Hey yall, i am looking to tint my tail lights soon, but I have a few questions first. I picked up a can of VHT nightshades, and I plan to use a clear coat with them too, but is there any clear in particular I should use?

Also what grit sand paper should I be using?

Lastly, I want to keep the reverse light clear and the rest of it dark and glossy, but not totally black to the point it is just as dark as the truck's paint. If you have your tails done, could you please post how many coats of night shades and how many coats of clear you used?

Thanks yall

Oh and don't tell me to search, I did. The main thing I cannot get answered is about the particular clear coat.

-Barrett

 

I used 1500 grit sandpaper soaked in water with a little dish soap (not the lotion added kind) and scuffed up the lights and then cleaned them off with a micro fiber towel. Then I masked off the clear reverse lights and then cleaned the lights off again with denatured alcohol. Then I rigged up a way to hang the lights from the overhead rail from my garage door with string and a coat hanger and sprayed a really light coat of the VHT and let them dry for awhile. Then I removed the tape from the reverse lights and sprayed them again with another light coat and then after a couple of minutes I sprayed another really light coat in a different direction but only around the outside edges with a fade kind of motion toward the area that would be lit up. After that I let it dry for a couple of hours and then hit them with the 1500 grit wet sand paper, just enough to scuff them up a little and smooth out the VHT. Cleaned them off with soap and water and a micro fiber towel and made sure they were dry and sprayed them with Dupli-Color Perfect Match clear. I think the directions on the can said 1 light coat and then one heavy wet coat. The next day I took the foam pad and rubbing compound from a 3M headlight restoration kit and buffed and polished the lights while they were on the truck. They look awesome and with only one coat over the reverse lights they blend into the red part of the rest of the light pretty well and they still give you a usable amount of light when you're backing up. Not that the ford lights ever really gave you that much light to begin with!

 

Thanks for the help Jmemmer, do you have any pictures of your tail lights on your truck after you finished?

 

ya i would say three light coats, it gives you that dark dark maroon color. but i would contact lifted5.4lariat first for some advice and to check out his work, he does a great job. let me go find the link to his thread and i'll post it up for you.

 

here ya go... https://www.f150online.com/forums/pa...ked-tails.html

 

Thanks man^, yeah I've seen his thread. Maybe I'll ask his advice. I already have the paint and my buddy's dad said He'll help me out with it if I get him what is needed (he paints cars for a living and has done work for me and the family before). Just trying to get an idea how dark they will look with x amount of coats and what sand paper and stuff before I set him loose on them.

 

no problem, ya i would go with 3 coats that'll give you the color that lifted5.4lariat gets. As for clear coat i dont really know what is good i used some generic clear coat from auto zone but i would ask lift5.4lariat.

 

i just wiped my tail lights down with some water. and sprayed on 3 coats and it looks fine. not too glossy not too flat

 

Got any pictures? How long have they been holding up for so far?

 

Thanks guys. And yeah i'd just stick with having him use his clear. Heres one with 3 coats.

 

Is there any on the reverse light on those?

 

No, they are a set of the Harley's I have been selling.

 

they've been holding up for a good 3 months now lol they hold up to being covered in mud and being powerwashed clean

 

Im glad someone posted about this I was just talking this over with my friend. Thanks for the info.

 

How many coats would yall suggest for the cab light?