DIY - All Red Taillights

[td325ic]

second time go around

will be using
- metal cast red
- nightshade vht
- duplicolor clear 3 coats

I think if you're going to spend all the time to redo them then you should spend the few extra bucks and spray them with urethane clear coat. Grab a can of Spraymax 2-part urethane clear coat, comes in a special spray can. It sells for $20 at automotive paint supply stores.




Here's some tail lights I did last fall:

They are done with Duplicolor MetalCast Red. First sprayed 3 light coats on the amber, then sprayed the whole light with 2 medium coats.

Waited a few days for metalcast paint to cure

Then sprayed with SprayMax 2-part Urethane Clear Coat Aerosol

Let cure for a couple days then wetsanded with 1500 - 2000.

Used Porter Cable 7424, polished out sanding scratches with 3M Rubbing Compound and orange foam pad. Finished off with Menzerna Micro Polish and Gray foam pad.

YouTube Video











Pictures not enhanced at all, that is exactly what they look like in person

[BTP325ic]

http://e30.bmwdiy.info/red-tails/index.html

great write up i am gonna be doing this very soon should look good on a henna car.

[thereisnoyun]

From what I've seen in real life Metalcast is a much better match than Testors anyways.

I'll hit some pictures up later, still in the process of doing this. but the duplicolor spray nozzle is must better than when I was using the testor. The paint match I think is about the same. I dont think one matches better than the other, it depends on the person doing the spraying.

I hit it with some vht nightshade after the metalcast and will do two or three coats of clear after that. In general the metalcast I will say is easier to work with than the model paint. I spray too thick on one of them and I was able to easily wet sand and polish down so the two tails look the same. I dont recall the testor being as easy to work with. I remember trying to sand it down when doing the testor and having to respray because the model paint tend to flake when sanded.

Nightshade is difficutl to get jsut the right shade. It seems like its all or nothing with the night shade. You can barely see the difference to a little too much tinting. well thats jsut my experience.

[Kristeun]

From what I've seen in real life Metalcast is a much better match than Testors anyways.

[deutschman]

might be a repost but what the hell. it might help some one.

all read tail light diy right up:

http://e30.bmwdiy.info/red-tails/index.html

this guy has some other cool diy stuff on his page

http://e30.bmwdiy.info/

[Jand3rson]

Duplicolor's rattlecan nozzles are amazing. They deliver the best application of any spray can I've ever used.

[thereisnoyun]

posting some updates, since updates are good :)

first time go around

products
- testor candy apple red
- duplicolor clear coat 1 coat

human error
- didn't know how to spray paint 2.5 years ago.
- never polished or sanded or wax.
- rarely wash the tails when I wash my car

result
- faded after 2.5 years. flaking only recently
- it definitely faded from sun exposure
- no garage, I park outside

second time go around

will be using
- metal cast red
- nightshade vht
- duplicolor clear 3 coats

will also be
- wet sanding, polishing, and all the shabang.


One thing I did notice since I still have some left over of the testor.

the advantage of using duplicolor is that they have the fan nozzle. It beats the hell out of the regular spray can with the splotch sprayer found on the model paint cans.

will post pics when done.

[Kristeun]

If I'm redoing them will acetone mess up the finish or is it safe?

[Stephen]

Red is legal, smoked is questionable...

Cops won't bug you if light output is near good as stock.

Not sure of the ACTUAL rule though.

Theyll stop you if you have blackout tails, but just a touch of tint and im sure you're fine.

Dannys level of tint looks best IMO anyway

[Uber E30]

^Just wondering is that legal in CA? the reverse and turn lights.

Technically no, altering the lights to anything but red or clear is illegal. Altering the reverse is bad too, aside from general ascetics thats why i left mine un-tinted. Altho running euro trim is illegal too, dot requires all cars to have an amber sidemarker in the front and a red in the back. But no one seems to care about that either =]

[Number dude]

Haven't read through all of this, but the issue isn't that they can't be sprayed from the inside and turn out red, the issue is that there's no way to get to the corners (you'll notice the C shape i'm talking about if you look at them). What my old roomie did was put a light coat on the inside and a light coat on the outside and a little thicker coat on those C sections. Turned out pretty good, reduced the amber you saw with just it on the outside.

[Danny]

Red is legal, smoked is questionable...

Cops won't bug you if light output is near good as stock.

Not sure of the ACTUAL rule though.

[Kristeun]

Eh... its questionable, I haven't gotten any flak with mine though.

Pic for reference:

Hmm. So what exactly is illegal? Smoking, reverse lights?

If its the smoking, then what about all red? Because I know there are factory cars out there that have regular one color tail lights that blink for turns.

[416stroker]

Cool, Cause i got a black Firehawk and was wondering what it would look like.

It looks good. Ill make sure when i go to my parents he has his car ready for pics this weekend.

[JasonC]

Cool, Cause i got a black Firehawk and was wondering what it would look like.