Tail light tint

Post by **seemerollin** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Ive seen some of the members here have there tail lights tinted i love this. How is it done, is it some kind of spray or what?

Post by **scruffy63** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

i know if you go to a hobby shop you can get spray tint for rc cars. i did this when I had my jetta and i'm goin to do this tomorrow also to my 240.very easy.

Post by **seemerollin** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

what is it called

Post by **scruffy63** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

the tint I have is called racing finish window tint

Post by **scruffy63** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

http://www.testors.com/catalog...=1243

this is exactly it. but I got it from a shop not the internet.

Post by **Charlie240sxt** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Its me.

Its called Night shade. Pics on my webpage I think page 6

I got mine at orillys my buddy ther called arospeed and thay had it for like 8 bucks after shipping

Or the stuff up ther but i used more then 4oz to do mine and i used most of it

Post by **MikeYeeS13** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

I honestly don't really like it, it's a little too much like getting blackouts.

Post by **thekage** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

If you would leave circles in it like a skyline.. that would be teh HOT.

Post by **whiterps13** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

thekage wrote:If you would leave circles in it like a skyline.. that would be teh HOT.

:withstup

Post by **Charlie240sxt** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Well if you look at my hole car its all red and black. That and i dont care to try and make my car something its not and that would look like s***

Post by **scruffy63** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

^^^^^^^ that would look horrible. having spray tinted before I can say it wouldn't look good at all.i really like the way you did your lights very very dark. how is the lighting.

Post by **Chingon** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

i dislike it....A LOT.

Post by **MainEvent212** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

i think it's cool, just not really on a red car...if it was on my car though...daaaaamn! it'd blend right in!

Post by **ILikeMy240sx** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Yea.. I think it would look better on a black car but red/black doesnt clash too much...

I personally like the stock look of s14 tails tho...

Checkered-Member · Post by **Checkered-Member** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

i did a write up on another site. here it is:

Background on this project:

I wanted to tint (smoke or black-out) my tail lights, so I did a search on .net, not only did I come out empty, I didn’t even find what kind of product to use. Even on the internet there was scares information.

This DIY isn’t as easy as it might sound, it takes some skill, a lot of time and patience.

Important note: this mod is labeled “off road only” You might even get a ticket, I strongly recommend getting higher wattage bulbs, to prevent the above.

This same procedure may be used on Headlights, but here are the problems; at night you will have a hard time seeing, other motorists will have a hard time seeing you and you might get a Fix-it ticket that will cost you $500 for new headlights. Also the headlights get very hot, and take a lot of beating; this might damage the paint and/or the headlights over time.

Materials:

Time: about 10 hours, sounds crazy, you are only doing 30 min of actual work, the rest 9 and a half are waiting for various coats to dry.

1 can of “tint spray”

I used “Night Shades” made by VHT, this product is specifically designed for this type of project. (I heard of some other products available, you can use them, exact application, and the # of coats might be different)You will need one can if you are doing just the tails, (I ended up using the entire can) this stuff isn’t that cheap 10 bucks a can + shipping,

1 can of Clear Coat

Any type will do, UV protection recommended (it is hard to find a can that says “UV protection”, your best chance is to get one designated for cars, or outdoor)I used Plasti-Kate, Classic Lacquer - 4 bucks at pepboys

An 8mm socket

Philips screw driver (size tip: medium-large)

Newspapers, disposable gloves, thin grocery type plastic bags.

Higher wattage bulbs (very recommended)

Getting started:

You will need to work in a shady, well ventilated, clean environment with no outside disturbances (pets, kids, bugs) temperature should be within 60-80F (16-27C) and humidity should be less then 60%*(*sorry FL people*)

First wash your tail lights with soapy water (regular car wash soap will do fine) dry them really well, so there will be no water marks or streaks.

Note: this step is for an Altima

There will be 5 clips around the tails, they can be a pain to remove, (remove as many as you want, so you have plenty of space to work in), for some you will have to use a Philips screw driver to unlock them. Pull back the trunk lining, you will see 3 bolts and there is one more that is hidden, remove them, and remove the wiring harness. (remove the main one, you don’t have to remove individual bulb harness)

Now this is a tricky (sticky) part, there is strong adhesive that keeps water from getting into your trunk, wear gloves for this step, that stuff smells and will satin your hands for days. You need to heat it up, you may use a hair dryer but here is a trick I use: park the car so the rear will face the sun wait 20-30 min, then from the back while supporting the front slide them out, try to keep adhesive intact, you will need to reuse it later (yes you can get new one, but that is a real hassle and a mess). Once the light assembly is out, put the thin plastic on the black stuff, on the car and the lights, this will prevent dust and paint settling in so you can reuse it later on.

Put tail lights assembly on a bunch of newspapers horizontality (so they are not standing up), let them cool if they are hot.

Painting:

Right before painting wipe them one more time to remove any dust or finger prints.

Shake the can really well (1 min should do it) release a bit of paint on a news paper before putting any coat (especially the first one) so there will be an even spray every time.

Hold the can 10-12 inches away from the lens, not too close or the paint will run and not too far or else the paint coat will appear dull. Apply in a crosshatch motion, on each stroke, start spraying before you reach the taillights, and spray a little past the taillights. so that the corners and ends are evenly covered, do light coats so the paint won’t run.

(all drying times will vary I did this at 90F and 10% humidity lower number in dry conditions, higher number in humid conditions)

Wait 15-25 min for the first coat to dry. Reapply coats every 10-20 min. (remember to release a bit of paint before starting each coat). The number of coats will depend on how much amber you want to cover, if you have a white or black car, you want a good contrast or blend, 6-7 coats should work, other colors stick with 4-5. All numbers depend on how far you held the can; don’t just blindly do 7 coats only to find out that it is too dark, do 3 then keep adding until you are happy with the level of darkness.

Wait 30-60 min for the tint to dry, then apply clear coat, again shake can really well, and release some paint before starting to paint. Hold can 8-12” from lens and apply in crosshatch motion. The amount of coats depends of how shiny are the tails. 1 coat should do fine, but if your tails still appear a bit dull add another coat, still not happy add a third. Wait 10-20min between coats.

Now let the tails sit 4-6 hours.

Important Note: If you screwed up during any part, you will need to remove all coats with a solvent, which will also remove the clear coat on your taillights, they will be ruff and dull, and you will have to redo everything, so this is a one way mod.

Finishing Up:

Replace your bulbs with the high wattage once (optional, but very recommended) Remove the plastic bag, on the light assembly and car, carefully put tails back on, be sure the adhesive meets up on both ends and not smeared, reattach the wiring harnesses and the screws, and secure the trunk lining with all clips. Now step back and admire your work.

Post by **Thrwnsprkz** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

accually i did that last week... it wasnt hard at allthe most time consuming task was removeing the tail lights

i only tinted the tails a bit to smoke em' you can barely tell their tinted except the reverse lense is darker...

i blacked out the 3rd brake lense and the amber corners of my S14

i think it looks good... but then again i didnt use clear coat on the tails... only the corners, clear coat is a b****, never goes outta a can the way you want it too...

Post by **Charlie240sxt** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Lighting is good at night during the day it could be a bit briter but it seems to work its been that way for about 3 weeks and nothing but has happend

Only thing about my car is everything is Red and Black and i hate the 95-96 tails. I'm not one to spend 300+ on 97-98 tails right now. i got better things to do with 300+ bucks.

Post by **SilviaS14KA24DE** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

shouldn't you have painted them from the inside?

Post by **rico05** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Damn, that looks nice. I ahve always been a fan of tinted lenses. Hmmmm. I am now considering doing this.

Odd how when you just finnish 1 project, you go to take on 35 more:D

Post by **mattc240** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

I got a 96 240 that's red and i thought about that too...but what if you don't like it after you do it?

Post by **SilviaS14KA24DE** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

then you're ****ed

Post by **mattc240** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Dude Charlie your tails look sweet as heck man i am def. gonna do it now considering your car looks just like mine but i got a wing on mine...nice rim job

Post by **mattc240** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Post by **RedHatchback** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Me and a buddy of mine tinted our taillights a while ago.We just basically used Dupli-Color Acrylic enamel paint on them and they look good in my opinion,and light shows through just fine.

Post by **mattc240** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Dang...so we could use that instead of buying the big expensive shiztz..Lol...Do you have any pics of it??

Post by **S13 King** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Well, I think that it looks good on certain cars. But in the end it all comes down to what you want.

I say go for it.

Post by **RedHatchback** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Yeah,I'll try to post pics today if I can get my digi cam to work.

Post by **mattc240** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

Post by **S14DrifterSC** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

I tried to tint my taillights with the spray tint and It looked good at first then a little later they turned gray. Anyone trying to sell S14 taillights.

Post by **SilviaS14KA24DE** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:14 am

go to the Buy sell trade section. then go to parts and equipment. I saw 97 taillights going for 475 or something like that. Ask around in there and in general chat also

Tail light tint

Tail light tint

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