• Car lovers like to make their vehicles stand out with distinctive styling. Bold paint jobs are expensive, and pinstriping can be a more economical way to personalize a vehicle. Pinstriping does take skill, but the tools required for the job are inexpensive when compared to a full-body paint job.
  
  

Brushes

• Pinstriping brushes are the most important tools for an aspiring pinstriper. In comparison to regular paintbrushes, pinstriping brushes have a long, narrow tuft. There are 2 distinct edges to a pinstriping brush: a flat edge and one with a slight curve towards the tip. It's on this angled edge that the painting is done. The tufts of pinstriping brushes are made of either synthetic (nylon or polyester) or natural (usually blue squirrel) hairs. Synthetic tufts are easier to clean, but don't hold as much paint as natural tufts. Pinstriping brushes come in a variety of sizes, measured by tuft thickness.
  
  

Paints

• The ideal paint to use when pinstriping is an oil-based, high gloss enamel paint. This paint works best because it leaves almost no brush marks once applied. This type of paint can also be applied in very clean, sharp edges without the use of masking tape as an edger. These paints are generally dry to the touch within two to five hours (depending on the thickness of the application) and are easily removed if you make a mistake while pinstriping.
  
  

Mineral Spirits

• Odorless mineral spirits serve a dual purpose when pinstriping. This solvent makes cleaning your brushes easy when you're changing colors or once you've finished your project. Mineral spirits also can be used to thin out your paints so they flow better. The surface that you're painting on and the location that you're pinstriping may mean altering the consistency of the paint so that it doesn't gum up while you're still painting. Similar substances can be used for this purpose, but mineral spirits are the least expensive option.
  
  

Miscellaneous Tools

• Pinstriping requires the use of several auxiliary tools, including a palette, stir sticks, paper towels and templates. While you can use a painter's palette from a craft store, all that's really required for pinstriping is a magazine with glossy pages. The surface is smooth so you can easily apply the paint and since the pages are glossy it won't bleed through. Stir sticks can be found at any paint or craft store and are used when mixing a solvent with your paints to thin them out. Lint-free paper towels are ideal for pinstriping because they won't damage the paint job if you need to wipe away a mistake. Templates can be used both when you're learning the proper pinstriping techniques or when you're working on a complex design.