How to: Tail light tint

[calvin.lehman]

[IMG][/IMG]

heres how mine turned out

[F35-JSF]

Originally Posted by mousethis

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Then I tapped them off in order to paint them.


Overall I learned a lot but I did a really poor job painting the tails. Since I didn't do the job right the first time now I have to do it all over again. I think we had ambient temp probs since the outside temp was like 38 degrees Fahrenheit. We used VHT Nite-Shades and it went on pretty bad. Next time I will do it when it is warmer or use my garage while running the heat in there.I wanted them to be similar to Misfire's but I did a poor job and to top it off I went too dark.

Before:


After:

Looks good to me. Did you sand them? One of the reasons I haven't done this is I don't want to sand them and they turn dull constantly as the polishing wears off..

[mousethis]

Originally Posted by F35-JSF

Looks good to me. Did you sand them? One of the reasons I haven't done this is I don't want to sand them and they turn dull constantly as the polishing wears off..

I didn't sand them at all. I just cleaned them really well then tapped and applied the nite-shades. I saw that misfire had done his without sanding them and like you i didn't want to sand the lights. They look good but if you get real close you can see it didn't apply evenly and there are some spots if you get within a few inches. I think this would have worked better if i had not tried to do this in almost freezing temps. I would recommend you shake the crap out of the can then apply.

I may remove it with some non-acetate nail polish remover or gas then reapply it.

[calvin.lehman]

another tip that night shades stuff is really thin and likes to run. so I would recommend very light coats with enough dry time between the coats.

[jdubhack]

I did not sand mine and they have not dulled after 4 months in the OK heat. Sanding, if you wanted to reverse the tint, ruins the taillights. No bueno.

[JPfocus23]

Well I just finished tinting my tail lights, third brake light, and rear reflectors today. Just put them back on the car. I think they look really good on there. What are you opinions?

[Strix]

Originally Posted by JPfocus23

What are you opinions?

My opinion is that if you diminish the safety of your vehicle by modifying indicator lights for vanity's sake, you should be paying higher insurance premiums. Just saying...

Also, I wouldn't park it on the street at night if I were you. It's likely to get hit now that you've painted the reflectors black. I hope you have a streetlight to park under.

[JPfocus23]

Well good thing its my car and my choice. I do understand where you are coming from though. If it ends up being a problem, I will just reverse it. I'm not too worried about it.

[Strix]

Originally Posted by JPfocus23

Well good thing its my car and my choice. I do understand where you are coming from though. If it ends up being a problem, I will just reverse it. I'm not too worried about it.

You are right that it is your car and your choice. I normally wouldn't have said anything, but you did ask for opinions.

My point is... it might be your car to do with as you wish, but you have to share the road with others... and you are impeding their ability to drive safely when you lessen your own vehicle's visibility. Remember that if someone happens to rear-end you in the rain... it won't be entirely their fault.

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by Strix

You are right that it is your car and your choice. I normally wouldn't have said anything, but you did ask for opinions.

My point is... it might be your car to do with as you wish, but you have to share the road with others... and you are impeding their ability to drive safely when you lessen your own vehicle's visibility. Remember that if someone happens to rear-end you in the rain... it won't be entirely their fault.

I understand your concern, I was going through the same thought process before I did mine. But, to be fair, mine are as dark as his and my light output is still great;