Smoked tail lights tutorial Lots of pix

[CodeRed]

Okay this is a write up for making your tail lights smoked or blacked out.

***REMEMBER THIS IS NOT I REPEAT NOT REVERSIBLE UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPEND HOURS SANDING DOWN TO THE PLASTIC, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!***

Ok first off tools and accessories!

1. Socket Wrench with sockets2. Needle nose pliers3. 600 grit sand paper4. Nite Shades4. An automotive clear coat5. Squirt bottle, filled with water and a few drops of dish soap6. 2000 Grit sand paper7. Sponge8. Rubbing compound (the red one)9. Electronic buffer (not necessary)10. flat head screw driverthats it

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On to the real work *cracks knuckles*

First off removal of the lights

You will need your flat head screw driver to remove the 2 tabs covering the 2 screws that hold the light in place.







Ok now that the taps are off you can get your socket wrench and right size socket (sorry i forgot the size just trial and error) you will need the extender beacause the bolt is some distance back.



as for the second bolt this one you can get loosend with the need lenose pliers then fully remove with your fingers.



I also found it safer to buy an extender magnet so that you dont drop the bolts anywhere down in the body!!!



just stick it on the thread while un screwing it.Do the same with the other tail light.

After the bolts are out you can now preceed with removing the light itself

just pull back on it, it will take some force because there is some double sided tape holding it on.



After removing the light you can now remove the brake, turn, and reverse lights by twisting the connector counter clockwise.





After there out to prevent damage to them i just wraped them in a microfiber towel.



Done with removing

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Priming

First start off with a nice painting surface.



For a little extra security i taped up the holes that the bulbs were in



kClean the lights with a little soapy water to remove grime and w/e could be on them. rinse with water leave no soap behind.

Whip out your 600 grit sand paper and sand away untill it looks like....



This.

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Painting.

After sanding remember to clean with the soapy water again remember to leave no soap behind....again

Allow to fully dry or else you will pay with one messed up paint job.

pop open your can of Nite Shades



Start painting, if you read the back of the can you would know that you should be painting 12-18 inches away, your suposta do light coats....really light coats. the more coats the darker.

After first coat dosent look like much but we are going to get there.

Allow 10 min to dry inbetween coats



Second coat



third coat (with flash off)



with flash on



Fourth coat with flash off



With flash on



Allow to fully dry before moving on to clear coat.

The clear coat you can put on a lot thicker and a lot closer but dont let it runHere is a pic after the first clear coat, with the flash on.



Apply any number of clear coats, i did 3

moving on!

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Wet Sanding....yea!

K, a lot of people will say to do this on the car, but dont you could scratch your band new car's paint.

Make sure the clear coat has had atleast! 4 hours to set.

Making sure again you have a well preped surface gather your tools, 2000 grit sand paper, Spray bottle (with soapy water), sponge, bandade's(you'll see why)

Proceed to spray the soapy water on your lights and on the 2000 grit sand paper







Wrap the sand paper around the sponge, i used this instead of a sanding brick you dont really need this you can do it with your hand.



Wet Sand untill you remove all the orange peel (please google if you dont know it is.)



There is a pic after wet sanding

This is why you need bandade's

Codered 0, Sand paper paper cut +1



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Rubbing compound & polishing

Smheer rubbing compound all over the tail lights with a moist cloth and allow to dry to a haze then rub off with a clean cloth



You will now see that your tail lights arent exactly smooth or have a good looking finish, just bare with me.

Put the lights back on the car and again apply some rubbing compound on them, but work a section at a time and now use your buffer (if you dont have a buffer use your wax on wax off motion.) and proceed to buff the heck out of it when you are done wipe it off, move on to another section.

here is a picture after i was done with the buffing.









As you can see, its a mirror finish!

You are done just reassemble the same as assembily.

I forgot to add one important little tid bit. alcohol removes nite shades in if you accidently get it on any surface a little alcohol will remove it.

any questions please ask.

Modified by CodeRed at 7:06 PM 6/4/2007
Modified by CodeRed at 9:49 AM 6/5/2007

[benchthug]

Good job codered...

[Martin Roy]

Dude, you did your paint job over a Hyundai ad and a Toyota Logo. Good job

[reyes1212]

FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

THANKs A BIG HUGE BUNCH i was wondering how to do it!dang im going to go buy the tools needed NOWthanks good job code

[Beancooker]

Awesome write up. I was fortunate enough that my Maxima came with smoked tails, but might need to smoke the centers. Once again, that was awesome.

You scored a custom title for that one. What would you like?

[BenzTech Gone Versa]

on previous cars i've owned, I actually got away without sanding the lense before paint.nice job on the lenses.

[jquick]

STICKY!!lol how many cans did u use i see 3 in one pic

[blake.pizzey]

looks great, good turtorial too

maybe post more pics of the finished product thanks

[CodeRed]

STICKY!!lol how many cans did u use i see 3 in one pic

i only used about 1 and 1/2 but the other ones are from when my friend did his, i just used them as paper weights i ran out of tape.

[CodeRed]

Awesome write up. I was fortunate enough that my Maxima came with smoked tails, but might need to smoke the centers. Once again, that was awesome.

You scored a custom title for that one. What would you like?

you've got mail

[bosoversa]

been reading this forum for a few months, but just noticed now you live in springs. i live im pompano but im in springs quite often. ill keep an eye out for a smoked tail'ed versa. looks great!

[CodeRed]

SOUTH FLORIDA VERSA MEET!

[bosoversa]

oh true. you know about the home depot spot on thursdays? by coral square?

[CodeRed]

oh true. you know about the home depot spot on thursdays? by coral square?

ah, you mean all the stupid kids who go to the taco bell parking lot?

[bosoversa]

yeah haha that sounds right. i went there once, but i only mention it because its in springs and some people i work with go out there.

[evil200000000]

very nice!!I'm gonna give this a try. Does anyone know if this is legal in Canada? Where can you get the nite shade? Thanks a lot!!!
Modified by evil200000000 at 9:37 PM 6/5/2007

[Martin Roy]

Where can you get the nite shade?

By going on VHT's website, you can find a list of all the local retailer ou retail chain (distributor) in your area. They don't always have it in stock, but it's a good place to start.

[CodeRed]

Ebay

[cucarachafea]

Is there any laws against doing this? Will it pass the states safety regulations. I love the way this looks but since its not reversable, I dont want to end up buying new tail lights.

[CodeRed]

Is there any laws against doing this? Will it pass the states safety regulations. I love the way this looks but since its not reversable, I dont want to end up buying new tail lights.

I'm sure you can get away with out sanding and as i said b4 niteshades is removable via alcohol

[HareBrained]

I'm sure you can get away with out sanding and as i said b4 niteshades is removable via alcohol

... just don't clear coat over top ...

[CodeRed]

no you can clear over the top you will just have to sand down past the clear coat

[Ever Victorious]

Is there any laws against doing this? Will it pass the states safety regulations. I love the way this looks but since its not reversable, I dont want to end up buying new tail lights.

To answer that, you need to go to your state's motor vehicle regulations web page. It's different by state. Kinda like tinting.

[reyes1212]

i believe it's legal only if the brake, turning, and reverse lights can be omitted through the lense

P.S.

man everywhere i go they seem to not have it or it's out of freakin stock man....this blows

[CodeRed]

ebay

[versaspeed.com]

Geeze.........I wish I had all that time to do a project like that.. IF some of you don't have the time "and time is money", I have a set in stock professionally done "looks like from the factory" with a mirror finish and your done in an hour! And you can see pictures of a set on my Versa at the versaspeed site.

[CodeRed]

lol, i hope im not making versaspeed lose any money but yes, versaspeed's look great

[reyes1212]

i concur

oh and are they really online?i tried night shades and VHT but nothing came up...hmm i'll try again

[CodeRed]

i concur

oh and are they really online?i tried night shades and VHT but nothing came up...hmm i'll try again

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

[HareBrained]

CodeRed, When are you going to make this sticky?