how to paint your tails all red
We all hate those ugly orange blinkers on our cars. Well now you can do something about it - turn them red! Yes, not only will they be red, but they will also blink red too! No need to replace your bulbs either. For Steven's car, we chose not to mask anything. We painted the entire lense, reverse light and all. We decided that the all-red fascia would look best if everything was red, it looks cleaner that way. (to us, at least) The first time around we painted just the blinkers, but then the brake area wasn't quite color-matched, so we just painted the whole thing. Also works well on Altezzas.
Required Materials:
Fine grit sandpaper
Candy apple red transparent spraypaint (available at any hobbyshop)
Ratchet set or wrenches
Optional:
Spray-on clearcoat (for extra protection of paint)
1. Remove stock tail lights
Remove the body panels inside the car that are directly behind the lenses, and remove the panels on the trunklid. You will see many little bolts. Take them all off, then unplug everything from the taillights. Once this is done you will be able to pull them off.
2. Wash taillights
Washing the taillights is to get all the dirt and junk off of the lenses before you begin. Just some soap and water and a sponge will work. Make sure they are completely dry before you continue.
3. Sanding the tail lights
After washing, take a piece of the fine grit sandpaper and sand in straight, even lines across the lenses. We recommend sanding in an even pattern instead of an erratic one, since the results look a bit nicer. Make sure every part is lightly but equally sanded. You don't need to scrub the lenses, just lightly sand it.
4. Wash taillights again
This step is extremely important. Make sure ALL of the sanding dust is off of the lenses before you continue, or else the paint will not stick to the surface. You won't need soap this time, basically just hose off the lenses and thoroughly dry them. Let them sit for a couple of minutes, then run your finger over them a couple times. If no dust remains, continue to the next step. Wash again if any is left behind.
5. Painting the first coat
Make sure you are in an area where nothing will possibly land on your taillights as they are drying. For example, we did this outside, and a number of times bugs landed on the lights and stuck there, so we had to get them off and start over. Also, mask off any areas you do NOT want painted, such as the reverse lights. Do a couple test sprays on some newspaper or something to get a feel for the paint. Then, in straight, smooth lines, begin painting from left to right. Once you finish from one end to the other, stop, then repeat further down until the entire area is painted.
6. Let the first coat dry
Wait 10-20 minutes for the coat to dry. If you have a fan, try setting it on a low setting and aim it at the taillights. Once they are completely dry, proceed to the next step.
7. Painting the second coat
Repeat step 5.
8. Let the second coat dry
Repeat step 6.
9. Spray on clearcoat
This step is optional. If you wish to have extra protection for your taillights, spray on one coat of clearcoat after the second coat has dried. Wait again for the clearcoat to dry.
10. Re-install taillights
Just the opposite of removing them. Once they are installed, turn on your hazards, parking lights, or whatever and see what they look like. If you don't like the way they look, remove and add another coat. Or if you completely hate it, some paint thinner will do the trick.
* Considerations:
- Too many coats will cause the paint to lose its glossiness. Keep it at around two coats. No more than three.
- If you mess up, bust out the paint thinner. It shouldn't damage your lenses. (don't quote us on that, we didn't test that theory out, we just heard it won't damage the plastic)
pics of what you can achieve
all red except for the reverse
you can also smoke your taillights with transparent tint, as you can see the red light still shines through nicely.
We all hate those ugly orange blinkers on our cars. Well now you can do something about it - turn them red! Yes, not only will they be red, but they will also blink red too! No need to replace your bulbs either. For Steven's car, we chose not to mask anything. We painted the entire lense, reverse light and all. We decided that the all-red fascia would look best if everything was red, it looks cleaner that way. (to us, at least) The first time around we painted just the blinkers, but then the brake area wasn't quite color-matched, so we just painted the whole thing. Also works well on Altezzas.
Required Materials:
Fine grit sandpaper
Candy apple red transparent spraypaint (available at any hobbyshop)
Ratchet set or wrenches
Optional:
Spray-on clearcoat (for extra protection of paint)
1. Remove stock tail lights
Remove the body panels inside the car that are directly behind the lenses, and remove the panels on the trunklid. You will see many little bolts. Take them all off, then unplug everything from the taillights. Once this is done you will be able to pull them off.
2. Wash taillights
Washing the taillights is to get all the dirt and junk off of the lenses before you begin. Just some soap and water and a sponge will work. Make sure they are completely dry before you continue.
3. Sanding the tail lights
After washing, take a piece of the fine grit sandpaper and sand in straight, even lines across the lenses. We recommend sanding in an even pattern instead of an erratic one, since the results look a bit nicer. Make sure every part is lightly but equally sanded. You don't need to scrub the lenses, just lightly sand it.
4. Wash taillights again
This step is extremely important. Make sure ALL of the sanding dust is off of the lenses before you continue, or else the paint will not stick to the surface. You won't need soap this time, basically just hose off the lenses and thoroughly dry them. Let them sit for a couple of minutes, then run your finger over them a couple times. If no dust remains, continue to the next step. Wash again if any is left behind.
5. Painting the first coat
Make sure you are in an area where nothing will possibly land on your taillights as they are drying. For example, we did this outside, and a number of times bugs landed on the lights and stuck there, so we had to get them off and start over. Also, mask off any areas you do NOT want painted, such as the reverse lights. Do a couple test sprays on some newspaper or something to get a feel for the paint. Then, in straight, smooth lines, begin painting from left to right. Once you finish from one end to the other, stop, then repeat further down until the entire area is painted.
6. Let the first coat dry
Wait 10-20 minutes for the coat to dry. If you have a fan, try setting it on a low setting and aim it at the taillights. Once they are completely dry, proceed to the next step.
7. Painting the second coat
Repeat step 5.
8. Let the second coat dry
Repeat step 6.
9. Spray on clearcoat
This step is optional. If you wish to have extra protection for your taillights, spray on one coat of clearcoat after the second coat has dried. Wait again for the clearcoat to dry.
10. Re-install taillights
Just the opposite of removing them. Once they are installed, turn on your hazards, parking lights, or whatever and see what they look like. If you don't like the way they look, remove and add another coat. Or if you completely hate it, some paint thinner will do the trick.
* Considerations:
- Too many coats will cause the paint to lose its glossiness. Keep it at around two coats. No more than three.
- If you mess up, bust out the paint thinner. It shouldn't damage your lenses. (don't quote us on that, we didn't test that theory out, we just heard it won't damage the plastic)
pics of what you can achieve
all red except for the reverse
you can also smoke your taillights with transparent tint, as you can see the red light still shines through nicely.
