dull taillights

[K2OH2SLOW]

tried to re tint my tails yesterday...and now they are a very dull red, almost pink...what can i do? wetsand, repaint? any advice would help

[ep_hatcher_510]

sand off the paint and redo it, mines faded, redid it then it faded again :mfrown:

[K2OH2SLOW]

yeah, it sux...what kind of paint did u use to do them? and what is the easiest way to sand the paint off?

[phister]

You want to wetsand to get the paint off.

[K2OH2SLOW]

ok...check...now how exactly do you do that? sorry, new to painting lights

[phister]

just got to lowes, home depot, or a parts store and get wet sand paper, you'll know which one it is, its looks smooth compared to regular sand paper. Get a couple of different grade grits. The higher the grit the finer it is. Then with constant running water over the tail light start sanding. It doesnt have to be pouring or anything, just enough water to keep the light wet and the sand paper wet.

[phister]

also you want to work in sections at a time.

[K2OH2SLOW]

ok, i can do that...what paint should i redo the lights with...someone posted what they used on here earlier this month, but i dont remembe what it was,.

[phister]

Well you can buy AUG lens painter... heres a link to one http://www.k2motor.com/alp01rd.html

[K2OH2SLOW]

cool...i found some on ebay for a a bit cheaper...ima get it, and try and order some tomorrow...do you think that wal mart would have the wet sand paper? and what grit would i need? ima work on it tomorrow morning

[04bluepearl]

when i did my headlights i started with 1500 grit, then used 2000 grit. Had to use rubbing compounding to get the 2000 grit marks out. If you can find it, get 3000 grit

[K2OH2SLOW]

ima check at walmart in a bit when i get off

[SyckSiR]

yo, use vht nightshade. i did mine with that and there is no fading. also for wet sanding you dont need to have water running on the lights, just have a bowl nearby with water and dip the sandpaper in the water and sand in a circular motion. make sure you have some good light and sand until the entire light looks dull. I would steer clear of the cheap paint and find something that is a good brand, your time should be worth more than 5 bux or whatever it costs to get a better quality paint. if you need more info just pm me.

[SyckSiR]

Oh, and when you sand dont finger sand. that is when you exert pressure thro your finger tips to make the sanding go faster. it is not a speed project and should be done carefully, especialy around creases or edges, stay on the flat areas and then softly do the edges and corners. to get good results you should wet sand each application of paint/tint and each layer of clear. start with an 800 grit, and work up to 2000. since you are painting them again you do not need to worry about rubbing compound unless you put too much pressure while sanding.

[K2OH2SLOW]

ok cool thanks...im going to walmart tonite to check and see what they have...im ordering the paint tomorrow, and will be repaintin the lights soon as my paint comes in

[04bluepearl]

since you are painting them again you do not need to worry about rubbing compound unless you put too much pressure while sanding.
Good point :mcool:

Just another tip when wet-sanding if you do it while your lights are still on your car: put some painters tape on the surrounding paint so you don't accidentally sand it!

[K2OH2SLOW]

haha didnt even try that...popped out, just got done sanding...got 95 percent off...just around the edges had a lil paint left.

[art2]

after the painting a few coats of clear and some wetsanding/rubbing combound will make them really shine. with a proper clearcoat fading shouldn't be an issue either.mine's still looking nice after few years