How To Blackout Taillights by NickTurnon

By diyauto
( 2 )

4 minute read

How To Blackout Taillights


Compliments of NickTurnon @ www.the370z.com


12-23-2013


Hello Everyone -


Here today with a new DIY. COST: $13.99 for VHT NIGHTSHADES + Tape & Beer...


MAKE SURE YOUR STATE ALLOWS FOR THIS TO BE DONE TO YOUR VEHICLE. DONT BLAME NICKTURNON.


First step is removing interior trunk panels

1) Remove 4 plastic clips with flathead screwdriver

2) Remove interior light

3) Remove weather strip

4) Remove panel closest to the rear first

5) Remove 2 sides. They come up with a strong pull..

6) Remove the 2 nuts that hold the lights in. They are 8mm or 7mm i believe.

7) Once nuts are removed, stand at the rear of the car and pull taillight towards your body. The light will unclip and come out. Pull off the harness using flathead or finger..


8) Once lights are off. Wetsand if needed.

9) Clean with SIMPLE GREEN or any other cleaner that will remove the oils from your fingers.

10) Tape the reverse glass piece off. Its best to use small pieces and get nice rounded corners... see photos..














11) Make sure the area you are spraying is free of dust/hair/dirt.

12) Spray first coat light but make sure it gets glossy and not too light of a spray. The light spray will cause speckling..


13) Wait 10-30 minutes in between coats. 

14) Do a second coat the same thickness as #1 coat. 


I stopped there and felt it was dark enough.










FINISHED PRODUCT!







 Goodluck & post pictures if you follow this DIY...


As requested: 


KEEP IN MIND THE FIRST 3 DONT HAVE THE BRAKE APPLIED... MUCH MORE LIGHT ONCE BREAK IS APPLIED.








Bad Cell Phone Pic at night: 






Neither..

I was originally going to wetsand them. But after rubbing a layer of XYLENE across the entire taillight, I already had a smooth finish that I was looking for. 


For the past year or so, I had the lights plasti- dipped. And I needed something to remove the light coat of plasti- dip that I had on there. So XYLENE did the trick.. Took me 30 seconds. 


Here is the before w/plasti-dip matte finish:







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