More Redded Out HB Taillights - Redone, Cheap alternative to JDM Tails Options

[Chanh55]

Hey guys,

Just finished redoing the taillights with the candy apple red and clear coats as suggested by 1900WattCelica. I did about 4 coats of the red and about 6 or 7 coats of the clear coat. The color is a lot more even and transparent. See results below:


Testors Transparent Candy Apple Red and Clear Cote






After about 4 coats of red.




Masked off black trimming to prep for clear coat.


After about 6 or 7 layers of clear coat. Not that easy...


Here's the results, I think I'm going to wet sand it, some areas not very even.

This post has been edited by Chanh55: Jul 18, 2005 - 10:13 PM

[Batman722]

OK this is the complete how to here...

I did this way back to my old tails and they came out just like Chanh55's. I didn't like the way they looked on the outside - the outer part that I redded then cleared wasn't quite like the rest of the tail. It was lighter, almost looked hazy compared to the rest of the tail (also, I only clear coated the part I redded, not the entire tail) it wasn't that they weren't glossy...like this pics you posted


left lighter - right darker - kinda looks like it's missing something, huh ?

or a bit hazy/blurry ?

the problem is the inside of the normal red tail part is darker than the inside of the amber part of the tail, so when you red the amber, the inside is still lighter and doesn't give the newly redded part continuity with the rest. You dig ?

so to fix the problem and make the newly redded part match the rest of the tail COMPLETELY PERFECT was simple. Here are some pics of my old tails (that I dug out of the closet for a photo shoot )

the money shots









you can't even tell anything was done to the tails. They look like they are OEM red from the factory

you can see the dark "checkerboard" or "graph like" pattern the inside of the normally red tail gives off. I was able to make the newly redded part match that you just need to do one more step

anyone want to know how ?