Tinting my Turn Signals, Taillights, and Running Lights
01-15-04, 05:38 PM
#1
Bimmer *****
Thread Starter
Tinting my Turn Signals, Taillights, and Running Lights
check it out, i sanded em first with 80 grit, then with 180, then 400 grit, then painted em, this is the first coat, i'm gonna sand em with some 800 grit next and repaint em, then i'll take some 1600 grit, get em nice n smooth, and hand buff em... should look sweet... this really makes the S4 taillights look great!
01-15-04, 06:20 PM
#5
Bimmer *****
Thread Starter
jeez i just looked at em after the first coat dried they are almost perfect! they look great, i'm still gonna sand em with 600, wet of course, and paint em again, then decide whether i'm gonna sane em with 1200 grit and buff em or leave em the way they are...
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01-15-04, 07:09 PM
#8
Senior Member
those would turn out 1000x better if you took them to a auto body place and asked them to do them for you, it takes about 5$ in materals and most shops will spray them for ~10-15 bucks. just ask them to mix some black base with clear, and spray them. the outcome will turn out alot better, and they will withstand the weather.
also a tip, you should sand the lights just like you polish alumnium, 800 wet/dry, on up to 1500 then spray them. looks alot better with all the raised numbers and crap sanded down.
-Daniel
also a tip, you should sand the lights just like you polish alumnium, 800 wet/dry, on up to 1500 then spray them. looks alot better with all the raised numbers and crap sanded down.
-Daniel
01-15-04, 07:12 PM
#9
Bimmer *****
Thread Starter
thx for the suggestion, but i'm a do it urselfer... and i know all about the different stages of painting from my time in auto body in high school(even tho it was 4 years ago lol i still remember), they should turn out just fine, and the only ones i'm worried about withstanding the weather are the front turn signals, the constant wind on them will probly make em wear a lot faster than any other
01-15-04, 07:20 PM
#10
What kind of paint? Sounds like you've got the right idea though with the sanding and everything though.
Some clear coat over it would make that look good.
I am blacking out my tails this weekend at an autobody shop(thank god for friends in the business hehe)
I was thinking of doing my side markers too.
If you could post pics with like going through that would rock. I need to see iftinting the markers is a good idea or not for me.
Some clear coat over it would make that look good.
I am blacking out my tails this weekend at an autobody shop(thank god for friends in the business hehe)
I was thinking of doing my side markers too.
If you could post pics with like going through that would rock. I need to see iftinting the markers is a good idea or not for me.
01-15-04, 07:30 PM
#11
Bimmer *****
Thread Starter
i will post pics with light going thru later tonight after they dry, that way everyone can see them with lights, then i will post pics during the day tomorrow... i'm just using laquer based black gloss spray paint... if you don't use primer it makes it transparent on the lights... if u want to go all out take the light assembly apart and paint the lenses seperate from the outer molding, and primer the molding, the paint will stick very well... i also think itd be a nice mod to take the assembly apart, black out the lenses, and color match the molding to ur car's paint, then itd look killer! but not necissary on black ones like mine
01-15-04, 09:23 PM
#15
Bimmer *****
Thread Starter
the first pic is reverse lights and no brake lights, second pic is brake lights, 3rd pick is blinkers, i can't time it well with my moms camera its slow, so its on the downside of the blink... it gets slightly brighter
01-15-04, 09:46 PM
#16
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now you just need to paint your lic plate black, and someone will rear end you, and their insurance company will get a lawyer you'll eat it all because your tinting isn't DOT approved
Good job though
... But i'd rear end you so you could pay for my car.. well.. actually i dont think i would rear-end a fc3s on purpose... but if it meant I get a new car/new front clip, and you finaly understand that blacking out tailights is about as bright as driving at night on the freeway with your only parkinglights on... awesome.
i'd say.. yeah it looks decent. now if only it served a posetive purpose. damn.
Let me rephrase all of that:
I hope its only a showcar.
Heres some legal mumbo-jumbo
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache...art=3&ie=UTF-8
Good job though
... But i'd rear end you so you could pay for my car.. well.. actually i dont think i would rear-end a fc3s on purpose... but if it meant I get a new car/new front clip, and you finaly understand that blacking out tailights is about as bright as driving at night on the freeway with your only parkinglights on... awesome.
i'd say.. yeah it looks decent. now if only it served a posetive purpose. damn.
Let me rephrase all of that:
I hope its only a showcar.
Heres some legal mumbo-jumbo
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache...art=3&ie=UTF-8
Last edited by Kenteth; 01-15-04 at 09:52 PM.
01-15-04, 09:57 PM
#17
Bimmer *****
Thread Starter
Originally posted by Kenteth
now you just need to paint your lic plate black, and someone will rear end you, and their insurance company will get a lawyer you'll eat it all because your tinting isn't DOT approved
Good job though
... But i'd rear end you so you could pay for my car.. well.. actually i dont think i would rear-end a fc3s on purpose... but if it meant I get a new car/new front clip, and you finaly understand that blacking out tailights is about as bright as driving at night on the freeway with your only parkinglights on... awesome.
i'd say.. yeah it looks decent. now if only it served a posetive purpose. damn.
Let me rephrase all of that:
I hope its only a showcar.
Heres some legal mumbo-jumbo
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache...art=3&ie=UTF-8
now you just need to paint your lic plate black, and someone will rear end you, and their insurance company will get a lawyer you'll eat it all because your tinting isn't DOT approved
Good job though
... But i'd rear end you so you could pay for my car.. well.. actually i dont think i would rear-end a fc3s on purpose... but if it meant I get a new car/new front clip, and you finaly understand that blacking out tailights is about as bright as driving at night on the freeway with your only parkinglights on... awesome.
i'd say.. yeah it looks decent. now if only it served a posetive purpose. damn.
Let me rephrase all of that:
I hope its only a showcar.
Heres some legal mumbo-jumbo
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache...art=3&ie=UTF-8
says nothing about taillights that are blackened but still light up no prob, plus thats oregon. and if u thought about hitting my car u might also think about sueing me for punching your teeth in
kthx
01-15-04, 11:12 PM
#18
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not neccessarily your car, and it wouldn't neccesaryly be me. Anyone looking for a new front clip will probably have this idea when they are behind you...
01-15-04, 11:23 PM
#19
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Originally posted by Elysian
says nothing about taillights that are blackened but still light up no prob, plus thats oregon. and if u thought about hitting my car u might also think about sueing me for punching your teeth in kthx
says nothing about taillights that are blackened but still light up no prob, plus thats oregon. and if u thought about hitting my car u might also think about sueing me for punching your teeth in
kthx
2)
Oregon adopted FMVSS 108 which disallows the use of light covers on required lighting equipment when lights are required to be in use. Light covers on turn signals, taillights and brake lights are not permitted as these lights are always in use. Headlight covers may not be used when headlights are required to be in use
But thats orgeon, and I bet your state doesn't have laws like that, otherwise you wouldn't have said anything about it not being your state.
01-16-04, 12:30 AM
#23
Bimmer *****
Thread Starter
been doing some research to see if it does actually say anything about taillight "covers"(spraypaint whatever u want) in WA state law, and the only thing i can find at all is headlight covers are not allowed. nothing about taillights. so if u really want to rear end me, go ahead, maybe i'll get a FD out of it
01-16-04, 01:03 AM
#24
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I think you'll be ok.......Don't worry about the dumbasses telling you they are gonna rear end you. Think about it- 3rd gens come tinted like that so do s5 tails to a certain point, plus people have "blackouts on thier cars all the time and don't get sued. If it were as easy as they make it seem I would rear end every poor sap who had a taillight out..... Looks good. Here's a pic of my FC done like that....
01-16-04, 02:02 AM
#25
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Washington state article that includes the legality of tailight covers:
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/2...04/Story1.html
To be honest I like the look of the tinted tailights.. I just don't like the fact that they **** with your... and other peoples safety... Thats why there are laws against them.
None-the-less, the project looks like it has turned out well. I give you that.
Coincidentaly, it is the responsibility of the driver to know that the tailight is out. Ignorance does however work in the court of law. but.. since the driver is not at court, rather the insurance company, the driver's insurance company would probably have to end up paying. Sucks huh?
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/2...04/Story1.html
Other popular accessories include clear lenses for the taillights, neon lighting underneath the car, smoky or colored lens covers for the headlights and translucent license plate covers.
All are illegal, and violations could result in a $71 ticket.
All are illegal, and violations could result in a $71 ticket.
None-the-less, the project looks like it has turned out well. I give you that.
smoked covers for license plates are another no-no.
"If you place a cover over it, you've diminished the reflective properties of the plate," Bryan said.
"If you place a cover over it, you've diminished the reflective properties of the plate," Bryan said.
Originally posted by RRTEC
I would rear end every poor sap who had a taillight out.....
I would rear end every poor sap who had a taillight out.....
Last edited by Kenteth; 01-16-04 at 02:13 AM.