DIY: How To Blackout Taillights

NickTurnon

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...

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2009 Brilliant Silver BASE 7AT | TEIN S-Tech Springs | K&N Drop Ins & z1 Maf Tubes | AAM S-Line Short Tails | 5% Tint | 20MM Spacers | Sport Spoiler NickTurnon's 370z Build

TerribleONE

for the writeup. Anychance you can post pictures during the day of how bright the brake lights are now?

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NickTurnon

You've got it. Ill go take some right now...

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2009 Brilliant Silver BASE 7AT | TEIN S-Tech Springs | K&N Drop Ins & z1 Maf Tubes | AAM S-Line Short Tails | 5% Tint | 20MM Spacers | Sport Spoiler NickTurnon's 370z Build

TerribleONE

Thanks bro I appreciate it!

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zeus37

You did a great job! I love the gloss on these.

Edit: What did you end up doing to get the gloss so even? Wetsand? Buff?

NickTurnon

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:

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2009 Brilliant Silver BASE 7AT | TEIN S-Tech Springs | K&N Drop Ins & z1 Maf Tubes | AAM S-Line Short Tails | 5% Tint | 20MM Spacers | Sport Spoiler NickTurnon's 370z Build

TerribleONE

Thanks bro! Looks great. Added to my to do list as well as my handles. I am worried about plastidipping my handles though because I dont know if the plastidip will be removable from the vinyl.

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NickTurnon

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:



image

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2009 Brilliant Silver BASE 7AT | TEIN S-Tech Springs | K&N Drop Ins & z1 Maf Tubes | AAM S-Line Short Tails | 5% Tint | 20MM Spacers | Sport Spoiler NickTurnon's 370z Build

NickTurnon

I have a gloss vinyl roof and it comes off that very easy, just like the cars paint..

Looks like your vinyl is matte.. Just tape completely around the handle and then spray. In my video i left around an inch above and to the sides of the handle. You will want to tape completely around the handle so that no plastidip gets thru to the vinyl body/door.

It wont be hard at all. Just tape it off good and be careful. Also, tape the inside of the door area. Overspray shoots thru...

__________________
2009 Brilliant Silver BASE 7AT | TEIN S-Tech Springs | K&N Drop Ins & z1 Maf Tubes | AAM S-Line Short Tails | 5% Tint | 20MM Spacers | Sport Spoiler NickTurnon's 370z Build

Trips

Great DIY

I've retitled your thread so it matches all the sticked DiY's

I've stickied it so its easy for members to find.

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Jayhovah

Did you use the VHT product? I didn't see you mention what you actually sprayed.

NickTurnon

Yeah, VHT Nightshades.

When I used to use it in the past, it never came out as glossy and as nice of a finish as this one did..

Its usually almost matte looking.

Anyways, I love the new look. Got a lot of compliments on the lights

__________________
2009 Brilliant Silver BASE 7AT | TEIN S-Tech Springs | K&N Drop Ins & z1 Maf Tubes | AAM S-Line Short Tails | 5% Tint | 20MM Spacers | Sport Spoiler NickTurnon's 370z Build

Mavrik

Awesome DIY, did this tonight. Really sets off the silver Z's.
Also, to get a really nice gloss going, I added 2 clear coats 15min wait between. Damp sanded, wiped off lights with alcohol. Then applied 3x more clear coats with a damp sand after #4 coat. Gave a really nice gloss and will protect my tint.

+1 rep

valpozguy

So this stuff will peel off when you dont want it anymore?

Zbrah

It's paint, not plasti dip, so you wont be able to just peel off as you would with plasti dip, however, it can be removed with gasoline and a lot of scrubbing. There are you tube videos how to apply VHT and removing them.

Nice work btw Nick!