Tinted Tails story - by popular demand
#1
Tinted Tails story - by popular demand
so a lot of people have asked me how i tinted my taillights. well, heres the scoop:
i started looking at how other people did it. almost invariably, VHT nightshades was given credit. so i made a trip to a couple local autozones and oriellys. i asked them for VHT nightshades, and NO ONE HAD HEARD OF IT. well, thats cool. i went to a couple of custom shops and asked about it. everyone i spoke to said it CANT be done. tint on the outside will weather and look horrible within a month. bah. they dont know what theyre talking about. so im about to venture into the internet and search for VHT nightshades so that i can do it on my car (which i anticipated looking like crap, uneven and all over the place), and on my way home i see another custom shop. called Auto Extreme. i figure, what the hell. so i stopped in. talked to the guy that owns the shop, talked to the tint guy, and both told me IT CANT BE DONE. bull. so i got in my car to go home, and looked at the truck next to me. the taillights were smoked. so i got out, went back in, and asked them whos truck it was. apparently it belonged to a friend of the owner, who sometimes hung around. they told me he wasnt there, but gave me his phone number. so i called him the next day, asked him how he did it. you know what he said?
well thats just beautiful. i asked him how much to do mine, twice as dark as his, he said $60. so i took him up on it. apparently he put 5 coats on his truck with one clear coat. after hearing that, i said "do twenty, with three clearcoats." he thought that might be kinda dark, but i told him thats what i was looking for. upon picking them up, i asked him again how he did it, and all he would tell me is that it was a kind of paint (he used a sprayer on it), and he decided 5 clear cloats would look better.
sorry to disappoint, i called him three times trying to get him to tell me what he used so that i could post it on here, but no go. im sure one or two of you have an idea, though. its possible he used VHT, even. but im sure if anyone else wants him to do it, $60.
sorry guys. i tried.
i started looking at how other people did it. almost invariably, VHT nightshades was given credit. so i made a trip to a couple local autozones and oriellys. i asked them for VHT nightshades, and NO ONE HAD HEARD OF IT. well, thats cool. i went to a couple of custom shops and asked about it. everyone i spoke to said it CANT be done. tint on the outside will weather and look horrible within a month. bah. they dont know what theyre talking about. so im about to venture into the internet and search for VHT nightshades so that i can do it on my car (which i anticipated looking like crap, uneven and all over the place), and on my way home i see another custom shop. called Auto Extreme. i figure, what the hell. so i stopped in. talked to the guy that owns the shop, talked to the tint guy, and both told me IT CANT BE DONE. bull. so i got in my car to go home, and looked at the truck next to me. the taillights were smoked. so i got out, went back in, and asked them whos truck it was. apparently it belonged to a friend of the owner, who sometimes hung around. they told me he wasnt there, but gave me his phone number. so i called him the next day, asked him how he did it. you know what he said?
That'* my secret.
sorry to disappoint, i called him three times trying to get him to tell me what he used so that i could post it on here, but no go. im sure one or two of you have an idea, though. its possible he used VHT, even. but im sure if anyone else wants him to do it, $60.
sorry guys. i tried.
#2
DINOSAURUS BOOSTUS
Expert Gearhead
He did essentially what any of us would be doing.
Which..is then saying that all the people that told you it looks bad, simply don't know how to do it.
My center tail where it lights up is frosted with VHT and then cleared. It looks great. You can't tell the difference between that center and my outters.
Which..is then saying that all the people that told you it looks bad, simply don't know how to do it.
My center tail where it lights up is frosted with VHT and then cleared. It looks great. You can't tell the difference between that center and my outters.
#3
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Dont waste your money on vht nightshades, good stuff and all, i just did a set of austin mini tailights a bit of clearcoat, and about 5 drops of black mix together and spray on the lense with a paint gun, good to go, ill post up some pics
simple as that
simple as that
#4
Originally Posted by tripscarcare95
Dont waste your money on vht nightshades, good stuff and all, i just did a set of austin mini tailights a bit of clearcoat, and about 5 drops of black mix together and spray on the lense with a paint gun, good to go, ill post up some pics
simple as that
simple as that
for us ppl without a paint sprayer, VHT works perfect.. i did 3 coats of VHt and 2 of clear on my 95 and it was better looking than my paint
#5
Junior Member
Posts like a Ricer Type-R
VHT works very well, right out of the can. My tails have held up very well, and I was the first here to do it on this Forum. Back in October of 2002. I've done a few sets since then, too.
I can tell you VHT works GREAT. Spray a few coats and clear.
If you want EXCELLENT flawless results, start wetsanding between the coats of VHT after about the 3rd coat (lightly with 1000 girt or so). Then 3 coats of clear or semi-gloss/matte clear, wetsanding between.
Nobody can tell it from OEM.
I can tell you VHT works GREAT. Spray a few coats and clear.
If you want EXCELLENT flawless results, start wetsanding between the coats of VHT after about the 3rd coat (lightly with 1000 girt or so). Then 3 coats of clear or semi-gloss/matte clear, wetsanding between.
Nobody can tell it from OEM.
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