Tinted Tails

[rxl]

Figured I'd share a little info on tinting your tails on your OBS.
Not sure about opening up other tails but the OBS tails are easy.

This is just a slight smoked look so as not to draw unwanted attention.
After removing your tails, run a blade down between the rubber and the the plastic backer that the electro. board is on. They separate easily afterward. The sealer is a bear to pull apart if you dont cut it.
Tape off the reverse window and fronts to avoid overspray.
I used Plasticote black primer.
From about 2 feet, spray a light mist untill you have what you want. You dont need much coverage.
Remember, this is on the inside of the cover.
Dont let the lack of coverage fool you. It doesnt take much to make a difference.
Do one at a time so you can compare to the stock lense.
The covers seal back up well. I applied more sealer to mine but I dont think it needed.
I experimented with some old lights that were free from the pick and pull yard and after many attempts to do work on the outside of the lense, this was very easy and affective.
I'm also in the middle of misting my signal lenses to achieve the smoked look. However, they do not come apart so I am spraying the front faces then clearing them. I'll update in awhile.
The tails look great.

[Crmzendrgone]

Do you have pictures?

[rxl]

Put up some pics. It was definately the least painful method I tried.

[Crmzendrgone]

Looks pretty sweet.

[rxl]

Got an engine on the stand that looks much better. It aint purdy yet, but it will be.
Barn find. Sitting on a skid for 2 years.
Tracked down the owner and got the history. Unfortunately he's not mechanically inclined, just knows that it cost him near 5k installed and tuned.
Less than 1200 miles on it. It's a 69 block with 73 heads. Tore it down and it's in great shape. Found some reworked heads with what I believe are 202 valves and it has a 400 crank in it. Need a finer measuring tool than an inch tape, lol. No Idea what the cam is but I'll find out. Carb will need a rebuild I'm guessing. I'm a sad case trying to tune a carb so I'll leave that to the supplier. Pistons dont have any #'s stamped on the tops so I'm guessing no bore. Doesnt make sense to me, but who knows.

[gmctrucks]

rxl that's a nice looking truck that year of truck didn't have a fuel cut off. I seen this white Z71 yesterday with the same body style as yours but it had a perfect lift kit it looked awesome oh it also had a camper on it I think that's why it looked so killer. I really felt like stopping him to see if he would trade trucks with me that's how good it looked.

[rxl]

Thanks. It's growing on me too. First red vehicle I ever bought. Dont like red but it kept catching my eye.
Pretty good find there too. Bone stock with the original paint. Slowly ridding the engine compartment of the gobs of undercoating and just over 100k on it. I usually swap out my "coffee run" vehicle every fall just for a change, but I think this one is going to be around for awhile.
The wife thinks that's a good thing.....she has no idea what it really means. Of course she hasnt seen the pile of parts in the hobby shed. She only see's whats in the shop.

[Crmzendrgone]

Well red is my favorite color so your truck win just cause of that and it is a Chevy. Mine is red as well and as you put it, "but it kept catching my eye" the cop think that way to when you fly by them.

[eponator]

Hey great writeup and a nice lookin truck to boot!

Hope you don't mind if I add an alternative method for those looking to do this. I did this same thing to my truck a couple months ago but the technique I used is more for those housings that aren't as easy to open up or those individuals that just are too lazy to open them (myself included). You can do this to any type of light housing with great results.

Equipment needed:
100, ,150, 200 grit wet sandpaper
2 or 3 Micro fiber or cotton towels
Rubbing alcohol (100% is best)
Dishsoap to help remove oils on surface
Can of transparent black paint (found at any hobby shop or auto store)
Can of acrylic clear coat (I got mine at home depot... RUSTOLEUM FTW)
Your flavor of automotive wax
Buffer of your choice

Technique:
1) Take the tails (or any light housing) off the truck, wetsand the outside with 100grit to rough it up and promote paint adhesion.

2) Clean it up with some dish soap and water followed by a wipedown with a microfiber towl damped with 100% rubbing alcohol and then another dry, clean towl. Try not to touch the outside surface with your hands until paint is on and dry as your fingers leave behind an oily residue that will affect paint adhesion.

3) Shake up the can of paint and start spraying light layers of the transparent black paint with about a 5 minute wait between layers (to prevent running). If orange peel occurs or imperfections form wait 15 minutes for the coat to dry and wetsand with 150 grit till even, then wash with dish soap and water and dry with a clean towl. Continue until the desired darkness is achieved (4 light layers for me) then lightly wetsand the final coat with 150 grit till it is even and dull.

4) Again, dish soap and water to clean it up (no alcohol as that can remove the paint)... Dry it with a clean towl.

5) Shake up that can of clear coat and begin with a thin first coat. Wait 10 minutes then apply 2 more medium coats with 10 minutes of wait between each layer (again to prevent running). If any orange peel or imperfections occur wetsand with the 200 grit paper until even then wash with dishsoap, dry and continue to apply layers.

6) Once the third and final layer is on allow it to dry for 30 minutes, wetsand with the 200 grit paper to obtain a smooth somewhat dulled appearance.

7) Clean with dishsoap and dry off (starting to see a trend here??). Grab that bottle of wax and go to town applying 3 layers total with buffing in between. You will notice the first layer embeds a remarkable shine to the outside surface, removing all dullness, and it only gets better.

8) The end result is a perfect, crystal clear, glossy tint that blocks very little light from your bulbs and that will stand up to the elements for ever as long as you wax them whenever you wax your vehicle. I have yet to have any of the tails I've done chip or fade and most of them have been put through quite a bit of terrain and Cali summers for a few years now.

Myself, I added just enough tint to help them blend with the blue of the body better but not to be obviously noticeable by the cops.
Here's a quick shot I have on my PC atm... The truck is a bit dirty in this pick from the previous weekend so its not glaringly obvious. I'll grab a side by side with my dad's truck (same color and non tinted tails) later this afternoon to give you guys a better idea.

[rxl]

Heck ya, post up the idea's and methods.
Thats what we come here for.