Sorry it took so long to respond.....
After I messed them up I detached them from the car and WET SANDED the tint/paint off...then started over from scratch. Detach the piece, remove the bulb/wiring, and tape off the hole so nothing gets inside. Then Go under a faucet (just a slow running water to keep the area wet while you sand). I used 400grain sandpaper to get the stuff off. WARNING-once you sand it, the finish will be very dull(this wont go away-its ok to paint over it like this, but if you want it back to OEM look, you're gonna have to buy something to get the finish back), just make sure its all even before you paint and dont go crazy w/ the sanding...just use your hand and sand it till it comes off, then move on to the next area. All the time keepin git under water. For painting....the ideal thing to do is to hang them somehwere indoors(ie-I tied clamps to fishing wire and hung them from the garage door track on the ceiling, then I used the clamp to hold the light) and do MANY coats, LIGHTLY...dont try to do it in 1 or 2 coats and cover everything b/c it'll drip. Also, I recommend at leat 1 or 2 coats of clear coat....you wont even notice the gloss and it'll help protect the tint from scratching...for a "shiny" finish...apply alot more clear coat.
As for how to do it, or when do you know its done right...thats a tough one. If you read down you'll see some details....IMO you gotta just observe what you're doing till your content. Like I said, find a way to hang them up.....and keep the spray at least 12"-18" away from the lights...spray light coats...dont worry about spraying the whole thing each time...it will all blend after a few coats.....use a hairdryer(from far awar) to dry the paint, and repeat until you like the how dark it is....HINT-when you think you've done enough, take it outside in the light to make sure its dark enough for you....As long as you dont spray them too much in 1shot...you really cant go wrong b/c it wont drip...so all you have to do is continue the process until its dark enough...then clear coat it till its nice and complete, dry the same way, and then reinstall.....I'd use the blowdryer to dry the final coat, and then wait a couple of hours before installing it or you might smudge it....
Not sure if I covered what you wanted to know, but if you need more, dont hesitate to post, IM, or email me......
Good luck! PS_I've been getting compliments on these left and right! I guess the MIA favors the smoke!
