Opinions on tinted tail lights

[SpeedBuild]

Alright so I'm looking at tinting my tail lights but I need some input from you guys on what looks best. Here are my 3 options: Turn signal only(clear piece)/entire light but turn signal(Red piece)/entire light. Let me know what you guys think and some pics of yours would be great. Thanks.

[dstmsp03]

entire light! just my .02 though..

[zuku26]

What color is your MSP

[SpeedBuild]

My MSP is black Mica. So I wasn't too sure. I was heading towards just doing the turn signal alone but not too sure just yet

[Rush]

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123712121

[SpeedBuild]

Okay here is what the back of my MSP looks like except the emblem looks different. I'm going for that black and red scheme on the outside of the car as the calipers are painted red, red mazdaspeed winshield outlien decal, red mazdaspeed sideskirts outline decal, and the back emblem is painted all black with a red M on it similar to the one below along with the one on the front grille. The sidemarkers are also going to be blacked out so i was thinking maybe I should get rid of the clear piece on the lights and leave the red. let me know

[zuku26]

Black that bitch out!!! Black MSP with Black (smoked) tails, smoked headlight lights and tint = the sex!!! Role with black rims and chromed out lip too

[Metallic36]

If anything I'd go with leaving the clear, and blacking out the red. I think it would be too much red and look kinda funky if you black out the clear section only.. my vote is for blacking them out totally, or blacking out and leaving the clear section.

[SpeedBuild]

yeah i guess you're right that too much red would look kinda funny. I think I'm going to go with black out completely and black out side markers. Does anyone know if the spoiler has to be removed in order to get out the 3rd brake light? Think the red would look okay if it's that black and red emblem in front and back and then red decals on windshield and sideskirts with red calipers. Flow good together or no?

This is the windshield decal but in red
http://www.sticker-syndicate.com/servlet/the-9/MAZDASPEED-37%22-WINDSHIELD-DECAL/Detail

This is sideskirt logos but in red and in 12 inches
http://jdmstyledecals.com/product_info.php/products_id/40?osCsid=be096a4b5309fc785b4ed9617516d942

Btw let me know what you think of my emblems, I just finished them about 10 minutes ago.

[yellowmsp035]

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3994140&postcount=14

[SpeedBuild]

Alright thanks. Quick quesion, when drying do they become white and hazy because I just sprayed and they are white and hazy? what clearcoat did you use?

[Metallic36]

I'd leave the brakelight in the spoiler as-is.. it will go with your emblems and will bring them out more and equal it all out.

[SpeedBuild]

Well I actually blacked out emblems today on back because I didn't like the red, it looked tacky. But anyone have a fix to these cloudy, white, hazy lights. they look milky white. is this typical?

[SpeedBuild]

Here are pictures of them. Someone please help!!!

[Metallic36]

Wow, are you sure it's really clear? Almost looks like the paint stuff was a silvery color instead..

[TWISFM]

uh oh

[ForceFed]

Exactly what did you use on your lights...Because I can tell you now..you F'd that up for sure.

If you used black paint and clear...ou might as well box em up and send them to me to get them fixed right.

[zuku26]

Post a pic of the actual can you used. That shit looks fucked up!!!!

[NCZ13]

he said he used nightshades.

Looks like he didnt wait enough b/w coats/was spraying way to close

claybar wont help.

perhaps a rubbing compound to smooth out the uneveness of it?

[Metallic36]

That's what I was thinking too.. that he didn't wait for the black to dry before spraying the other.

[ForceFed]

No..THat needs completely Wetsanded off....No if ,and or But's about it.

Friends dont Let Friends Mod.

[NCZ13]

this is why vinyl is full of win. lol

[SwirlFX]

Rubbing compound and an random orbital buffer. Clean it up with plastic polish when your done.

[JCell]

No..THat needs completely Wetsanded off....No if ,and or But's about it.

Friends dont Let Friends Mod.

thats how i removed my current niteshades....

[SpeedBuild]

Alright thanks guys I'll try the wetsanding. Will the wetsanding remove it completely for me to spary them again? Exactly what did i do wrong here because i let each coat dry 5-10 mins and made sure it was dry to touch and then sprayed again. I read something somewhere about how there is mold release on the lights or something. Any other suggestions before I decide to kill myself after how bad I messed these up

[NCZ13]

wetsanding it down will make it an even dullness all around. Some polish (not a plastic polish because your polishing the niteshades, not the plastic) will bring some gloss back to the dullness.

I would use 1500grit. and move to 2k to smooth it out.

[SpeedBuild]

So can i retint them after sanding? or will the tint still be on the light after sanding but just dulled down? will a couple layers of clear coat help to give it a gloss back after sanding?

[SwirlFX]

No. Use a buffer and plastic polish.

[anomaly19782009]

have them vinyled....looks great if done right, and it's removable. Friend has his red celica done...looked fantastic....cost him $60 to have a professional do it.

[SpeedBuild]

Alright but I'm still confused can I respray after or will the niteshades still be on there just sanded down and then I can give it gloss with clear coat?

[SpeedBuild]

bump bump and help, i need to redo these asap

[TWISFM]

sand them down all the way back to original wet sand with 1000grit or more.. gunna take some time.. let dry..try again im still interested to see what can you used...post it up for shits and giggles.

[Wagonbacker9]

if you've got em sanded down and they don't look like crap. I think you've done all you can do. if you want to mod them again, I would make sure you get very specific instructions from a lot of people who have done this successfully.... and don't do it if you're not comfortable. even your botched job looks very blotchy.

[SpeedBuild]

Haaa I used VHT Niteshades. I did it all correct but it turns out the light had a mold release on it so the stuff didn't stick. This time I'm just going to wetsand it down so it takes off anything on the light and then respray with niteshades again. Then they should work fine and it should adhere to the light just fine and then I'll spray some clear coat on the lights to give them back their gloss and shine.

[Wagonbacker9]

to anyone who cares to listen...

It doesn't matter what you are doing. The end result is going to be determined by the prep work. This is exhibit A.

ALWAYS make sure you're painting a clean surface.


Btw, mind my asking what mold release is doing on your taillights?

[BadBandar]

I guess im the only one that likes the red taillights. Oh well, keep up the good work.

[SpeedBuild]

When the taillights are originally made they are made with mold release but do to my not thinking of sanding them down this is what happened. I could have used lacquer thinner to take everything off but I was scared it might eat away the plastic. And btw BadBandar, I was just blacking them out because I'm going for that blackout look as i'm tinting about 15% tint this weekend and then I blacked out emblems and everything. But yeah I will be sanding them down this weekend and redoing them. Wagonbacker is completely right on prep work also. Thanks for the help

[yellowmsp035]

i didnt use anything to clean my tails before spraying them and they came out perfect. i just wiped mine down with a wet paper towel or rag to get any dust off..

so i think you are still doing something else wrong dude.. or it isnt the right shit

[Wagonbacker9]

i didnt use anything to clean my tails before spraying them and they came out perfect. i just wiped mine down with a wet paper towel or rag to get any dust off..

so i think you are still doing something else wrong dude.. or it isnt the right shit

I can't think of any earthly reason you'd have mold release on a taillight, unless you were building a mold for... idk a fiberglass rear clip? or... i guess a fiberglass trunk, if you were overbuilding it... I know that there shouldn't be anything on them from the factory... people don't tend to sell cars with greasy stuff on them, so this had to have been done at some point between here and there.

Either that, or like you said, there is still something else going on here.


How did you figure out there was mold release on them to begin with?! Seems to me that'd be hard to figure out with paint over it...

[SpeedBuild]

I actually read it somewhere that if the lights turn out to be milky white like mine that they have a mold release on them that needs to be removed with lacquer thinner(which I read after I did my lights). Just to ensure I am using the nightshades correct before I mess them up again. Do I clean, sand down to get rid of milky white and current nite shades, apply nice light even coats, sand again with higher grit to buff, then apply clear coat?

[Wagonbacker9]

I wouldn't bother sanding before clearcoat. Just make sure its fully dry (as I believe that is what your problem was oritionally), if there wasn't a problem with it until your clearcoat, i KNOW this was the problem. I'm talking at LEAST a couple of hours. if you can do a day... great. I still call BS on this "mold release" idea...

As for prep, I would hit it thoroughally with rubbing alcohol (great degreaser and cleaner.. no residue, and unlikely to damage plastic) after you wetsand off your botched job... and make sure... SURE... SURE! that you're applying light, even coats, because from what I see on your first try, you were laying it on way too close... then put on another coat after 10 mins or so until it is the tint you're looking for. When you're happy with it... move to the clearcoat AFTER IT DRIES.

You may want to even practice with another can of spraypaint... what you're going for is BARELY covering the entire area you're painting. if you practice with an opaque paint it will be easier to understand.

[Wagonbacker9]

P.S. Never in my life thought I'd give that thorough of a How-To about spray painting....

[special--k]

lol... im sorry for your trouble dude, but this is making me laugh.
Cant wait to see what happens second time around.

[SpeedBuild]

haha i know, yeah i screwed up on these ones lol. thanks yeah i'll try these tips

[SpeedBuild]

btw I never applied clearcoat on those lights cause i paniced when they started turning milky white

[Wagonbacker9]

btw I never applied clearcoat on those lights cause i paniced when they started turning milky white

hmm... next try.. what was the temp out when you were spraying em?

[SpeedBuild]

I would say the temp was about 75 degrees, somewhere around that relative area

[blkspdfreak]

i dont know how that could of gotten that messed up. i just took my lights off, cleaned with soap and water, wiped them dry, did 4-5 coats in the sun (letting them dry between coats) and did 3-4 coats of clear. no problems.



the one on the left looks lighter but thats how the sun was in the morning.

[SpeedBuild]

Oh okay, blkspdfreak does light show through those good? I was also considering vinly too lol. I saw another guy with it and they look hot

[blkspdfreak]

they work great. the military is strict about vehicle lighting entering and leaving base. ive never been stoped or anything. at night time it shows great. with the vinyl, im not a big fan unless its done right. i see accords with a piece of vinyl slaped on with a circle in it and it looks like ass. nightshade is the way to go.

[K. Soze]

I'm actually interested in tinting just the reverse light part of the tails. Anyone got any pics of that?

[Wagonbacker9]

I know there are quite a few... I assume you mean the reverse and turn signal...

[K. Soze]

Yea. Leave everything else the stock red but tint the reverse part.

[Rush]

I'm actually interested in tinting just the reverse light part of the tails. Anyone got any pics of that?


http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123712121

[SpeedBuild]

Alright I'm trying it tomorrow I guess with 3-4 coats, not sure yet.

[K. Soze]

I looked through that thread. I didn't see any the way I described.

[SpeedBuild]

look at sandspeedsm, he has his like what you're talking about.

[boostandboobies]

id spray the turnsignal area black

[special--k]

i got to say, that i dont really like the look of the stock lights tinted...
maybe its just me, but they always look a little odd.

[Ricktalife]

i liked the look of my 04 spec v tails better.