Tail Lights

dbizz23 · 06-20-2009, 10:15 PM

I was at my uncles car show today in chicago and i noticed that alot of the cars there had their tail lights tinted out. I never had an interest in it but today changed that opinion. I looked at my simple tail lights and thought "ive got a black alero, why dont i make the tail lights black too?" knight rider style. So now I'm interested about how i go about doing that to my alero. Any feedback will be appreciated

CactusWill · 06-20-2009, 10:24 PM

Search will work wonders for you. Its mixing clear coat and black paint to paint the lenses.

Valley olds · 06-20-2009, 10:27 PM

Check this out, but yeah, next time, search should be your bff

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showt...highlight=tint

dbizz23 · 06-20-2009, 10:50 PM

right on guys...i'm not much of a painter by any means, sounds a little complicating. i found this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-O...Q5fAccessories

dbizz23 · 06-20-2009, 10:52 PM

any clue if that product is any good? or should i figure out the paiting method

Atmosphere · 06-20-2009, 10:56 PM

I'd stick with spray tinting, that way you can control the darkness and mask off anything you don't want tinted, such as the reverse light. What you need is a can or two of VHT Nite Shades, you can get it pretty readily from major car part stores such as Advance Auto Parts and O'Reilly's. Make sure you grab some 1200 or higher grit sandpaper to help the adhesion process and to give them a nice, glossy finish.

dbizz23 · 06-20-2009, 11:06 PM

cool cool...i found this also...http://ls1tech.com/forums/paint-body...eparation.html

so in "tinting out tail lights for dummies terms"...i just take out my tail lights, buff out the lights so no Sh*t is on them, windex them down, nite shade it to my preferred darkness, then spray the clearcoat?

Atmosphere · 06-20-2009, 11:21 PM

Basically, minus the Windex. Use rubbing alcohol instead as it evaporates quickly and doesn't leave any residue or scents that could have an effect on the adhesion. Just make sure you sand every two coats to help minimize the formation of the "orange peel" texture. Also, stay at least 6-8 inches away from the light when you spray them, if they look glossy while you're tinting that means you're too close. They are supposed to be very matte/grainy while you're tinting, and then glossy after the clear coat.

dbizz23 · 06-20-2009, 11:47 PM

alright couple of questions...sand every two coats? so are you saying i spray two coats then sand it, then start spraying again? i'm a little lost about the sanding part...what EXACTLY do i use and where do i get it from? that's basically my only confusion

Atmosphere · 06-21-2009, 12:21 AM

I personally like using 2000 grit as it gives you extra control over the surface. Usually once you find the tint the sandpaper will be nearby.

Sand the tails initially to help the first coat adhere, then lightly sand again every two coats thereafter. Once you've gotten to your desired darkness and the tint is throughly dry (it's usually pretty dry after an hour, but wait a good 12-24 hours just to be safe) sand again and apply your clear coat. You shouldn't need any additional sanding after the clear.

Also, and this is a big one: make sure you spray the tint from all directions (or at least alternate directions between coats), other wise you'll end up with light areas around the edges.

If you mess up, rubbing alcohol or gasoline (whichever is more plentiful) will remove the tint very easily.

dbizz23 · 06-21-2009, 12:49 AM

right on man...thanks for the info. i'll give this a shot within the week and post about how it went. chances are i'll be back with questions guranteed

dbizz23 · 06-21-2009, 12:51 AM

Yup, i have one already...is it wet or dry paper that i'm buying?

dbizz23 · 06-21-2009, 12:54 AM

and am i getting the Duplicolor PNT BLK VHT 11 OZ

Valley olds · 06-21-2009, 01:09 AM

This is the paint you should be using. You should be able to find it at any auto parts store.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VH...9/?image=large

Atmosphere · 06-21-2009, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbizz23

Yup, i have one already...is it wet or dry paper that i'm buying?

Most sandpaper is designed to be used wet or dry. Some people will tell you to wet sand, but with 2000 grit I've never felt the need to.

And make sure you get VHT Nite Shades, it's your best bet over black spray paint.

dbizz23 · 06-21-2009, 02:41 AM

sweeet..thanks dudes

Xtrm · 07-04-2009, 12:05 PM

In my opinion, if sanding in between coats you should use wet sand paper and make sure its wet. This will give you a better finish in the long run.

worknprog.99 · 07-04-2009, 01:04 PM

dont sand in between coats.... and you can buy ightshades at pep boys..
just do multiple thin layers of it.. and make sure you hold the can high enough about the tails so that you dont get runny lines... and to aquire the shiny gloss slick finish, have a paint shop or dealer spray a lacquer clear coat.

(sanding may cause an uneven tint)