s hood to cut down on the glare and break up all the white. The decal is made and sold by Quadratec and sits on the raised center section of the TJ hood. A low cost add on that adds to the appearance of the Jeep.
Application
We removed the insulation pad from under the hood followed by windshield bumpers, hoop, and washer nozzle.
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Before we got to installing the decal we needed to fix some hail damage on the Jeep’s hood to avoid the little dimples from being obvious under the matte black decal. After masking off the decal area the hood was gently sanded down. Using a little Bondo we filled in the hail damage dimples and sanded the hood smooth followed by some primer to seal everything off.
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It’s best to install the decal in a warm environment to allow the vinyl to relax. You may think applying the decal is tricky but it’s quite easy. Using some baby shampoo mixed with water spray down the hood generously. This is a two person job, peel the decal from the backing and gently place the decal on the hood. The soapy water will allow the decal to be maneuvered into place without rushing.
Once the decal is in place use the supplied tool starting from the middle of the decal to push the excess water out from under the decal. Be careful not to scrape too hard or allow the decal to move. Wipe up excess water as you go and continue to work out any air bubbles. When the decal is secured clean up the area and allow it to dry.
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After the decal has some dry time using a knife carefully cut out the holes for the parts that pass through the hood. Leaving small tabs of material that can fold in will prevent the decal from pulling away. Replace the bumpers, washer nozzle, and hoop. Marvel in your work.
The Jeep’s hood looks much better with the decal to separate all the white.
