Ford's pimp-my-ride plan

2011_ford_mustang_flame.top.jpgFord will 'paint' flames and other designs on selected vehicles. by Peter Valdes-Dapena, senior writer


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Mustang buyers will soon be able to get flames on their fenders right from the dealer, no fancy artistic skills needed.

Ford Motor Co. is bringing out a line of custom vinyl graphics car buyers can order to give their car or truck the appearance of a custom paint job without the paint.

The carmaker originally launched the Web site, fordcustomgraphics.com, back in November, but it only offered graphics for the Fiesta subcompact car which goes on sale in a few weeks.

The site will soon begin offering graphics for the Ford Mustang and the F-150 truck, both popular vehicles which are commonly customized by owners, Ford announced Wednesday.

"You click on your vehicle and its exterior color, select the graphics you like, and the Web site will show you exactly how the designs will look on your car or truck," said Jim Abraham, Ford's licensed accessories manager, in a company announcement.

The Web site was created by Original Wraps, Inc., which also provides the vinyl graphics.

Graphics for all other Ford models will be available by the end of this year, a Ford spokesman said. About 50 designs will be for created each model.

Designs to the Fiesta include urban skyline images, parrot wings and various shapes and patterns.

The designs, which are basically enormous decals, are installed by the dealer and, unlike paint, can be easily removed without damaging the underlying paint, Ford said. The designs are covered by a 3-year, 36,000 mile warranty.

Prices for the graphics range from $100 to $1,200, depending on the size and complexity of the image.

Toyota offers similar vinyl graphics on its youth-oriented Scion models. To top of page

Frontline troops push for solar energy
The U.S. Marines are testing renewable energy technologies like solar to reduce costs and casualties associated with fossil fuels. Play
25 Best Places to find rich singles
Looking for Mr. or Ms. Moneybags? Hunt down the perfect mate in these wealthy cities, which are brimming with unattached professionals. More
Fun festivals: Twins to mustard to pirates!
You'll see double in Twinsburg, Ohio, and Ketchup lovers should beware in Middleton, WI. Here's some of the best and strangest town festivals. Play
Find Your Next Car
Index Last Change % Change
Dow 12,801.23 -89.23 -0.69%
Nasdaq 2,903.88 -23.35 -0.80%
S&P 500 1,342.64 -9.31 -0.69%
Treasuries 1.97 -0.08 -3.81%
Data as of 6:54am ET
Company Price Change % Change
Bank of America Corp... 8.07 -0.11 -1.34%
General Electric Co 18.88 -0.26 -1.33%
Ford Motor Co 12.44 -0.25 -1.97%
Microsoft Corp 30.50 -0.28 -0.89%
Citigroup Inc 32.92 -0.74 -2.18%
Data as of Feb 10
Sponsors

Sections

How the legendary brand blew up its single-slogan approach and drafted a new playbook for the digital era. More

Obama's 2013 budget will include many tax proposals he has offered before. One new addition is the Buffett Rule, but don't expect much more detail. More

Buzzy social network Pinterest got caught in a disclosure controversy after users found affiliate links slipped into their pins. More

One family-owned Chicago pizzeria is helping to make love connections nationwide with heart-shaped pizzas on Valentine's Day. More

This year, taxpayers can claim up to $13,360 for each child they've adopted on their 2011 tax returns -- a major windfall for some unsuspecting parents. Just be prepared for long waits and the possibility of a tax audit. More

Market indexes are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer LIBOR Warning: Neither BBA Enterprises Limited, nor the BBA LIBOR Contributor Banks, nor Reuters, can be held liable for any irregularity or inaccuracy of BBA LIBOR. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2012 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer The Dow Jones IndexesSM are proprietary to and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of the Dow Jones IndexesSM © 2012 is proprietary to Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Association. The market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. Most stock quote data provided by BATS.