Tinted the tails on my 00'

[BrianDye]

Just went out in the garage from boredom, and decided to start tinting my taillights, I always use the VHT Niteshades, which you can now get at Meijers, AutoZone, and many other parts stores, for about 8$ a can, so far, ive done 8 taillights, 3 coats a piece with it, which is very dark, but shows light perfectly still, I didnt have enough todo the actual taillights on my LS, but I did the lights on the trunk lid. Here are some pics (3 coats VHT, 1 coat of clear)


(You also have to strip the Lincoln LS lettering off if you have a 1st gen, which I wanted todo anyways)

Some before pics:

After:

I need to get some daytime...OUT OF THE GARAGE pics lol

 

[Alax7]

Wow thats dark. Cool though. Are you going to convert your whole ls to a black on black everything? Like tinted side markers and corner lenses and black rims and dark tint and now tinted tail lights?

 

[BrianDye]

I'm not going for a murdered look, but I
gonna finish the tails, and take the amber lens out of the headlights and then get the clear corners, tint the windows, but i'm looking for some nice chrome 19's or 20's maybe a chrome grill too. But then again, that's just me rambling, hopefully it happens though haha

 

[Andrizzle]

Looks good. How did it hold the gloss? To my understanding using VHT without clear and using clear without rubbing compound really dulls the finish. Some even wetsand in the process.

I eventually wanna do mine, but I am afraid of ruining them by getting a dulled finish

 

[lsdarkshadow]

There's a guy who does the whole process on youtube,.. if you take your time and do them slowly, taking the time to wet sand inbetween coats, it can look really sharp. It's way better than film vinyl. And, it will never bubble. It weathers the same as other painted surfaces, and provided you do it right will last longer than tint film.

 

[PetesSweets86]

makes your rear look like a towncar afterwards

 

[BrianDye]

I did it on my 92 explorer last spring, 3 coats per light, no clear at all and they still look great, a little flatter than the LS'es but that's what I wanted, the 3rd brake light looks a little faded from the sun.

I did them to my 95, 3 coats, and 2 of clear and that sat in my driveway all summer in the beating sun and they still look like day 1 VERY glossy.

I'm gonna finish the LS tonight if I get my ass out to meijera to get another can of VHT. I hate the vinyl covers, they all BARELY let light through and it's ridiculous. I'm thinking about doing ONE coat on the headlights which gives it a smoked look

 

[PetesSweets86]

nice pumpkin next to your paintjob.......

 

[BrianDye]

Hahaha thanks, grabbed about 6 of them from work one night and only got around to carve 2.

The gloss looks really good though, and the only prep work was rubbing alcohol, let em dry for 10-15 mins, then did a coat about ever 13 or so mins, which is very fast but I wanted to get them done lol. I had that little turkey cooker thing for heat, it was about 40• out in my garage haha

 

[PetesSweets86]

and you just used a chisel for the badges, right....

 

[BrianDye]

Hair dryer and a flathead mini screwdriver, heated them up for about a minute, and they peeled right off, got the sticky residue off with a shot of rubbing alcohol, wiped right off.

 

[Andrizzle]

any daytime pics?

Really wanting to do this soon.

lsdarkshadow do you have a link to that vid? I searched youtube for nightshades taillight tinting and none of them really have a process video

 

[5speed02]

I figured out the VHT on my focus, you need to wetsand, clear coat heavily and evenly and wet sand again! Pull out the old variable polisher with a wool bonnet and buff the hell out of them! http://www.cardomain.com/ride/539495/3 I did 2 variations, v.1 was solid black and v.2 I masked out the reverse lights! I think I may pick up a new set of junkyard tails and do a write up!

 

[SPSully]

search... there is one already done

 

[Linkin Park]

makes your rear look like a towncar afterwards

I was thinking Crown Vic.

Not feeling the love with the tint. Sort of a dated mod, but would probably look better fully tinted and way less dark. I thought VHT had run its course a few years ago.

 

[TDUB]

I was thinking Crown Vic.

Not feeling the love with the tint. Sort of a dated mod, but would probably look better fully tinted and way less dark. I thought VHT had run its course a few years ago.

Ehh.... the LS doesn't really have a whole lot of options tail light wise and the red ones just look too plain.

 

[cannons_custom]

Another way to do it is throw some black paint in clear coat then shoot it in a paint gun. Thats what I did in mine. Still lets plenty of light through. Been pulled over by the cops here in Wisconsin and they have never said a thing besides nice car, don't try to impress the girlfriend.

 

[rainjacks]

Looks pretty good. Don't forget the center brake light.

 

[craigh]

Hair dryer and a flathead mini screwdriver, heated them up for about a minute, and they peeled right off, got the sticky residue off with a shot of rubbing alcohol, wiped right off.

I used a hair dryer and dental floss.

 

[pektel]

+1, except I used fishing line.

 

[TDUB]

+1. I used sewing string and my heat gun though. Not that complicated.

 

[BrianDye]

It wasn't hard at all, i needto get another can of it though I HATE the way my tails look right now lol

 

[LS Gator]

What brand clear did you use and anyone have the link to the youtube video that does the step by step?

Oh yeah I am a new member so intro time. Live in STL drive an 05 LS Silver and some basic mods like eibach, sub, grille, 20% tint, and a horrible taillight tint job first of the year I've got eyebrows, painting the chrome on the grille and back body color and blacking out the stock lincoln emblem and the vintage V8 emblem. That about does it.