Pic Request: JDM Tail inserts, smoked tails.

[Guyana00]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has a pic of their car...or someone else of their tails (89+) with the tail inserts.

Also looking for pics of a *USDM* with smoke and/or gunsmoke taillight covers. I'm asking for the USDM's because they are more common, they are what I have, and the middle section isn't the same shade as the outer pieces.

So if all three pieces are tinted equally, just wondering if the center section will still be lighter than the others. Interested to see if some people did the center section darker to compensate or if it just wasn't even necessary and it evened out with the same tint.

 

[Poodles]

USDM tails with silver paint removed from center section (see pic of my car below). JDM has a tinted diffuser layer (the lense itself is the same color) and the center section has gunmetal paint on the back.

 

[Guyana00]

So you separated the lense and removed the silver paint from the inside and redid it with gunmetal paint? This is how I understand it at least.

So in the end it's pretty much the same as the JDM versions without the tinted diffuser layer?

That would make things easier, well cheaper, and in the end better for me. I'd like for them to be all the same colour and I know eventually I'll tint them but this way I could work on my own custom shade as opposed to having to choose between smoke and gunsmoke.

Your car looks pretty great like that, and honestly, my car bugs me the way it is. Thanks for tip btw.

 

[Poodles]

Nope, just seperated the lense (it pops off, just have to be careful with the tabs) and removed the paint. The part behind the lense is black like the other lenses so it matches and has the same depth to the color (even the JDM's look off color depending on the light).

I didn't get all the paint off, I soaked it in castrol superclean and kept scrubbing everyday for like a week. Might get better results with media blasting of some sorts...

If I park my car next to one with JDM's mine look brighter, but the colors match and that's what I was wanting.

 

[Guyana00]

Pop off lens, remove silver paint to reveal a black background -- correct?

Colours matching is exactly what I want as well, brighter or not. Thanks bud.

 

[YouGotSpooled]

Im interested in this too.

But instead of all the effort it sounds like you went through to get the silver paint off, why not spray paint black over the silver? If Im understanding all this correctly. Lol

 

[Poodles]

Wouldn't make a difference much like painting the back of a mirror (hint: back of a mirror is silver plated then painted to protect the silver)

You'll have to cover the large holes in the piece behind the center lense unless your car is black (or the body color will show through the lense). I used black electrical tape...

 

[YouGotSpooled]

Definitly read it wrong. Ill just stop making suggestions until I do it to mine so I can see exactly what your talking about. Lol. :icon_bigg

Wouldnt there be better chemical/method to remove the silver paint?

 

[martin p]

Jdm tails,

 

[tekdeus]

Even though Poodles did it, I don't recommend trying to get the paint off the back of the center lens. I wrecked 2 of them before I gave up.You will never get all of it off, and it's very likely you will scratch the front while you are scrubbing for days. It is NOT easy.

If you can afford it, do what I did and get a set of JDM tails off here or eBay, and have a paint shop prep them, and "lightly" tint them with VHT night shades so the center matches the sides, then clear coat them. Your tails will look NEW and they will match
(I also had the shop wetsand and polish the clear coat, and mask off the clear bars prior, so they stand out, and I did a LED retrofit.)

 

[rodel]

Seven Apple smoked USDM tail lights. Labor is $100.

 

[rs4rush]

The seven apple is so sexy!

 

[hvyman]

jdm tails do match and are darker than stock with the center section the same color. and to make them looks shinny and new all you need is plastix made by meguirers.

 

[forcefedsupra]

check my sig, smoked USDM ftw!

 

[Guyana00]

Thanks tek, I saw your thread about the LED retrofit and love it. As for advice about smoking the JDM's I didn't want them to be so dark, and if I was able to make the USDM lights center section match via Poodles' method I'd rather do that and start with something lighter. In the end I'll still tint them and they will look like new, just a bit lighter

Poodles I see what you mean about even the JDM tails being offshade when looked at a little more closely by hvyman's last pic.

Thanks everyone for the pics. Just wondering if anyone has any pics of the JDM inserts? The orange ones, little squares meant to go where the indicator is? Wondering if I should buy a set, just not sure how they would look.

 

[87M-GTE]

In case anyone wanted to see USDM vs. JDM center section

 

[johnathan1]

Not the best pic, but JDM tails.

 

[arizzle]

heres my jdm contribution.

 

[nerfkhat]

hey Tekdues,
How many coats of nightshade was sprayed on? I am planning doing about the same level of tint to mine.

 

[Poodles]

Brake fluid removes paint really well also, but it MIGHT harm the plastic so I didn't try it.