the clear coat isnt that important IMO ... i did my tails all red like 4 - 5 months ago and they still look damn good.
heres a pic i took yesterday
oh yea and i couldnt get the center piece out on my car when i was doing it, so i just did it right on the car because i have heard many horror stories of people snappin em in half.
and the pic the day after i did it