Tinting Tail Lights

[J_Bird]

I tinted my tail lights using the Night Shade Tinting spray and after the first coat dried the paint got this "cracking" texture to it. I didn't think anything of it because my friend said his light did the same thing. Well I'm thinking all I gotta do to get rid of that is wet sand with 2000 until its smooth and just keep applying the tint and re-sanding until its fine. Any advice?

[310_cutty]

Did you clean/degrease before spraying?

and did you use any adhesion promoter?

I had a bad experience using bullydog adhesion promoter last time I tinted mine.

So I sanded it all back down and sprayed it with out any promoter and they came out Perfect...

[thehoe92]

I tinted my tail lights using the Night Shade Tinting spray and after the first coat dried the paint got this "cracking" texture to it. I didn't think anything of it because my friend said his light did the same thing. Well I'm thinking all I gotta do to get rid of that is wet sand with 2000 until its smooth and just keep applying the tint and re-sanding until its fine. Any advice?

my advice is do not use Nite Shade

I have never got that crap to come out glossy or not cracked

if you want to go the spray tint route use Rustoleum Lens Tint

or I've found that actual film tint is the perfect darkness for tail lights

here's the film tint

and the Rustoleum Lens Tint

[loganberry]

Film tint is where its at!

[cmamtower]

your prep work and first stages of painting is what makes the final product. if you dont get all the grease/oils off of the lens before spraying it will come out all fish eyed and such. and the cracking is either from not cleaning properly. or putting to thick if a first coat on. i've had the same issues once, removed the tint, cleaned the light again and resprayed and came out 99% perfect. if you want dark, dont spray the lights, just do a very thin coat and let it get tacky and spray it over again until its how you want it to be.

[nautical7]

I like nite shades because you can choose your level of darkness. As said, it's all in the prep. Follow this if you need some help: (there's a 2nd part to it as well)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSKA0ElKg1Q&p=F2FCA3BFD2DC5FB9&playnext=1&index=42

I had that cracking on two of my camaro 3rd tail light but not on the main two tail lights.

[Peterpanels]

Hi, I'm a automotive refinisher in Australia, I do taillight tinting but I treat it as if I was spraying a car, the exact same procedure, light sand , prepsol, dust coat of adhesion promoter, as much transparent black as you like, and 2 coats of clear, done, my car is burgundy so I tinted mine the same colour as my car. Looks good, and lasts forever . You scuff it, just buff it. But there is one down side as you can only do it once and if it's too dark you need new lights as they're no longer roadworthy.

[nautical7]

But there is one down side as you can only do it once and if it's too dark you need new lights as they're no longer roadworthy.

Actually, you can usually wetsand it off. I had to do it the first time I used VHT because I didn't spray it even and it came out bad. I just wetsanded it for a bit and it was back to normal.

[Peterpanels]

Actually, you can usually wetsand it off. I had to do it the first time I used VHT because I didn't spray it even and it came out bad. I just wetsanded it for a bit and it was back to normal.

[Peterpanels]

Your right, I tried on a set of eBay Chinese tailights and the second time round they bleed into plastic, and with heat they went all cracked like shattered glass looking. On genuine oem no problems. I think my reducer had something to do with it reacting with crappy plastic.