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Jack Herrera: San Marcos' Master Pinstriper | 50 Years of Coachline Pinstriping Authority
How a Moped, a Used Car Lot, and 180,000+ Cars Created a Master Pinstriper.
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It started with a problem in 1976. My father was the Used Car Manager at Johnson & Son Lincoln-Mercury in Costa Mesa, and he was tired of the "flakes." The local pinstripers were artists, but they were unreliable. They would show up late, or not at all, leaving inventory stuck on the lot. 1976: The Spark I bought my first airbrush and painted custom stripes down the sides of my own 1964 Thunderbird. When my dad saw the result, he didn't just compliment me --he put me to work! I started riding my moped from dealership to dealership, carrying my brushes and paint in my saddle bags, proving that a teenager could out-work the veterans. |
having fun striping in the 70's.
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1977: The Full-Service Evolution In 1977, after upgrading to a new van, my education went deeper. My father saw that dealerships needed more than just stripes—they needed restoration. I learned the delicate art of color-matching and re-dying faded vinyl tops and interiors, turning worn-out trade-ins into front-line retail units. Then came the Vinyl Shift. As imports and 4-cylinder economy cars began to dominate the market, the industry went to "tape" vinyl stripes. I didn't resist the change; I mastered it. I began applying custom vinyl packages to nearly every car on the lots, adding wheel opening moldings and door edge protectors to maximize the vehicle's curb appeal. This period was my crucible. At the height of this era, I was styling hundreds of cars every single month. |
My first hand-painted Coachline pinstriping was on the showroom white Rolls Royce.
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1986: The Carlsbad Expansion After relocating to Carlsbad, I realized that to serve the best, I had to be the most accessible. I bought a new van and installed one of the first commercial cellular phones on the market. That van became a mobile command center, allowing dealers and collision centers to reach me instantly while the competition was still waiting by landlines. The Family Business My father joined the venture, bringing his legendary sales skills to the front lines while I handled the brush. The Daily Hustle Demand skyrocketed. At our peak, I was hand-painting an average of 20 vehicles every single day. |
having fun pinstriping hood designs
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1991: The Digital Pivot While others stuck to paint, I embraced the future. I bought one of the first commercial vinyl plotters and installed it in my van. I wasn't just pinstriping cars anymore; I was branding entire dealership infrastructures —service drives, showroom windows, and parts trucks. I became the "Secret Weapon" for dealers across San Diego. |
Our Mobile hand-painted pinstriping vans
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2006: The French Discovery In 2006, I discovered a rare, solid-color wrapping vinyl from France that was virtually unknown in the United States. It wasn't just a sticker; it was a second skin.
I put this new material to the test with a high-profile commission for Lexus Carlsbad. I transformed two pace cars using Gloss Red and Black Carbon Fiber. The cars didn't just turn heads at the race; they proved that vinyl could rival factory paint. I wasn't just wrapping cars; I was restyling them. I focused on Concept Car Accents—wrapping hoods, roofs, and mirrors to create multi-layered, two-tone designs that gave production cars a custom, one-of-a-kind attitude. |
My first carbon fiber car wraps.
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2016: Total In-House Control The In-House Expansion I stopped outsourcing. To guarantee the "Herrera Standard," I brought all technology in-house. I added state-of-the-art printing, cutting, and laminating equipment to my studio. This wasn't just about budget; it was about control. It allowed me to deliver bespoke, museum-quality graphics for any client, on any timeline. |
my design studio and production room.
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Jack Herrera | Cars and Stripes | San Marcos - 92078
Providing on-site mobile pinstriping and coachlining to Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, and North County San Diego.
