Blacking/Tinting Tails

[BL_Protege]

Is it illegal to black out or tint your taillights like how some VW's have? Even with the nightshades stuff?

Also, if anyone has pics with tinted pro tails please post em. Thanks.

 

[markmurray77]

I have seen them and they look really good, wished I had snapped a pic though. Looks like he used vinyl to cover the clear pieces and then just sprayed the rest with the tinting spray.

 

[P5blk_stal]

It is illegal for street use to do that. I was talking with the APC folks about custom designed taillights and they were explaining to me that the law requires at least "3 of reflective red (in diameter) to be showing on the taillight. I have not seen the reference to this answer, but I am looking it up for validity.


p5blk_stal (blackp5)

 

[BL_Protege]

i heard the nite shades spray, when you shine light through it, it's transparent. even if you can still see the light that'd still be illegal?

 

[FuNwaGoN]

Checking in to the laws here in NC but I believe you can tint your taillights here. I had the smoked hella units on my corrado and never had any problems. I have been thinking of doing exactly the way markmurray77 described by covering the turn signal and back up light with vinyl before tinting them. If it is true that you only need 3" of reflective red why not just do a third circle above the two clear ones somewhere in the red of the tailight maybe stacked diagnolly or something. According to the law you would then be legal if you need at least 3". I also would assume that it depends on how dark you tint them. I know that cops will stop you for blackout covers in northcarolina. I wasn't going to do them that dark in the first place but just really wanted to tone down the red. I plan on tinting my turn signals and side markers as well. I also plan on changing my headlights to the black ones. I figure if you have a continuous look then cops will mess with you less. It is these guys running around with very few mods so they stick out like a sore thumb when they do. Anyway just my .02 and will post when I verify the law.

 

[Melanism]

Sure....it's illegal but......

If you do it tastefully, you can get away with it, and most cops wont even know. Back in 95, I tinted the taillights of my other car (93 Hyundai Excel) I used Nightshades tint spray, and sprayed it in the inside of my taillight housing and let it swish around until it was partially dry, then i set it sit in the sun and dry the rest of the way. I've seen people spray the outside of their lights, and it looks like crap, no matter how good they spray it on. I lived in Va for about 4 years, and have been puled over by dozens of redneck cops (no offense to anyone) and they have never said anything about my lights, just wrote me up for other crap. Give it a shot. Good luck.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Post #1500!

Post 1500!!!

Here is Jag61180's Former Gunmetal-Painted Taillights:

 

[twizyours]

I used night shades on my old probe and covered the hoie thing and I never got pulled over for my lights. I had them tinted for about two years in ct and one year in N.C. and no cop ever said anything to me. Had a boy in ct do it to his gt in ct cops pulled him over and said it was to dark and to just correct it.

 

[FuNwaGoN]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Went to get tinting spray to do my lights over the weekend and couldn't find any. Well It is now almost friday and I have looked at just about every place in town that I had seen it before. So where can I get some. Is there any place off of the internet??

 

[njaremka]

summit racing has the VHT stuff. i am planning on getting the testors transparent smoke tint for my lights. and, yes, i said testors, as in the model paint stuff. i want to use that because it isn't as dark as the VHT night shades stuff, so i won't have to worry as much about getting hasseled. plus, i'll just spray some clear over it to get it nice and glossy and protect it better.

 

[Melanism]

Voila!!

Here ya go sir!! Take your pic. I used to be able to buy this stuff from a local store in Newport News, Va, but a lot of stores pulled it. Now only specialty shops and stores online carry it, but its accessible.

http://www.pjhbrands.com/vht/nightshades.htm

http://www.caswellplating.com/frames.php?bottom=/vht_spec.htm

http://store.summitracing.com/product.asp?d=6&s=180&p=1989&searchtype=ecat

 

[20ESGUY]

if you know the name of the store in NN i can run by and check it out. Im in the area on a regular basis since i work 10 mins from downtown.

 

[Guitar_C]

Does anyone have a picture of tail lenses which have been sprayed from the inside? I was thinking of doing this but I assumed that it was done by like a tinting shop, where they would just put a layer of tint film over them.
If pictures are not avalable could someone discribe to me the look of the tail lenses when sprayed from the inside, i'm sure it looks alot cleaner but would they still look dark in the day time?
Thanks and Rock On!

 

[Melanism]

Pics of Tinted tail lenses from the inside

I will post some up, if not tomorrow, Sat

 

[Melanism]

To 20ESGUY....

Sorry man....that store has since been closed down. It was located on Jefferson Ave. I think it was called Supersport, or Superstreet or something like that.