How do I get rid of these god damned ricer-looking stock taillights?

are there any red out kits or tails for sale?

only way to get rid of the "ricer" like taillights is to get rid of the car

ricer?


boy you're way off base

I really like the tail lights, but I understand how you feel.

People keep on telling me, "nice altezza tail light conversion." Someone else told me once that their friend has the same altezza tail light conversion to their honda civic as mine.

I'm like these are stock..and their like oh...

kind of sucks

you should bring back those black tinted out tail light covers. those were big in the late 90's.
Can you you sense the sarcasim. i agree with lurch519. if you don't like it why did you buy it.

actually, you can buy black spray tint for the taillights, its like 30 or 35 a can, and you can do several sets

Seriously.. just sell the car... did you not notice the tail lights in the lot??


sigh... anyway.. i've seen celicas that have stickers to slap on over the covers to make em cherry red... looks good... otherwise.. there are diy guides out there about how to paint them.....

I like them, but I understand where ur coming from...ive been asked a million times where I got altezza lights for my 8 :rolleyes:

Get them sprayed in transparent candy apple red...

^^ interesting..

take them off and leave the bulbs in the body...now there's a mod for ya

Spraying the tails red/black or applying a sticker would make your reverse lights red & you'll get tickets.

Spraying the tails red/black or applying a sticker would make your reverse lights red & you'll get tickets.

because cops are always watching cars go in reverse... :rolleyes:

Could have been WORSE


http://bio.gsnu.ac.kr/professor/favorite/rx8.jpg

I bought the car because I saw potential in it.

Now that I have fixed all its problems (turbo, full suspension to cure the slop in the back, wheels/tires) I've decided to improve on the car's looks with a nice, tasteful RB lip spoiler, a MazdaSpeed front, debadged rear, and yes, to get rid of those god awful ricer altezza wannabe taillights Mazda seems to be using on everything now.

When your taillights look like the same ones the D-Series engined Civics are rocking, its time to change.

When your taillights look like the same ones the D-Series engined Civics are rocking, its time to change.
do yourself a favour and save future embrassment........ when buying your next car, check the taillights first, maybe bring a mate with you to be sure :rolleyes:

Look at it this way, "Why should I have to change my OEM taillights when the ricers are copying me???"

Altezza tail lights weren't "ricey" until kids started throwing them on their neons, caveliers, and civics.

Cheers!

I bought the car because I saw potential in it.

Now that I have fixed all its problems (turbo, full suspension to cure the slop in the back, wheels/tires) I've decided to improve on the car's looks with a nice, tasteful RB lip spoiler, a MazdaSpeed front, debadged rear, and yes, to get rid of those god awful ricer altezza wannabe taillights Mazda seems to be using on everything now.

When your taillights look like the same ones the D-Series engined Civics are rocking, its time to change.
you are concerned about our beautifully designed lights being ricey? (BTW this isn't a civic)

I think your greatest concern should be getting rid of the Orange corners on your BLACK CAR! Talk about tacky.

Not sure why everyone's being such a dick to this guy. He doesn't like the taillights. He thinks they look like Uncle Ben's taillights, and it sounds like a lot of people agree. (Hence random walkups about the Altezza conversion).

If he wanted a car with a rotary engine, this was it. So saying "bring a friend next time!" does him about zero good. The RX8 is a unique car. You have to take the good with the bad. Why, on this forum of all places, trying to fix up the "bad" is taken so poorly is beyond me. We mod intakes, engines, roll bars, exhaust, clear corners etc. all without a blink of an eye. But my god you better not call my taillights ricer!!!!.

Sheesh, cut the guy some slack.

I think he is getting such flack since he posted in such a rude way...and brought up the 'ricer' term which is irrelevant

He could have just asked:
'is there a tailight replacement'
'is there something I can do to modify the look of my tailights'

etc. etc. instead of approaching the manner in such a negatively connotated fashion


Not sure why everyone's being such a dick to this guy. He doesn't like the taillights. He thinks they look like Uncle Ben's taillights, and it sounds like a lot of people agree. (Hence random walkups about the Altezza conversion).

If he wanted a car with a rotary engine, this was it. So saying "bring a friend next time!" does him about zero good. The RX8 is a unique car. You have to take the good with the bad. Why, on this forum of all places, trying to fix up the "bad" is taken so poorly is beyond me. We mod intakes, engines, roll bars, exhaust, clear corners etc. all without a blink of an eye. But my god you better not call my taillights ricer!!!!.

Sheesh, cut the guy some slack.

Frankly I don't care if 90% of the people are dicks to me - they're just justifying their own poor taste.

YES I knew the taillights were shit when I bought the car, but just like I fixed everything else I didn't like about it (not much, the car is SO good), I'm ready to fix the last two things - debadging the rear and fixing those tail lights.

Corners mean nothing to me. I don't understand the obsession with them. I never even notice them. Again, that's a ricer mod in my opinion.

SO - I do know the Celica guys put the red vinyl stuff over it . . . but someone mentioned a spray?

I love the taillights, this whole "altezza" thing has gotten way out of f-in proportion, has anyone ever seen a real Altezza? Here's a clue..take a look at a Lexus IS300. Do you think those guys ever bitch about ther lights being "ricey"? I don't see what the big deal is, the lenses are a different color..wow...that makes it "rice"? ugh...serenity now! :D

Corners mean nothing to me. I don't understand the obsession with them. I never even notice them. Again, that's a ricer mod in my opinion.
actually the clear corners are stock in japan and the rest of the world

the oranges are Mazda's shitty compliance with DOT so they can import our cars from Japan

really if you look at your car you see orange, then you see a car...looking at bright orange first is a simple brain response

Frankly I don't care if 90% of the people are dicks to me - they're just justifying their own poor taste.

YES I knew the taillights were shit when I bought the car, but just like I fixed everything else I didn't like about it (not much, the car is SO good), I'm ready to fix the last two things - debadging the rear and fixing those tail lights.

Corners mean nothing to me. I don't understand the obsession with them. I never even notice them. Again, that's a ricer mod in my opinion.

SO - I do know the Celica guys put the red vinyl stuff over it . . . but someone mentioned a spray?

i trhink shit is a pretty strong word, and just because people don't have your taste doesn't mean they have poor taste, (any pics of your 7 by the way?)

bottom line
there are no aftermarket taillights for the rx8 yet

its all good if you want to change them
its your car
sometimes people on this site forget that

i get your opinion but just because their shitty to you doesnt mean you have to hate on them. i personaly like them a lot.

and for all those comments on "shoulda noticed them before you bought the car" are not needed, honestly i got this response when i complained about the car not being fast enough.... you dont decided what car you want and have let the final say be deciding on the looks of the tail lights... there other things that out wieght em.

Frankly I don't care if 90% of the people are dicks to me - they're just justifying their own poor taste.

YES I knew the taillights were shit when I bought the car, but just like I fixed everything else I didn't like about it (not much, the car is SO good), I'm ready to fix the last two things - debadging the rear and fixing those tail lights.

Corners mean nothing to me. I don't understand the obsession with them. I never even notice them. Again, that's a ricer mod in my opinion.

SO - I do know the Celica guys put the red vinyl stuff over it . . . but someone mentioned a spray?

just get them sprayed. Good body shops will know about this technique. They spray it with transparent candy apple red. Keep in mind that this is permanent. It will tint your tailights a dark red. It's an old skool trick used by many so cali show cars back in 1995 so on....old chevy's used this as well..

altezzas are good
i like them
they make me happy

hate hate hate

hate hate hate

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The tail lamps look VERY cool on silver RX8s :)

http://www.d-mphotos.com/images/rx8/a4_rx8_11.jpg

I think your greatest concern should be getting rid of the Orange corners on your BLACK CAR! Talk about tacky.
Damn dude. I'm convicted. But after I get my intake, I'll get some clear corners.

What makes the lights rice? Is an Altezza rice? Is anything Civic owners do in aboundance rice? And who's idea was it to call a particular kind of taste rice? Why not maccaroni? Why not grits? You know like, "Man, you see the size of that wing. Now that's just straight up grits!"

I'm fine with the tail lights. But if you want to customize ... please do a DIY. A lot of people may think your work is tight (or grits LOL). But seriously, do your thing man. I'm sure it'll be tight.

Though maybe some guys can see what he is saying.. that doesn't mean they agree...

it just means.. if they tilt their head.. get a little boozed up.. and maybe get knocked in the head.. they might possibly see what the guy is saying about our tail lights..

however... i'm sure most of us after thorougly examining the car... determined... damn this car was well put together.. and even the little details were examined... personally i love how they look... though I've never been a fan of altezzas...

altezzas don't look bad on altezzas.. altezzas look bad on riced up trucks...

why would they make their trucks look japanese??? they're so proud of domestic power and this and that.. whatever..

anyway.. there aren't many solutions.. i already suggested that he buy the red sticker stuff that goes over the covers.. or.. paint it with transparent paint...

so in fact.. we did try to help

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HAHAHAAHHA TOO FUNNY!

Here we go with all this rice crap again :rolleyes:

btw.. that silver rx8 is hot... whats it facing off with?


and they look good on titanium grays too... wonder what galaxy gray will look like...

i hope i don't like it more than my titanium

I'm going to have to agree with the "get clear corners" sentiment. Clear/silver is more subdued than orange, so I would argue that it's less ricey than orange. Especially on a black or silver car; on a red or orange car maybe orange corners are okay. Clear corners may be favored by the droopy pants Honda crowd, but that doesn't make them automatically bad--even a broken clock is right twice a day, you know? They also like aftermarket wheels, so should we avoid different wheels then too?

NICE! :D :D I'd post more but the manage attachment thing is flaking out on me...and I'm too lazy to do an imageshack/tinypic setup :o

The tail lamps look VERY cool on silver RX8s :)

http://www.d-mphotos.com/images/rx8/a4_rx8_11.jpg

It's only rice if you have to CHANGE your stock part to another part

like: civic lights---->altezza

how is it rice if it comes stock?

It's only rice if you have to CHANGE your stock part to another part

like: civic lights---->altezza

how is it rice if it comes stock?


Yeah I gues thats about right, but a car that comes to mind is the Evo, which appears to have factory rice. Good ahead and tell me how the wing provides down force yada yada yada...

How do I get rid of these god damned ricer-looking stock taillights?

are there any red out kits or tails for sale?


I'm not going to flame this guy, for however misconstrued, he is entitled to his opinion. Having said that I obviously don't agree, but I understand that he doesn't like people to associate his cars with the average ricer.

Ok. You could open your taillights and paint the silver areas red or black, depending on your taste. You could even use that black out/tint stuff that covers the tailights. That should give them a different look.

The mazda 6 came with altezza lights also, apparently they can be baked at certain temperature stated in the manual and change into the black one like the newer version. Wonder if the RX-8 lights can be done also?

The mazda 6 came with altezza lights also, apparently they can be baked at certain temperature stated in the manual and change into the black one like the newer version. Wonder if the RX-8 lights can be done also?

Sure you can. I just picked up a set of headlights off ebay. I opened them up using a heat gun as opposed to baking them. Just keep the heat gun moving in sweeping motion for about two minutes, per section. If you keep it on one spot you'll be SOL. I'm too much of a wuss to bake them .

Here is a suggestion that I am keen on learning more about: The new special edition 8 on display right now in Tokyo said in the description "black bezel taillights". I have yet to see them in any photos, but it sounds like a good place to start looking. If they look good I'll definitely consider swapping stock for this style. It should reduce the "loud" altezza style of the stock that I too do not care for.

Frankly I don't care if 90% of the people are dicks to me - they're just justifying their own poor taste.

i agreed with what alcimedes said about not giving you such a hard time, until you typed that out. just because people dont have the same taste as you means that their taste is bad.

let's kill him

If only we had sharks with friggin laser beams. Then we could teach them to laser etch the taillights!

If its a black car, just tint the lenses. Done properly it'll look fantastic. Done half assed it'll look horrid.

I agree with crossbow, if it bothers you that much then just smoke them. It could look really cool.

fyi take out the tail light, bake in oven, black out reflectors/smoke it, epoxy tailighht back together

http://www.lamin-x.com/

ive used his stuff on the RX8 fog lights and head lights, pre-cut kits for the RX8 head/fog lights, i think he might have tail lights too.

If not, just buy a sheet, just it, apply it and stretch with hair dyer. will look great.

http://www.lamin-x.com/

ive used his stuff on the RX8 fog lights and head lights, pre-cut kits for the RX8 head/fog lights, i think he might have tail lights too.

If not, just buy a sheet, just it, apply it and stretch with hair dyer. will look great.
pics please :fingersx:

How do I get rid of these god damned ricer-looking stock taillights?
You could just do a skyline tailight conversion... very original. No Rice There.

My car is at the shop, ill get it back next week and post pics, cause I still havent put up any pics since i got the car...lol

If you go to his site and click the show room, you can see examples of his film on differnt cars

we sell the smoke film enough for both taillight $20/sheet cheaper than Lamin-x $50

Call Neogen Graphics 619-200-7903

hmmmm . . . . I think the best thing would be probably to take them out and use the old painting trick - I know friends who did it to their Celicas back when the Celica had orange/reds instead of all reds.

As far as the corners - NO I will not change them. I like my car looking close to stock at the moment, especially since it can keep up with my friends' z06, Supra, and STi.

Perhaps in the spring when I debadge, put on the MS front and the RB decklid spoiler (so clean, so slick, rice free, and macaroni free too) I'll consider the clear corners . . . but I still associate clear corners with what all those FWD JDM B18C5 DC2 ITR people do, and I don't want any association with that crowd.

Grit free is the way to be.

Well its not just FWD JDM B18C DC2 ITR people... all RX-8s come factory standard with clear corners... except in the USofA

I promised myself i would not type in this thread, i hate it when people start trash talking someone that wants to make there car "their own".

but i lost to myself.


I have mixed feelings about this thread.

on one hand I say leave the guy alone, let him do what he want. and i do stand behind my thoughts. as i have stated many many times in the past, the "mods" you do to your car is what makes it YOUR car, and not just another RX-8

on the other hand I am a little pissed that he would say that they are crap! i mean come on, just because they are clear tail lights this makes them "altezza" lihts, or "rice"..... dude, you need to take a better look at how much they make the car! you really think that 2 big ass red splotches in the back of your car would look better then nice clear lights with some desighn? hell I did the opposite and replaced the orange bulbs with silver ones to help get some of the orange color out of the lights. (as seen below)

i am with the guy that said something like leave the man alone and let him do what he wants, but at the same time you really could be a little less rude about it. and as for my two cents, the red lights would look plain, stock, boring, and would kill the look of the RX-8 in the rear.


but if you are still wanting to make your tail lights unique, then just go to a body shop and ask them to spray candy red over the lights. any Candy is a transparent color.

i was lookin for those silver bulbs.. which ones did you get speedy? and where? and how much? and do you wanna sponsor me?

i was lookin for those silver bulbs.. which ones did you get speedy? and where? and how much? and do you wanna sponsor me?
Stealth bulbs

www.mazdaparts.com has them for cheap

we sell the smoke film enough for both taillight $20/sheet cheaper than Lamin-x $50

Call Neogen Graphics 619-200-7903

Not saying your stuff isnt good, or anything but :

Lamin-X is 50 for the pre-cut kit. Their bulk sheets are cheaper than that.

What size are the sheets of film you sell for 20, who makes the film, how many mill thick is it?

Ok well I'm going back to my suggestion and I am willing to try it if I can get an extra taillight in case I blow it :beer:

To give you an idea I attached a image of MX-3 tail light of kind of what I could be shooting for...

the only thing I'm worried about is the lack of definition in the center where there is a lot of chrome/shiny/altezza style that would be painted and nothing else...that is where a stealth bulb as the center might save it otherwise I'll keep my LEDs

Just so you know if this does work and I like it on my car (sunlight silver, nice contrast) I will be blacking out the chrome emblems (with the same color as the tailight paint job)

Remember to do this you bake in oven, seperate the lense from the rest of the housing, paint and reattach with epoxy

http://www.lightlens.net/mazda/m092097.jpg

Ok well I'm going back to my suggestion and I am willing to try it if I can get an extra taillight in case I blow it :beer:

To give you an idea I attached a image of MX-3 tail light of kind of what I could be shooting for...

the only thing I'm worried about is the lack of definition in the center where there is a lot of chrome/shiny/altezza style that would be painted and nothing else...that is where a stealth bulb as the center might save it otherwise I'll keep my LEDs

Just so you know if this does work and I like it on my car (sunlight silver, nice contrast) I will be blacking out the chrome emblems (with the same color as the tailight paint job)

Remember to do this you bake in oven, seperate the lense from the rest of the housing, paint and reattach with epoxy

http://www.lightlens.net/mazda/m092097.jpg

that would look freakin AWESOME on my car . . . .

I would love it if my lights were more integrated with the black of car, so that only the little round red bits showed.

maybe paint them black?

that would look freakin AWESOME on my car . . . .

I would love it if my lights were more integrated with the black of car, so that only the little round red bits showed.

maybe paint them black?
yes I was thinking a matte black...gloss black may be tacky

that would look freakin AWESOME on my car . . . .

I would love it if my lights were more integrated with the black of car, so that only the little round red bits showed.

maybe paint them black?

those lights SCREAM ricer Civic to me. :101384_l:

that would look freakin AWESOME on my car . . . .

I would love it if my lights were more integrated with the black of car, so that only the little round red bits showed.

maybe paint them black? well it is on :ylsuper:

I won an ebay auction for two...I was going to get one but hey why not two :wiggle:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8007540325

Try the Honda S2000, those lights are identical without the strakes in side. Don't know if they will fit in the 8 body.

Also try Miata's, the may be an exact fit.

they wont fit without modification^^^^

I'm in the process of spray painting my tails red(as soon as I successfully obtain a spare set). I'm planning to cover most of the light candy red but will mask off the main brake lamp. Any suggestions as to what shape I should use for the reverse? Or just red out the whole thing?

An 8, of course :P

I think it's gonna be pretty hard to try and wrap a lamin-x sheet around our tail lights. I was also thinking of doing the same thing, so if you have a cut-out or a picture, that would be very helpful.


Not saying your stuff isnt good, or anything but :

Lamin-X is 50 for the pre-cut kit. Their bulk sheets are cheaper than that.

What size are the sheets of film you sell for 20, who makes the film, how many mill thick is it?

I'm in the process of spray painting my tails red(as soon as I successfully obtain a spare set). I'm planning to cover most of the light candy red but will mask off the main brake lamp. Any suggestions as to what shape I should use for the reverse? Or just red out the whole thing?

Only two shapes on the car - 1) Rotor 2 ) Round

So has anyone actually tried the painting yet? Pictures?

I did this to my Celica when I had it too...worked perfectly. The color matched up flawless and it was easy...that's why I'm pretty confident doing it for the 8. Only worry is that on the celica it was yellow to red vs clear to red on the 8. I'm worried that the yellow plastic might be part of the reason why it worked so well. I've already practiced on a plastic watter bottle and it came out okay...kinda pinkish at first.


hmmmm . . . . I think the best thing would be probably to take them out and use the old painting trick - I know friends who did it to their Celicas back when the Celica had orange/reds instead of all reds.

As far as the corners - NO I will not change them. I like my car looking close to stock at the moment, especially since it can keep up with my friends' z06, Supra, and STi.

Perhaps in the spring when I debadge, put on the MS front and the RB decklid spoiler (so clean, so slick, rice free, and macaroni free too) I'll consider the clear corners . . . but I still associate clear corners with what all those FWD JDM B18C5 DC2 ITR people do, and I don't want any association with that crowd.

Grit free is the way to be.

What type of paint are you using?

I used toy model paint, Testor Transparent Candy Red on my old EG Civic taillight to give it the EK Si look. I had a set of all clear, and I painted the top half. It came out okay. I went with one or two layers too many and it looked caked on. On the clear part, it did look too pink and that's why I kept adding layers. Lost it's luster/glossiness after a while.

I was planning on using the same candy red spray paint too but I've changed my mind recently after a few more practice sprays on glass and clear plastics that were closer to the material of our lights.

I did a little web searching and found out that Krylon stained glass spray might actually be a better choice. Unlike the testor paint it's pretty much designed to go from clear to tranparent red and it holds it gloss much better apparently. I'm planning to pick up a can this weekend and do some practice sprays to compare with the Testor Candy Red. If it looks decent I'm doing the lights ASAP. Will post pictures as soon as I do.

What type of paint are you using?

I used toy model paint, Testor Transparent Candy Red on my old EG Civic taillight to give it the EK Si look. I had a set of all clear, and I painted the top half. It came out okay. I went with one or two layers too many and it looked caked on. On the clear part, it did look too pink and that's why I kept adding layers. Lost it's luster/glossiness after a while.

ignore this post but if deleted don't delete the attachment please :)

Well looky looky what special Halloween gift did I find on my door step from Wilma beaten Florida???? :wiggle:

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62195&stc=1




any recommendations before I start :) (btw the silver assembly may be removable so I may not even have to paint it!!!!!!!!! :) but I am thinking about a clear reflective paint over any black paint I leave...the stuff works great and will provide even more reflection at night than the stock WHILE being blacked out ON THE INSIDE :crazy:

The questions I have is what should I paint/darken/blackout??? Any color reccomendations??? (otherwise flat black is it or smokeout the silver and maybe the reflective clear paint) I can't decide yet, so chime up, if I totally f-this set of lights up I won't loose too much sweat :smoker::wink2:

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62196&stc=1

Nice! I'd say smoke out the strakes/trim in a gunmetal color. Flat black the reflective chrome pieces.

On one of them, try the all red look by painting the inside of the clear outside cover with transparent red, and leave a circle for the brakes and maybe reverse.

Good luck! I can't wait to see the results.

Yeah, they would look better w/out the cheesy chrome. It's too bad everyone had to copy Toyota's. :-/

I'd try and find transparent vinyl to cover them in. The make that smoke colored stuff. That way you can retail OE quality (most aftermarket lights are cheaply made) and change the look a bit.

I know some EVO guys doing this.

Something like this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/03-05-MAZDA-RX8-SMOKE-Tail-Light-Film-Kit-Smoked_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33716QQitemZ8010 731809QQrdZ1

not a fan...

but I'm taking these things apart and am going to play :) may use a removable latex gel to test how it looks before using the permanent stuff :)

So how did splitting the taillights turnout? I happen to have a set coming to me for the exact same reason. Anything I can learn from you doing it first would be appreciated :D:

So how did splitting the taillights turnout? I happen to have a set coming to me for the exact same reason. Anything I can learn from you doing it first would be appreciated :D:
gf sick so project has been temporarily delayed, I'll probably start tinkering this weekend though :wiggle:

heres a cool idea for out taillights.. saw it at boundary bay.. local drifter club..

wow those are cool... similar to stock though

Truemagellan I'll help if you want. Got some tools that may help.


I think the clear corners on the Red 8's give the most improvement.

Not sure if clear on the yellow 8's will help.

Black with orange looks fine although the clear looks real nice on them too.

On the sunlight silver the orange corners add a bit of color, gives it perspective. :) But it does also look good with the clears. :yesnod:



let's kill him


:lol:

By feeding him ten pounds of rice and making him drink a gallon of water.

Definitely could have been more tactful when asking about the tail lights.

Truemagellan I'll help if you want. Got some tools that may help.


I think the clear corners on the Red 8's give the most improvement.

Not sure if clear on the yellow 8's will help.

Black with orange looks fine although the clear looks real nice on them too.

On the sunlight silver the orange corners add a bit of color, gives it perspective. :) But it does also look good with the clears. :yesnod:






:lol:

By feeding him ten pounds of rice and making him drink a gallon of water.

Definitely could have been more tactful when asking about the tail lights.
sure :mdrmed:

You want to wait for your grilles or are you going to powder coat those?

You want to wait for your grilles or are you going to powder coat those?
I think I'll just paint the grilles, but these tailights are an entirely seperate project

funny though the headlights look HUGE when not in the car :mdrmed:

They tuck in so nice.

If we are painting and waiting for one of them to dry we can be working on the other. :)

Might as well paint the Pettit Racing Radio Knob and polish it as well.

I think that the stock RX-8 tail lights are not ricer. They look great.

I think that the stock RX-8 tail lights are not ricer. They look great.
I agree they are not ricer

I'm just curious what it would look like if the chrome were blacked out :)

gf sick so project has been temporarily delayed, I'll probably start tinkering this weekend though :wiggle:

I'm interested to see how you fare with splitting the lights themselves... I have done this on other lights and had good results. These lights don't appear to have much sealant which makes me think its going to be an issue.

They look good on my TiGray, the strikes on the inside of the light almost match the paint. Personlly I like them. However I can see on a black car how they may stand out to much.

ooo i was planning on doing this exact same project with removing the chrome out of the tail black lights but i guess u started before me!

good luck

I'm interested to see how you fare with splitting the lights themselves... I have done this on other lights and had good results. These lights don't appear to have much sealant which makes me think its going to be an issue.
I'm still very worried about the LEDs and the LED wiring/and the heat shrink for that matter...this is defnitiely a gamble :shocking::p:

I'm still very worried about the LEDs and the LED wiring/and the heat shrink for that matter...this is defnitiely a gamble :shocking::p:

I had a broken light that I tested with... the leds and led wiring did fine. The front clear plastic seems to get weak and flexable long before it lets go of the backing. At this point I'm a little worried that the standard way of spliting it isn't going to work.

I had a broken light that I tested with... the leds and led wiring did fine. The front clear plastic seems to get weak and flexable long before it lets go of the backing. At this point I'm a little worried that the standard way of spliting it isn't going to work.
what temp did u try it at?

I heard low temps (200f) for long times (15mins or so) what was your experiences

I did it at 215 for about 10 mins at first and it didn't seem to do much but heat things up. I raised it to 250 for about 5 mins more and that’s when the clear plastic started getting flexible. So obviously 250 was too much.

I did it at 215 for about 10 mins at first and it didn't seem to do much but heat things up. I raised it to 250 for about 5 mins more and that’s when the clear plastic started getting flexible. So obviously 250 was too much.
ok thanks for the tip...that is weird since the front headlights come apart easy I've read...I've got a knife that fits in there nicely to pull it apart once the adhesive is gooey...maybe I should try a solvent but that could be a disaster :crazy:

ok thanks for the tip...that is weird since the front headlights come apart easy I've read...I've got a knife that fits in there nicely to pull it apart once the adhesive is gooey...maybe I should try a solvent but that could be a disaster :crazy:

Well most headlights there is a bead of something in there to get gooey but if you look closely at the taillights... there isn't anything that can be seen anyways. I haven't done these headlights but I have done them in past cars and its really quite simple. I hadn't thought of a solvent but the worry I would have about the solvent, is getting it on the actual part that needs it.

I tried it...I saw the sealant get gooey and wet...but no luck in seperation, one thing that kind of helped was removing the black somewhat square piece from the top of the assembly, it is small and seems pointless to remove but it exposes the top of the lense for two inches.

I gave up out of boredom, I'll try again tomorrow...I read 225 and 20 mins is a good number...really the longer the better for the heat to soften the sealant on the interior of the lense

Definitely cooler temp for a longer time will allow the heat to soak into where the sealant is. Like cooking a steak if a person wants it pink give it more heat and less time. More thoroughly cooked less heat longer time and the center gets cooked. :)

Definitely cooler temp for a longer time will allow the heat to soak into where the sealant is. Like cooking a steak if a person wants it pink give it more heat and less time. More thoroughly cooked less heat longer time and the center gets cooked. :) .

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm steakkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

I tried it...I saw the sealant get gooey and wet...but no luck in seperation, one thing that kind of helped was removing the black somewhat square piece from the top of the assembly, it is small and seems pointless to remove but it exposes the top of the lense for two inches.

I gave up out of boredom, I'll try again tomorrow...I read 225 and 20 mins is a good number...really the longer the better for the heat to soften the sealant on the interior of the lense

What temp and time did you try first?

175 for a while 15 mins then bumped it up to 200 for 10 mins more since it cooled down after the 15 min warm up because I was working on it

I have mixed feelings about the taillights. They do look very good on the silver 8's, but overall I don't like these types of lights. I don't think it ruins the car, but I would like to see some type of more traditional light. Now on the new MX-5, IMO those lights look terrible.

im really surprised the aftermarket has not come with anything yet

You and I both

175 for a while 15 mins then bumped it up to 200 for 10 mins more since it cooled down after the 15 min warm up because I was working on it

So whats your status on this??


Inquiring minds want to know :)

not good tried 210 at 15 and couldn't get it loose but I could see the glue get soft and shiny

this project is a realpain :)

don't go hotter than 225 though as others have melted the lense

210 for 30 may be the ticket

not good tried 210 at 15 and couldn't get it loose but I could see the glue get soft and shiny

this project is a realpain :)

don't go hotter than 225 though as others have melted the lense

210 for 30 may be the ticket

Are you going to try again with the "210 / 30" combo?

yes I've just been busy latey...plus I want to get a new hobby knife to work on the seal

I'm putting on oil cooler screens I just got in the mail a minute ago, but I have to paint them first...hmmm Sunday I may try :) (hopefully earlier)

i have an extremely low tolerance for alteeza tail lights and its probably the ugliest thing you can do to your car, worse than a big aluminum wing in my opinion(and i'm completely serious, im not exaggerating at all)

i never thought of the rx8's tail lights as alteeza looking, stock cars with chrome housings don't come off with that cheap look that the cheapie made in china aftermarket lights do, and they look just fine in my opinion. i personally thing the rx8's tail lights are a work of art and i would say the best looking remedy would be a diassembly and strip and repaint of the chrome housing to flat black or a light tint and stealth bulb.

any updates? I just ruined my taillight by baking at 250 for 20 min

I thought you said 225 in the other thread?

250 equals melt down, I say 220 is max

I'm thinking 210 at 30 is the only way but really this whole thing is a PITA

did u use a test tailight or you only set?

any updates? I just ruined my taillight by baking at 250 for 20 min

That sucks.

Has anyone been able to get these apart?

I wonder if they used epoxy to glue the buggers together. That would explain the high heat resistance.

Originally Posted by StealthFox
i never thought of the rx8's tail lights as alteeza looking, stock cars with chrome housings don't come off with that cheap look that the cheapie made in china aftermarket lights do, and they look just fine in my opinion. i personally thing the rx8's tail lights are a work of art and i would say the best looking remedy would be a diassembly and strip and repaint of the chrome housing to flat black or a light tint and stealth bulb.

I completely agree with you Stealth. They don't seem really altezza to me becuase it has definition in it. I mean we have strakes in there and it doesn't really appear all chromish. Its simply that the lenses is not like those on ordinary cars.

indeed, sometimes i wish toyota never brought us the altezza so we wouldn't have this terrible fad. but aside from that the actual altezza's taillights are nothing special and i don't see how it sparked such a huge fad, but at least the trend is moving towards black/gunmetal housings which actually looks pretty good. we all have to agree though that the new miata's do come off as cheap and thats probably the only car that comes with "altezza style" lights from the factory that doesn't look right.

I thought you said 225 in the other thread?

250 equals melt down, I say 220 is max

I'm thinking 210 at 30 is the only way but really this whole thing is a PITA

did u use a test tailight or you only set?


Sorry i meant 250 if i did say 225...

I got the number from the WRX forums. I seriously don't think it's possible to get them apart. Like I said in the other thread even after I melted them down I tried to seperate the lens from the housing and it would just bend or crack the lens and still wouldn't come apart.

Sorry i meant 250 if i did say 225...

I got the number from the WRX forums. I seriously don't think it's possible to get them apart. Like I said in the other thread even after I melted them down I tried to seperate the lens from the housing and it would just bend or crack the lens and still wouldn't come apart.
hmmm wonder why the headlights were so easy I too have had one heck of a time

I read 220 for 15

I'm going to do a 215 for 30 soon, wish me luck, can't hurt to try :)

Bump! Any luck?

I sold one of my extra headlights to madizm since he melted his passenger's side

and have been to busy to work on the remaining one...I should probably sell it to one of you guys so you can continue on :)

bump. any luck anyone??

im really surprised the aftermarket has not come with anything yet


I bet it's because of the key hole in the passenger side lens......

I really hope no one makes anything aftermarket for the tail lights. Unless they take OEM, make the lens red, and add LED (like the TLs).

you are concerned about our beautifully designed lights being ricey? (BTW this isn't a civic)

I think your greatest concern should be getting rid of the Orange corners on your BLACK CAR! Talk about tacky.



:owned:

I like the stock taillights.

why have tail lights at all? Go ol' skool and stick your arm out when you stop.

yeah back to the old hand signals everyone forgot 20 years ago

God.... rice.....riiiicerrrrrrrs Having been a Honda guy for so long I've seen it all. To me altezzas aren't "rice". "Rice" is when someone is attempting to convince you they are driving something they are not (BMW 318ti with M badges...god... )....or have parts that they don't.... (Eibach and VTEC stickers allover a STOCK Plymouth Neon.... dammit)....or have parts made to appear like actual performance parts ("fart cans"...FAKE BOV's!!..."front mount intakes" to look like intercoolers....JESUS!)

I've ranted about this before....hence the sig.

I have never really thought of the 8's tails as being altezzas. The reason being that, unlike the cheap crap people buy at Pep Boys or Autozone and stuff into their rear deck, the tails on an 8 are a well thought-out and put together piece of work. They certainly don't look like some aftermarket-applied stool sample like some of the useless garbage out there. I understand the difference in tastes though, and where that stems from.

That being said, the only other way I know of modifying a light assembly that hasn't already been covered (and if this has been mentioned...sorry for missing it) is actually taking apart the housing. S2000 owners do this to clear their front corners. Basically you bake the lamp assebly in the oven until the sealant is soft.... pull apart the assembly...and modify it to your liking. Then you heat the sealant again and seal the housing back together. It isn't easy to do and if you aren't patient you could wind up destroying the assembly.

Hey guys i need some help.. didnt know where else to look. Im kinda new to the forums and i have been searching for "FENDER STRAKES". I have found a bunch of old threads with people selling them at lower than mazda cost but all the threads are old from like 04 and 03 and some of the people arent selling them anymore. I really want to purchase some of the brushed alluminum strakes but i really dont want to pay like 200 buck for em... Can you guys direct me to any threads of sites that are selling them cheap. . . Links would be helpful. . . thanks in advance and sorry for posting this on this thread

^^^yeah really off topic. :spank:
Try eBay, or keep an eye on the "for sale" forum. Also try the "Stainless Steel Strakes Guy". I SEARCHed and got this (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=70375).

taking apart the housing
Definitely has been tried, and mentioned on this thread, but with no luck. No one has found the right temp and time to open it without melting. I have a spare set that I'm reluctant to test. Hopefully someone will get this successfully.

How do I get rid of these god damned ricer-looking stock taillights?

are there any red out kits or tails for sale?just sell the car buy something else....buy a s2k or rsx or something...
:bootyshak

Where do i get these taillights? I want these

I just went the easy route....red out kit from Ebay. Did my rears and side markers. Only draw back...reverse light is light red/pink, and I had to cover stock amber corners given red overlay on clear corners just made for ugly pink.

I just went the easy route....red out kit from Ebay. Did my rears and side markers. Only draw back...reverse light is light red/pink, and I had to cover stock amber corners given red overlay on clear corners just made for ugly pink.
got a picture of rear taillight? i want to see how it came out.

check out the other "taillights" thread.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=81729

ahh ok ic it now. hmm.. not a fan of all red like that... maybe a smoked look that i've seen looks alright. so as far as "i "we" know. there isnt any aftermarket taillights for the 8 correct?

no aftermarket lights, correct. I was hoping to find something in my trips to Asia..but no luck, not even any "local" creations to bring back home.

Where do i get these taillights? I want these
I'm pretty sure those are the stock tailights

^ those have two red circles

it is a photochop in every single way..look at all the modifications that looked glued on...like the wheels, double cannister exhaust, fake clarbon fliber trunk.

I really like the tail lights, but I understand how you feel.

People keep on telling me, "nice altezza tail light conversion." Someone else told me once that their friend has the same altezza tail light conversion to their honda civic as mine.

I'm like these are stock..and their like oh...

kind of sucks

lol

http://img.ircimages.com/ircimages/2/0/200aaea8b54e23c63fc473cb0ca115b8.gif

Had to bring this back for that?! :rofl:

it was worth it

yep, right up there with round ball shift knobs :rofl:

agreed.


After all, virtually every supercar in the world is rice. :)

agreed.


After all, virtually every supercar in the world is rice. :)


lol!

-Steakboy

any tips for smoking rear lights DIY?

i like'em, people have no problems with my tails. if anything.... i get compliments.

any tips for smoking rear lights DIY?

email me ;).

Bat™

as once said by top gear british dude "the car looks great but the taillights are busier then a busy bee" what ever the f00k that means!?~

He said "and look at these taillights... they're busier than a bishop's hat"

http://www.civilization.ca/hist/hats/images/l_7989.gif

they're great stock fender lights. but they're duplicated a lot by different themes and are easily mistaken for the aftermarket clear tail lights. They look awesome with a silver RX8. A silver Mazda speed 6 that's in town at the gas station had it's tail lights changed recently to a black background aftermarket tail lights, I don't know why. But it didn't look so great.

Double Cream gasoline anyone?

So... anyone got the recipe for opening them down yet?

bake em

bake em

It will not work on the tails the glue they used fused the plastic together.

The front headlights can be baked but to get into the back of the tails a person has to cut into it from the back.

http://www.ducks-garden.co.jp/SHOP/rx-8-007.html (http://www.ducks-garden.co.jp/SHOP/rx-8-007html)

Masked and body color painted? :dunno:

how would these look, http://www.jdm-per4mance.com/images/GP%20Sports%20G%20FOUR%20AERO%20S13%20180SX%20REAR %20BUMPER.JPG

^Not as good as the stock tail lights look.

you can buy a bat at sports authority for like 60 bucks.

Im debating on smoking my 09 tails. But I'm starting to consider redding them out with this red transparent film for tail lights (http://www.decalfx.com/red_tail_light_film.html) to give it a cleaner look. They even have precuts for the 8 at this link (http://www.decalfx.com/pre_cut_lens_film_kits.html).

http://www.decalfx.com/lens_film_overlays/mazda/rx80307/rx8tail0307.jpg

http://www.decalfx.com/red_tail_light_tint_overlay_animated.gif

those may not fit as the 09 tail lights might be a little different shaped than the 04-08 ones. i heard the 09 tail lights arent interchangeable with the older model rx8s.

Don't "Red" them out...it will look bad.

heheh to him they might look good

hahah they aren't"ricer" my friend. Just tint them, either with a tint spray or an easier option would be go to your local tint shop and have them do it. My shop charges me 20 for both tailights

So this hasn't been completely said but it was hinted at a few posts back. From my understanding, the taillights are sonically fused to each other. This means they cannot be 'baked' apart as sound waves were used to seal the two pieces together and not an adhesive. The headlights are sealed with an adhesive of some sort and therefore can be separated using the 'bake' method. Hope this helps people questioning a recipe for the taillights.

as once said by top gear british dude "the car looks great but the taillights are busier then a busy bee" what ever the f00k that means!?~

Jeremy actually said busier than a bishop's hat.

So this hasn't been completely said but it was hinted at a few posts back. From my understanding, the taillights are sonically fused to each other. This means they cannot be 'baked' apart as sound waves were used to seal the two pieces together and not an adhesive. The headlights are sealed with an adhesive of some sort and therefore can be separated using the 'bake' method. Hope this helps people questioning a recipe for the taillights.

so if I sing to them they will separate??? LOL

I need to figure out how to get rid of that chrome reflector nastiness.. its just to much action on the back section.. I bet more thought went into that taillight then the whole design and layout of the interior