tinting tail lights
- Thread starter Nicolas Hernandez
- Start date
DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS....i can tell you from experience as a novice vinyl applier you will not be able to mold vinyl to those fins...they are way to only shaped and big...i tinted and still have vinyl tint on my tailights and i simply wrapped around those fins...yea you can see some of the original taillight but it doesn't bother me...and please do not spray tint your taillights...again if your not a pro don't do it because you will end up messing up ur taillights with spray tint...and if by luck you make them look nice they'll probably fade a year later....ive had my vinyl on for a year and looks like the day i put it on!
I had my tail lights tinted and sprayed by a pro and he even put a clear over them!!! They look amazing and it's been done for over 2 years!!! 
For the record I just want to state that I work in a law firm that deals with auto accidents and I can say that there have been instances where our clients rear-ended a car with blacked out/tinted taillights because they couldn't see them in the rain or at night because the reflective shards in the taillights were too dark to properly reflect the headlight lights. My route is to paint the inside of the taillight a glossy black so that way it atleast stays shiny and the outer taillight will be fully red. Again, visibility IS important.
I used VHT Nite shade. I masked off the back of each housing with tape at the edges then taped on a plastic bag over the back. Then I cleaned the lenses with rubbing alcohol and then I sprayed 2 light coats waiting 15 minutes in between each coat and then I did a heavier 3rd coat to make it glossier. Doing a light 3rd coat will make it look matte and dull. After the 3rd coat I let it sit for an hour and then I installed them back onto the car. I did wet sand it after to smooth out the finish and then I hand buffed them. I did wet sand one a bit much and it's beginning to fade so I have to redo it. You can kind of see it in the 2nd picture I posted, it's a bit pink where the light is hitting it. Not noticeable unless you're up close looking at it for blemishes though.
I have to bring up this really good point. Modifying the factory taillights in any way is highly illegal. Even worse, it can decrease visibility and create a dangerous situation for either yourself or someone who is behind you. We have some crazy ass drivers here in Cincinnati and I have nearly rear ended MANY cars because you could not tell that the jackass was hitting the brakes.
BINGO, unless it's a show car and is a trailer queen, leave the lighting alone. Not only is it illegal, it's downright dangerous. I have had more than my share of modified vehicles, I get it, but I'm also a first responder and see what can happen when people can't see you. My old GTO was purchased with tinted tails on it. Got pulled over, ended up with a ticket, AND had to spend $750 on new tails to replace those as removing the tint was not an option. The legal issues that could be associated in an accident just are not worth it, no matter how hot the chick is that is drooling over your Corolla.
I am glad that you brought your perspective into this argument. I cannot believe that people would want to do a mod that would make things so much more dangerous for not just others, but also for themselves and their passengers. In my city, we have no many high school kiddies running around with their handed down several generations old Audi A4 or Caddy or (insert an entry level luxury car several generations old) and that seems to be one of the first mods they do. It pisses me off to no upper limit because I can never tell when they are braking or not. Ever since we got rid of our emissions check in the state, I have been seeing more and more of these illegal mods running around. The fact that the parents would allow their kids to do something so dangerous is unbelievably irresponsible and to me reflects the general state of parenting we are starting to see in this country.
I live in Indy and have seen cars with tinted taillights and headlights. They are hard to see in the daytime, and even worse at night. Not to mention they hinder light output on headlights. They are your cars and you can do whatever you want to them to make you happy, but for me personally, I wouldn't do it. Now if by some chance a company like Spec-D or Spyder were to make aftermarket LED taillights, that I may look into.
