Blacking Out Redux...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 107
From: Cherry Hill PRNJ
Blacking Out Redux...
Well, I have been searching the various websites from Corvette to Honda for info on blacking out tail light lenses and come up with opinions on Rustoleum Lens Tint and VHT Nightshade that appear to be based on nothing much at all but "it's great" ..."it sucks"...photos after application appear to be just what the doctor ordered....
I found a tail light from my old Harley and sprayed it with Rustoleum....
Quick and dirty....three coats in about two hours to see how
much light it blocked....none at all.....at least as far as I could tell...
Lens not as shiny, but certainly not matte...clearcoat perhaps? any recommendations for that?
Next step of the experiment is removing the RLT from the Harley taillight to see how easy it is....Can says use Mineral Spirits to clean the tip...does it clean the tint off as well without fogging the plastic? I have a can of Mineral Spirits laying around...or with the standard solvent Rubbing Alcohol work better?
I found a tail light from my old Harley and sprayed it with Rustoleum....
Quick and dirty....three coats in about two hours to see how
much light it blocked....none at all.....at least as far as I could tell...
Lens not as shiny, but certainly not matte...clearcoat perhaps? any recommendations for that?
Next step of the experiment is removing the RLT from the Harley taillight to see how easy it is....Can says use Mineral Spirits to clean the tip...does it clean the tint off as well without fogging the plastic? I have a can of Mineral Spirits laying around...or with the standard solvent Rubbing Alcohol work better?
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 103
Likes: 3
From: Houston Texas
Tinting Steps:
1-Spray 2 or 3 coats Tinting, I used VHT. (First coat light, 2nd and 3rd coats wet). Dry at least 15 minutes between coats.
2-Let dry for 24 hours.
3-Lightly Wet sand with 2000 grit. (Make sure it is completely smooth like glass. It will be hazed over when dried.) Use light linear motions when sanding, no circular motions.
4-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
5-Spray three to four wet coats of clear. I used Automotive Dupli-color clear. (15 minutes between coats)
6-Let dry for 24 hours
7-Lightly wet sand with 2000 grit until it is completely hazed over. If you have any gloss after sanding you still have high spots. Lightly sand using linear motions until perfectly smooth and hazy.
8-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
9-Use a good polishing wax and polish until you get a perfect smooth and glossy finish.
I've done this several times with my other vehicles and it works perfectly.
Just make sure it dries thoroughly before sanding or you will end up removing the tint.
As you may already know, beware of your local laws, because it is not legal for street use.
1-Spray 2 or 3 coats Tinting, I used VHT. (First coat light, 2nd and 3rd coats wet). Dry at least 15 minutes between coats.
2-Let dry for 24 hours.
3-Lightly Wet sand with 2000 grit. (Make sure it is completely smooth like glass. It will be hazed over when dried.) Use light linear motions when sanding, no circular motions.
4-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
5-Spray three to four wet coats of clear. I used Automotive Dupli-color clear. (15 minutes between coats)
6-Let dry for 24 hours
7-Lightly wet sand with 2000 grit until it is completely hazed over. If you have any gloss after sanding you still have high spots. Lightly sand using linear motions until perfectly smooth and hazy.
8-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
9-Use a good polishing wax and polish until you get a perfect smooth and glossy finish.
I've done this several times with my other vehicles and it works perfectly.
Just make sure it dries thoroughly before sanding or you will end up removing the tint.
As you may already know, beware of your local laws, because it is not legal for street use.
Last edited by rgc-c7stingray; May 14, 2014 at 02:13 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 107
From: Cherry Hill PRNJ
Tinting Steps:
1-Spray 2 or 3 coats Tinting, I used VHT. (First coat light, 2nd and 3rd coats wet). Dry at least 15 minutes between coats.
2-Let dry for 24 hours.
3-Lightly Wet sand with 2000 grit. (Make sure it is completely smooth like glass. It will be hazed over when dried.) Use light linear motions when sanding, no circular motions.
4-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
5-Spray three to four wet coats of clear. I used Automotive Dupli-color clear. (15 minutes between coats)
6-Let dry for 24 hours
7-Lightly wet sand with 2000 grit until it is completely hazed over. If you have any gloss after sanding you still have high spots. Lightly sand using linear motions until perfectly smooth and hazy.
8-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
9-Use a good polishing wax and polish until you get a perfect smooth and glossy finish.
I've done this several times with my other vehicles and it works perfectly.
Just make sure it dries thoroughly before sanding or you will end up removing the tint.
As you may already know, beware of your local laws, because it is not legal for street use.
1-Spray 2 or 3 coats Tinting, I used VHT. (First coat light, 2nd and 3rd coats wet). Dry at least 15 minutes between coats.
2-Let dry for 24 hours.
3-Lightly Wet sand with 2000 grit. (Make sure it is completely smooth like glass. It will be hazed over when dried.) Use light linear motions when sanding, no circular motions.
4-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
5-Spray three to four wet coats of clear. I used Automotive Dupli-color clear. (15 minutes between coats)
6-Let dry for 24 hours
7-Lightly wet sand with 2000 grit until it is completely hazed over. If you have any gloss after sanding you still have high spots. Lightly sand using linear motions until perfectly smooth and hazy.
8-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
9-Use a good polishing wax and polish until you get a perfect smooth and glossy finish.
I've done this several times with my other vehicles and it works perfectly.
Just make sure it dries thoroughly before sanding or you will end up removing the tint.
As you may already know, beware of your local laws, because it is not legal for street use.
I suspect once you clearcoat it you are kinda married to it, unless that is also easy to remove? As you can tell from the question, I am not a hardcore paint/modder...just taking baby steps here....but this car begs for tweaks, like getting rid of those nasty fish on the fenders...really makes the lines much sleeker imho! I've already used RPI Design acrylic to black out the brake light and reflectors...unfortunately, no one is doing acrylic tail lights, except possibly some sketchy Florida company that has been soliciting pre-orders since last year and promising to ship in 3-4 weeks every time someone who pre-ordered asks when they can expect their goods...
I'm thinking of just starting out spraying a few coats of tint, not real dark, and seeing how I, and the local cops, like it....If too much hassle, will just remove it and see if the Z06 "reveal" tail lights are actually made available for purchase, or were just some GM guy doing what you did!
If the test drives go well, will use your recipe...Thanks!!!
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 21
From: Durham NC
I wonder exactly where the law stands on this. If the reflectors on the rear bumper weren't blacked out, and the light output on the taillights were still bright, would you not be compliant?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
I'm Batman..
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 6,142
Likes: 921
From: Lehigh Acres FL
Tech Contributor
I guess my questions is more along the lines is it illegal to have lenses that are not visually red when NOT illuminated? I do not want to tint the illumination. I want to change the un-illuminated appearance color.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: Rochester NY
Tinting Steps:
1-Spray 2 or 3 coats Tinting, I used VHT. (First coat light, 2nd and 3rd coats wet). Dry at least 15 minutes between coats.
2-Let dry for 24 hours.
3-Lightly Wet sand with 2000 grit. (Make sure it is completely smooth like glass. It will be hazed over when dried.) Use light linear motions when sanding, no circular motions.
4-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
5-Spray three to four wet coats of clear. I used Automotive Dupli-color clear. (15 minutes between coats)
6-Let dry for 24 hours
7-Lightly wet sand with 2000 grit until it is completely hazed over. If you have any gloss after sanding you still have high spots. Lightly sand using linear motions until perfectly smooth and hazy.
8-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
9-Use a good polishing wax and polish until you get a perfect smooth and glossy finish.
I've done this several times with my other vehicles and it works perfectly.
Just make sure it dries thoroughly before sanding or you will end up removing the tint.
As you may already know, beware of your local laws, because it is not legal for street use.
1-Spray 2 or 3 coats Tinting, I used VHT. (First coat light, 2nd and 3rd coats wet). Dry at least 15 minutes between coats.
2-Let dry for 24 hours.
3-Lightly Wet sand with 2000 grit. (Make sure it is completely smooth like glass. It will be hazed over when dried.) Use light linear motions when sanding, no circular motions.
4-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
5-Spray three to four wet coats of clear. I used Automotive Dupli-color clear. (15 minutes between coats)
6-Let dry for 24 hours
7-Lightly wet sand with 2000 grit until it is completely hazed over. If you have any gloss after sanding you still have high spots. Lightly sand using linear motions until perfectly smooth and hazy.
8-Dry thoroughly with microfiber cloth.
9-Use a good polishing wax and polish until you get a perfect smooth and glossy finish.
I've done this several times with my other vehicles and it works perfectly.
Just make sure it dries thoroughly before sanding or you will end up removing the tint.
As you may already know, beware of your local laws, because it is not legal for street use.
. Ive used VHT for years on my Harleys and my cars using this process. VHT alone has a glossier finish than Rustoleum. Their paints are good quality as well (for a rattle can).