New to this forum so will be seeking info. Just purchased a 1971 Cougar standard hardtop. Bright Red, black vinyl top, factory a/c (not working but all there, and a few other options, one family owned. Will need to have painted in the future, no date set. QUESTION: Does anyone know of a template available or good instructions and measurements, on how the body guy/painter would paint on the three (3) pin stripes on lower part of car after the car is painted. I’m thinking when done at the factory had some sort of template. Thx…mike
Believe they were originally applied with a pinstriping tool. Popular at the time the end had provision for different number of round felt disc or different thickness. Often these would be used with a guide strip.
Did go all the way to the openings. Just like other Ford and Mercury products of the time and with the tool they often flair just slightly at the end and beginning of each pass where they may have originally placed a section of masking tape to indicate the starting and ending points of the set
Took measurements of mine before the repaint but have no idea where that piece of paper is and I’ve not reinstalled them since the repaint 
Can only find some slightly blurry pictures taken quickly as my focus must have been on something else at the time
I remember touring the GM plant here in KC in the 70’s, and watching them apply pinstripes. It was done exactly as you describe - they used metal guides and a ran a paint roller along it to apply the pinstripes in the correct shape and location. Masking tape was manually applied at all stop and start locations. And they actually pulled the cars off the assembly line to get pinstriped. So there was bunch of newly assembled bodies sitting around on dolleys waiting to get pinstriped before they were placed back on the line. I remember thinking there had to be a more efficient way to do it.
My 71 XR-7 is mostly original paint. When I was documenting the car I found this little factory “Opps”
This is the L/H front wheel opening on the forward edge. As I recall this also happened on the R/H rear.
thx to those who so far have sent info, all helpful. be interesting to see what the local paint shops come up with. Maybe even dig up a “pin stripper”. I’ve seen 71-73s repainted without the trim, I think the pin stripes add a lot to the large sides. thx again and will be looking for a lot more info on the 71-73s Your help is appreciated. …mike
They will likely go to the premade taping masks with all the stripes premeasured and arranged on one tape. Pretty easy to do that way. The come in a bunch of different number of stripes, width of each and so on. Just won’t get a completely factory looking stripe but most I think will not notice or care