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Blacked out tail lights

Old Aug 21, 2011 | 03:01 PM
  #1  
dino1now's Avatar
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From: Anglesey North Wales
Blacked out tail lights

I've always wanted a more stealth look to my Black PZ, but I had only found vinyl tints and sprays that were applied to the outside of the lens. No one had split the tail light unit as it cannot be baked in the oven like the head lights. The plastic is fused and has to be cut apart. However, it is possible and I managed to get a spare set of lights to experiment on. Once split, I had the choice of spraying the reflectors and silver parts or spraying the inside of the lens. I chose the lens because the effect I got was better than the other option and remains legal in the UK. The results are an almost totally black look that allows 80% of the light through keeping it legal. I masked off a thin strip around the reflector so as not to have a tint covering it as I believe that no tint is allowed on reflectors.
Attached Thumbnails Blacked out tail lights-rear-light-0.jpg   Blacked out tail lights-rear-light-2.jpg   Blacked out tail lights-rear-light-3.jpg   Blacked out tail lights-brake-2.jpg   Blacked out tail lights-brake-3.jpg  

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Old Aug 21, 2011 | 03:08 PM
  #2  
RX8inSTL's Avatar
Adam
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From: Imperial, MO
So if you actually did seperate the lens from the rest of the light how did you do that?

And also why would you not just spray the outside if you were just gonna spray the lens?
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Old Aug 21, 2011 | 11:34 PM
  #3  
monchie's Avatar
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Looks good. Anyway, if you go all black, you won't go back...lol
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Old Aug 22, 2011 | 03:27 PM
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Im curious to know how tyou separated the lens from the rest of the tail light assembly. Being fused together. not to mention the way the lens and the black plastic isn't a solid line - At some points the plastic covers the lens, sometimes the lens covers the plastic

I'm guessing you've used a hot knife, or some other hot tool.

Here in the states painting the tail lights aren't always legal. I know my friend got pulled over for his tinted tail lights in SC.
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Old Aug 22, 2011 | 03:34 PM
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From: Anglesey North Wales
Splitting the rear lights and spraying the inside of the lens was done by a local spray shop. They used a rotary cutter and a hot knife to separate the lights and Tigerseal to re-join them. The tint used is a light coat and would soon be chipped off if applied to the outside and would not look as dark as it does when applied to the inside. Don't know the science, but looking inside out, it looked grey, outside in it looked black. The guy who did it said that any future ones would be easy as he now knows how to do it and my ones were a bit of a trial. I'm going to look at getting the head lights done a bit lighter, but I want to make sure its legal before I take the plunge.
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Old Aug 22, 2011 | 03:48 PM
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Looks sweet!!
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Old Aug 22, 2011 | 04:58 PM
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From: New Lebanon, Ohio
Looks very clean - I like it!
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Old Aug 23, 2011 | 08:42 AM
  #8  
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From: South Carolina
Head lights are fairly easy to get to and bake open. A lot more attention to taking all the parts off the headlight though.

It's just taking the front bumper off that's a bit problematic if you don't have tools to raise the car a little bit.

and an oven if your significant other doesn't let you use the oven anymore... but that's my problem :P

Can you take out your tail light and send me pictures of where the cutting was done?
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Old Aug 25, 2011 | 01:42 PM
  #9  
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From: Anglesey North Wales
Completed the rear end stealth look by painting the emblems black.
Attached Thumbnails Blacked out tail lights-badges-1.jpg   Blacked out tail lights-badges-2.jpg  
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