Painting Taillights.....

[III G Man III]

well i have been browsing car domain and i have been seeing a couple of cavaliers with painted tail lights and i wanted to paint my tail lights white as well. does any1 know how 2 do this? how to paint the tail lights while leaving the the red circles showing (taping off the light might work for the circles. i think), what white paint should i use, and should i paint it from the outside of the taillight or the inside?(http://www.cardomain.com/ride/657212)

[drdisque]

painting on the inside would just make the painted area not light up, it would look pretty much the same on the outside. Use high quality paint and sand and prime the area prior to painting and use light coats. Also be aware that covering up your reflectors is illegal.

[III G Man III]

i know the light wont shine if i painted from the inside but thats y im going 2 leave the circles red. that is the only place where the light shines. if i was to paint it from the outside wont it chip or fade? or must i do something so something like that wont happen?

[astroracer]

Sand and paint the tail lights just like you would the body. I used BC/CC on my Euros when I painted the edges white to match the body. Sand the entire light, mask off your unpainted areas and spray the body color. Unmask, sand the edges a bit to knock down the tape edge and then clear. Wet sand that to further smooth the edges and re-clear. Wet sand that with 1200 or 1500 grit and polish.
You won't have to worry about chipping or fading any more then you do right now with the regular paint on the car.

[cop2284]

I dont think they paint the actual tail light, i belive there is a plastic/fiberglass piece that you can put over the tail light that covers it all except for the circles.

[Bboy_Jon]

could u use regular spray paint and clear coat?

or would u need car paint?

[astroracer]

Originally Posted by Bboy_Jon

could u use regular spray paint and clear coat?

or would u need car paint?

Any good automotive paint in a can like Plastikote or Duplicolor will work fine. The job is 95% preparation and 5% application anyway. Sand the lights with 6 or 800 grit to prep them for paint and wipe them down with a good wax and grease remover before you spray. Don't handle the painted areas with your bare hands
Warm the paint cans in hot water before you spray it and it will flow out much better also.
Mark

[Bboy_Jon]

ya i suck at painting

i use way to much

[racing rob]

I been checking out how to white out my tail lights and want to know if just getting a sheet of white vinyl would be the way to go? Or would the brake lights and lights not shine through or would vinyl not be the best way to go??