Blackout Tail Lights
02-26-2003, 12:54 PM
#1
Contributing Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Concord, NH
Posts: 1,854
Blackout Tail Lights
Hey Everyone
I'm new to the board, however this isn't a newbie question. I absolutly love my 93 hicas 240, and was wondering if anyone had done this. I was looking into getting the japonese tails, however the price of 500-600 is a pretty steep for a college student with 2 cars. I was wondering if anyone has blacked out their tail lights, made them darker to look better? I have a black on black 240, and am getting tinted windows next week. I have new clear corner headlights and clear turn signals, and now I want my black signals to be tinted dark a bit, and I think the car would look really sexy. Has anyone done this? does anyone know how?
Thanks!
DrNoVaScotia
(my other car, a 90 Celica)
I'm new to the board, however this isn't a newbie question. I absolutly love my 93 hicas 240, and was wondering if anyone had done this. I was looking into getting the japonese tails, however the price of 500-600 is a pretty steep for a college student with 2 cars. I was wondering if anyone has blacked out their tail lights, made them darker to look better? I have a black on black 240, and am getting tinted windows next week. I have new clear corner headlights and clear turn signals, and now I want my black signals to be tinted dark a bit, and I think the car would look really sexy. Has anyone done this? does anyone know how?
Thanks!
DrNoVaScotia
(my other car, a 90 Celica)
02-27-2003, 07:54 AM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: milwaukee
Posts: 2
blackouts
This is what I used it's actually directions for a Acura Legend same concept enjoy and take out the lights to avoid a headache.Peace!
TAILLIGHT BLACKOUT TUTORIAL
True thanks to Warren Tsang
Set aside 8-12 hours for this project to ensure the paint dries properly. Since you're car is disabled for such a long period, probably the best time would be to start painting in the evening and let it dry overnight.
And a final note, once you engage in this project, you'll never have your regular taillights again. Because if you change your mind and want to go back to the stock red & yellow, you can't. Once you remove the paint from the taillights with any sort of a solvent, you effectively remove the clear coat on the taillights So your taillights will not be shiny anymore. Instead it will be a dull red. One way around this problem is to make it shine again by spraying clear enamal on it or simply applying wax on a regular basis. But just letting you know the permenant effects of this project.
Materials
You'll want to get the following items in order to prepare for the project at hand. The materials shouldn't be any more than about $20. The rest is patience and skill.
4 cans of spray paint
1 can of clear laquer enamal
masking tape
nail polish remover (possibly)
newspapers
wrench or lug wrench
The Paint
I never knew this type paint even existed before this. This stuff is pretty neat. Anyway, go to any hobby store that sells remote control vehicles / models and you're sure to find this paint. It's a semi-transparent tint paint that modelers use to tint the various parts of their model cars (ie- tinted windows). The only brand I saw was either Model Master (product number 2949 - Transparent Black Window Tint) or Testor (transparent red, green, and blue). The price was $4 for a small 3 oz. can.
There are also other aftermarket products out there which are specific for tinting taillights like Nite Shade or Foliotec. I've used Nite Shade, which you can get at most auto accessory stores for about $15 a can. This is almost the same thing as the kind found at the hobby store but it does not have the shine. So after you apply it you will have to clear coat it with a shiny enamal or else it comes out very dull. For this tutorial we'll be using the transparent tint from the hobby store (because it's cheaper and more sensible).
Anyway, get 4 cans, which should be enough for one session. I ended up getting 8 cans because I screwed the pooch the first few times I tried and had to re-do the entire procedure several times. I must have gone through 3 sessions. To avoid this, keep your minimum distance from the surface.
Getting Started
You do have the option of not removing the taillights and covering up the entire rear half of the car while you paint them. But I definitely do not recommend this because the paint tends to drip. And even one tiny blemish will ruin a day's worth of work and patience. Also you might end up with overspray on parts of your car. The best way is to remove the taillights because then you can lay them out flat.
Start by removing the taillight access panel on the inside of your trunk. It's the carpeted panel against the taillight wall. The square panel has a knobbed screw that you twist off. Once off, you can partially remove the other carpet panels around it to gain better access to the rest of the back side.
You should now see 6 bronze colored bolts sticking out of the wall, held in place by 6 hex nuts. Use a wrench or lug wrench to remove these 6 nuts (they are 8mm). Once removed, detach the single wire connection (it's a snap connection) to the taillights and push out the taillights. Repeat the same procedure for the other side.
Once you have both taillights out, clean the the surface with alcohol or some sort of household cleaner. Spread a lot of newspaper on the floor in a room with good ventilation and lay the taillights on them. Don't place the taillights too close together to avoid overspray.
Painting
The most important thing to remember is to keep the minimum distance from the surface and keep the can moving. Not doing so will certainly spell disaster as the paint drips and circular gaps form. Sure, you can cover these blemishes up with another layer of paint, but these flaws will show up when the taillights are light during braking or at night with the parking lights on.
Shake the paint can vigorously. Keeping at least 6-8 inches from the surface, paint with short, even strokes. Our goal here is light, mist coats. On each stroke, start spraying before you reach the taillights, and spray a little past the taillights. Do this because sometimes the nozzle gets clogged and will shoot out a burst of paint that might form puddles which ruin the painted surface. I can't stress enough how important keeping the minimum distance of 6 inches is. Because once you've spent 3 hours painting and are on your final coat, if it pools or drips it's all ruined! The first coat will be very light and hardly noticeable. Don't worry, a few more coats should slowly fade out the red.
Wait about 20-30 minutes for the first coat to dry. Then start on the second coat. Repeat this process for another 3-6 times, depending on the amount of amber you want to cover up. For transparent black, I think the degree of darkness should depend on the color of your car. If you have a white or black car, 6-7 coats should be effective in blacking out your taillights to a very dark black to blend or contrast your car color. Any other color should stick with 4-5 coats for a tinted, but not entirely black, look. This darkens any hint of red but smokes it just enough to nicely blend it in with the car color.
Wait 30 minutes or so and then apply the last coat, which is a clear lacquer enamal. Be sure to buy one from an auto store which has the ultra-violet protection. This way you protect your precious work from the harsh elements and you also prevent fading from the sun's harmful rays. Apply about 1 - 3 coats of lacquer. Once all coats are complete, let them dry for 4-6 hours.
If you mess up at any step/coat use nail polish remover or paint thinner to remove the paint. Unfortunately you will have to remove all prior coats you previous applied and start from the beginning. This can be very frustrating!!!
Finishing Up
Before you start breaking out the party hats, plug the lights in for a quick check. Turn on your lights and see how well the light shines through. Is it too dimmed? Will it be bright enough for other drivers to see at night? Check for imperfections like drips or bubbles in the paint as the light shines through it. Do the same test with the signal lights. All of this testing is necessary to prevent any unwanted accidents. If you're happy with the results, re-install the taillights.
If you held the spray can too far away, the painted surface may not be shiny, and may actually be dull. Hopefully the clear enamal will shine it up. If not, you can try using a polish and wax. If not, cover it with a layer of polish and wax.
Another note is the back-up light may not be as bright as it used to be, so you might want to get a brighter bulb. Auto parts stores should have the 50-watt back light bulbs for a few dollars. Otherwise if you feel they are really important you can tape around the square back-up light area and remove the paint.
Done
Alrighty then! It looks like you're done. Now go strut your car down the street knowing that you drive one very unique Legend! Then log back onto this web site and leave me feedback on how it looks!
If you haven't already, you can take a look at how my smoke tinted taillights worked out
TAILLIGHT BLACKOUT TUTORIAL
True thanks to Warren Tsang
Set aside 8-12 hours for this project to ensure the paint dries properly. Since you're car is disabled for such a long period, probably the best time would be to start painting in the evening and let it dry overnight.
And a final note, once you engage in this project, you'll never have your regular taillights again. Because if you change your mind and want to go back to the stock red & yellow, you can't. Once you remove the paint from the taillights with any sort of a solvent, you effectively remove the clear coat on the taillights So your taillights will not be shiny anymore. Instead it will be a dull red. One way around this problem is to make it shine again by spraying clear enamal on it or simply applying wax on a regular basis. But just letting you know the permenant effects of this project.
Materials
You'll want to get the following items in order to prepare for the project at hand. The materials shouldn't be any more than about $20. The rest is patience and skill.
4 cans of spray paint
1 can of clear laquer enamal
masking tape
nail polish remover (possibly)
newspapers
wrench or lug wrench
The Paint
I never knew this type paint even existed before this. This stuff is pretty neat. Anyway, go to any hobby store that sells remote control vehicles / models and you're sure to find this paint. It's a semi-transparent tint paint that modelers use to tint the various parts of their model cars (ie- tinted windows). The only brand I saw was either Model Master (product number 2949 - Transparent Black Window Tint) or Testor (transparent red, green, and blue). The price was $4 for a small 3 oz. can.
There are also other aftermarket products out there which are specific for tinting taillights like Nite Shade or Foliotec. I've used Nite Shade, which you can get at most auto accessory stores for about $15 a can. This is almost the same thing as the kind found at the hobby store but it does not have the shine. So after you apply it you will have to clear coat it with a shiny enamal or else it comes out very dull. For this tutorial we'll be using the transparent tint from the hobby store (because it's cheaper and more sensible).
Anyway, get 4 cans, which should be enough for one session. I ended up getting 8 cans because I screwed the pooch the first few times I tried and had to re-do the entire procedure several times. I must have gone through 3 sessions. To avoid this, keep your minimum distance from the surface.
Getting Started
You do have the option of not removing the taillights and covering up the entire rear half of the car while you paint them. But I definitely do not recommend this because the paint tends to drip. And even one tiny blemish will ruin a day's worth of work and patience. Also you might end up with overspray on parts of your car. The best way is to remove the taillights because then you can lay them out flat.
Start by removing the taillight access panel on the inside of your trunk. It's the carpeted panel against the taillight wall. The square panel has a knobbed screw that you twist off. Once off, you can partially remove the other carpet panels around it to gain better access to the rest of the back side.
You should now see 6 bronze colored bolts sticking out of the wall, held in place by 6 hex nuts. Use a wrench or lug wrench to remove these 6 nuts (they are 8mm). Once removed, detach the single wire connection (it's a snap connection) to the taillights and push out the taillights. Repeat the same procedure for the other side.
Once you have both taillights out, clean the the surface with alcohol or some sort of household cleaner. Spread a lot of newspaper on the floor in a room with good ventilation and lay the taillights on them. Don't place the taillights too close together to avoid overspray.
Painting
The most important thing to remember is to keep the minimum distance from the surface and keep the can moving. Not doing so will certainly spell disaster as the paint drips and circular gaps form. Sure, you can cover these blemishes up with another layer of paint, but these flaws will show up when the taillights are light during braking or at night with the parking lights on.
Shake the paint can vigorously. Keeping at least 6-8 inches from the surface, paint with short, even strokes. Our goal here is light, mist coats. On each stroke, start spraying before you reach the taillights, and spray a little past the taillights. Do this because sometimes the nozzle gets clogged and will shoot out a burst of paint that might form puddles which ruin the painted surface. I can't stress enough how important keeping the minimum distance of 6 inches is. Because once you've spent 3 hours painting and are on your final coat, if it pools or drips it's all ruined! The first coat will be very light and hardly noticeable. Don't worry, a few more coats should slowly fade out the red.
Wait about 20-30 minutes for the first coat to dry. Then start on the second coat. Repeat this process for another 3-6 times, depending on the amount of amber you want to cover up. For transparent black, I think the degree of darkness should depend on the color of your car. If you have a white or black car, 6-7 coats should be effective in blacking out your taillights to a very dark black to blend or contrast your car color. Any other color should stick with 4-5 coats for a tinted, but not entirely black, look. This darkens any hint of red but smokes it just enough to nicely blend it in with the car color.
Wait 30 minutes or so and then apply the last coat, which is a clear lacquer enamal. Be sure to buy one from an auto store which has the ultra-violet protection. This way you protect your precious work from the harsh elements and you also prevent fading from the sun's harmful rays. Apply about 1 - 3 coats of lacquer. Once all coats are complete, let them dry for 4-6 hours.
If you mess up at any step/coat use nail polish remover or paint thinner to remove the paint. Unfortunately you will have to remove all prior coats you previous applied and start from the beginning. This can be very frustrating!!!
Finishing Up
Before you start breaking out the party hats, plug the lights in for a quick check. Turn on your lights and see how well the light shines through. Is it too dimmed? Will it be bright enough for other drivers to see at night? Check for imperfections like drips or bubbles in the paint as the light shines through it. Do the same test with the signal lights. All of this testing is necessary to prevent any unwanted accidents. If you're happy with the results, re-install the taillights.
If you held the spray can too far away, the painted surface may not be shiny, and may actually be dull. Hopefully the clear enamal will shine it up. If not, you can try using a polish and wax. If not, cover it with a layer of polish and wax.
Another note is the back-up light may not be as bright as it used to be, so you might want to get a brighter bulb. Auto parts stores should have the 50-watt back light bulbs for a few dollars. Otherwise if you feel they are really important you can tape around the square back-up light area and remove the paint.
Done
Alrighty then! It looks like you're done. Now go strut your car down the street knowing that you drive one very unique Legend! Then log back onto this web site and leave me feedback on how it looks!
If you haven't already, you can take a look at how my smoke tinted taillights worked out
02-27-2003, 04:25 PM
#4
Contributing Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Concord, NH
Posts: 1,854
You say the front pic of my celica is gross? I get compliment everywhere I go. Kinda judgemental to say something when you haven't seen my whole car. You sure know how to be nice to the guy guy that just got his 240 you sack of sh*t. No wonder barely anyone talks on this board. On the celica website thousands of people are on it each day. You sure know how to make me feel welcome.
Thanks A Lot
DrNoVaScotia
Thanks A Lot
DrNoVaScotia
02-27-2003, 06:28 PM
#5
Contributing Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: AUSTIN BABY
Posts: 692
Originally posted by drnovascotia
You say the front pic of my celica is gross? I get compliment everywhere I go. Kinda judgemental to say something when you haven't seen my whole car. You sure know how to be nice to the guy guy that just got his 240 you sack of sh*t. No wonder barely anyone talks on this board. On the celica website thousands of people are on it each day. You sure know how to make me feel welcome.
Thanks A Lot
DrNoVaScotia
You say the front pic of my celica is gross? I get compliment everywhere I go. Kinda judgemental to say something when you haven't seen my whole car. You sure know how to be nice to the guy guy that just got his 240 you sack of sh*t. No wonder barely anyone talks on this board. On the celica website thousands of people are on it each day. You sure know how to make me feel welcome.
Thanks A Lot
DrNoVaScotia
dont yell at me 'cause your car lights are ugly and jacked up!
are you that insecure that you REALLY give that much a **** what i think about you car? your getting going to get upset because someone doesn't like how your car looks? and if most people REALLY thought your car looked good, then why worry about what one or two people think?
get a life
02-28-2003, 03:50 AM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 17
Blackouts??? What is this, an '86 IROC-Z?? I'd like to be the first to welcome you to 2003, lots of things have changed since the time when big hair, acid washed jeans, and white Reebok high tops were cool.
02-28-2003, 08:35 AM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: HOUSTON, TX
Posts: 98
HMMMM......
club240 and terror give your celica two thumbs down.......
1) because a 1990 celica is ungly aws hell
2) your new and your talking ****
3) who in the ever living f*uck put blackouts on their 240....
3a) well i've seen in on the big kicker trucks..........
4) you need to pull the ***** out of your *** and get a life, and get with the program, and the time period!!!!!
Thanks,
TERROR
1) because a 1990 celica is ungly aws hell
2) your new and your talking ****
3) who in the ever living f*uck put blackouts on their 240....
3a) well i've seen in on the big kicker trucks..........
4) you need to pull the ***** out of your *** and get a life, and get with the program, and the time period!!!!!
Thanks,
TERROR
02-28-2003, 12:22 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 203
Mine are blacked out, pic in the registry section of this site. But mine are donw so well that it still has red reflection and i'm still street legal. And i didn't lose any tail light glow, with some little electrical tricks. This is something you can't half ***.
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