Tinting tail lights. Testors vs Nightshades
#1
Tinting tail lights. Testors vs Nightshades
Tinted the taillights with headlight tint. It's already starting to lift. I want to spray spray them now. I've heard Nightshades needs plenty of clear to look good. Anyone have experience with Testors translucent black?
#2
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Re: Tinting tail lights. Testors vs Nightshades
I did the nightshade years ago and it looked like crap in a year. Best thing to do IMO is take them to a body shop. They will put a drop or 2 of black in the clear and shoot them for you. It will be quality paint and last a long time.
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T.L. (07-31-2021)
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Re: Tinting tail lights. Testors vs Nightshades
Years ago I took my taillights apart, carefully, and sprayed the inside with nightshade. Ran them for years and years like that, they still look amazing today. But it dimmed down the light output on them, even with brighter bulbs and even led's. So about 2 years ago or more I swapped them out for a spare set of taillights I bought used on here years ago. I just didn't like the idea of getting in an accident, like rear ended, and when they see the tails, I'dd be the one losing to my insurance company. I loved the look, but just decided to be proactive and avoid headaches that could happen. But for a car show, a quick swap and they accent the look of any car.
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1stUC (08-17-2021)
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Re: Tinting tail lights. Testors vs Nightshades
It's been a week since your last confession, but if you're still pondering the situation, Nite-Shades can be smoothed and polished just like any other paint and can look great that way, without clearcoat, as long as the surfaces have been properly cleaned before spraying, and each coat is smoothed and polished before the next coat. Then if you still want to clearcoat for extra protection, why not?
Testors, which I know some people have used, being model paint, probably isn't well-suited to the outdoors, so after smoothing and polishing, I'd think clearcoats would be a must for protecting it from the elements.
But if you do this yourself, then I'd suggest taping off all of the grid lines before spraying the black. Then when you're satisfied with the depth/number of coats and the polished finish, remove all of the tape and polish the entire unit several times. This will keep the grids looking natural, and it will also help to make the tinted lenses look more "natural" too, while giving the unit some nice definition, rather than leaving the entire unit looking painted.
Testors, which I know some people have used, being model paint, probably isn't well-suited to the outdoors, so after smoothing and polishing, I'd think clearcoats would be a must for protecting it from the elements.
But if you do this yourself, then I'd suggest taping off all of the grid lines before spraying the black. Then when you're satisfied with the depth/number of coats and the polished finish, remove all of the tape and polish the entire unit several times. This will keep the grids looking natural, and it will also help to make the tinted lenses look more "natural" too, while giving the unit some nice definition, rather than leaving the entire unit looking painted.
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Re: Tinting tail lights. Testors vs Nightshades
Years ago I took my taillights apart, carefully, and sprayed the inside with nightshade. Ran them for years and years like that, they still look amazing today. But it dimmed down the light output on them, even with brighter bulbs and even led's. So about 2 years ago or more I swapped them out for a spare set of taillights I bought used on here years ago. I just didn't like the idea of getting in an accident, like rear ended, and when they see the tails, I'dd be the one losing to my insurance company. I loved the look, but just decided to be proactive and avoid headaches that could happen. But for a car show, a quick swap and they accent the look of any car.
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