Thanks for the awesome video! I just completed my taillights and the results were better than expected. Wet sanded with 1000 grit, applied 4 light coats of VHT (10mins in between), 3 hrs later, wet sanded with 1000 grit, clear coated with 2k Car-Rep (3 coats, 10mins in between), 12hrs later, compounded with a cutting pad, polished, and buffed. Amazing results! Great tutorial, a small project with dramatic results! So worth it.
Im actually rewatching this vid for about the 20th time as im doing a friends pair tonight and just wanted to say thanks for the helpful vids it made it easy to get good results. liked and subbed as of today
@@Jaxboy86 they look good, I like my pair better that I did at around 2 to 2 and a half coats becasue they just look tinted but still factory. He wanted his much darker at 4 coats so even tho it came out clean I don't like the look as much
@@roachthedon328 awesome. I got everything he has in the video. I just bought a 4runner. Like hearing someone followed and it turned out nice. Ill prob do 3 coats. My vehicle is dark grey so I think 3 will look good with the paint color.
For his it was about 3 to 4 coats that's for the dark look, on my personal vehicle I didn't want mine to be black just tinted so I just did about 2 and a half coats. The more coats you do the darker they will be
Your video was extremely helpful. I was able to successfully tint my wife’s tail lights great results. Moisture inside the tail lights had caused them to become cloudy and they looked kinda bad. LED taillight assemblies with lane departure sensors etc. would have been incredibly expensive to replace just for cosmetics. Thank you
great video, I've started to process and am at the point of 5 coats of VHT and I don't have any orange peel going on, today am going to apply the clear coat.
You likely wont see this given its a 5 year old video. But in the off chance you do, if you put your spray cans in hot water (not boiling just hot) for about 20-30 minutes before you spray, it eliminates orange peel.
Hi nice job. If I may add . my third brake light has been painted flat black with a lil bit of sanding. Yes lil rectangles were cut out for cargo lights. My truck is black and wanting to diy my tail lights. I think 6-7 coats would work perfectly as I think sanding down in a shadow effect allowing dark red to illuminate through to be visible. Thank you and props to you.
The problem is that it’s hard to get a uniform thin coat, most likely it will look grainy and also have some spots darker than others. Also your headlight will be noticeably dimmer. The right way is to just get black housing headlights
@@mattprice4075 brake cleaner will work but it can eat into the current factory clear coat and plastic. I ruined the plastic on a fog light using brake cleaner before.
If I add the clear coat will that come off with the dyi solvents brake cleaner goof off etc? I live in Texas and I had to remove my vinyl tint from the front ad back to get my car through inspection. I would rather remove this and its cheaper.
88' MikeTyson a sandpaper with that high of grit you aren’t damaging the taillights you’re smoothing out any possible imperfections and giving the product something to grab onto. You spray paint on a surface not sanded it will more than likely flake off
How are you. Excuse me, is VHT NITESHADE smoke color or is it black? how many past you gave him. Then you didn't put some shiny lacquer on it? Thanks in advance (with google translator)
The VHT color depends on how many coats you apply. One coat would be a lighter smoke, two would be darker and three would be insanely dark, going beyond that is not recommended by VHT.
if it cracked it either had a chemical reaction with what you cleaned the lense with if it wasn't dry yet, or you applied it too thick itll crack that way too. only thing to do would be to sand and redo
@@og_doubledown5165 instead of sanding it and destroying the surface just use brake cleaner and it removes the paint right away. Just apply on a cloth and put pressure on it and scrub away and it easily comes off. Don't sandpaper, you'll have a rough surface and would need to apply more products to gloss it out back to normal.
@@Hamza-hf9td dont know how to send link. Type in Spraymax 3680061 2k clear. Its 20 bucks right now good deal. The final coat spray on thick it'll level itself out. I wish id a done that i wouldnt have had to do the final sanding and itd a came out that much more glossy. Trust me 👍 it came out good though
@@mushroom13cfh thank you so much. So all I have to do is put 3 coats of niteshades, and then wait for it to dry, and then put like 3-4 coats of clear coat? No sanding required?
@@Hamza-hf9td sand after the final nightshade with 2500 wet dry so maybe 4 coats of vht nightshade. I did like 5 coats of clear. Might have to do some sanding after and buffing
quick question. am i missing something? do you have to do anything after you sand the tail lights the 1st time? or do you go straight to painting them. it seems like the haze would stay after you paint them..
Bryan Dover so I didn’t do the 1st sanding of just the tail lights with no VHT. Should I still sand the VHT and polish like in the video? Is it necessary?
Great video, thank you! I do like blacking out things, don't get me wrong, but I've always wondered why people make their taillights (and brake lights) darker and therefore harder to see by other drivers. Isn't the whole idea to be SEEN on the road? So that other drivers know A - you are there, B - you are braking, C - you are turning. I really like my truck, I have done many mods and will continue but I also don't want to be hit from behind (again) because someone couldn't see my dark taillights. I guess I care more about my truck and my body than the cool factor.
You should have used 1000 or even 800 grit paper to prep the lights. The purpose isn't to just "smooth out the surface", it's to rough the surface, helping the paint to adhere better.
For paint, yes your goal is rough the surface for adhesion, but VHT is not a filling, covering product like actual paint, it's a very thin transparent product that doesn't need a rough surface to adhere to. It can even be sprayed directly on the surface without sanding at all. The risk for scratches and sanding marks showing is way higher than with spray paint. I've been applying this product for years doing this same method and it's never failed, chipped, flaked, etc
Ya it's meant for off road use only. If you do decide to do your lights don't use very much. Me and my friend both put too much on our trucks and we both got pulled over. It sucks trying to get this stuff off and it looks like shit. Go light or just bite the bullet and get aftermarket lights. Otherwise it's just a matter of time before you get that one cop behind you. You could of bought tail lights but now you gotta pay a fine.
Bryan Dover not for me lol tried vinyl before I did this. I’m much more comfortable in this field. This is reversible too just some sanding and recleared lol
Thanks for the awesome video! I just completed my taillights and the results were better than expected. Wet sanded with 1000 grit, applied 4 light coats of VHT (10mins in between), 3 hrs later, wet sanded with 1000 grit, clear coated with 2k Car-Rep (3 coats, 10mins in between), 12hrs later, compounded with a cutting pad, polished, and buffed. Amazing results! Great tutorial, a small project with dramatic results! So worth it.
how do you polish and buff after wet sand
Finally a good video that shows how light each coat should be. Most people have limo tint by the 2-3 coat
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Im actually rewatching this vid for about the 20th time as im doing a friends pair tonight and just wanted to say thanks for the helpful vids it made it easy to get good results. liked and subbed as of today
How did they turn out?
@@Jaxboy86 they look good, I like my pair better that I did at around 2 to 2 and a half coats becasue they just look tinted but still factory. He wanted his much darker at 4 coats so even tho it came out clean I don't like the look as much
@@roachthedon328 awesome. I got everything he has in the video. I just bought a 4runner. Like hearing someone followed and it turned out nice. Ill prob do 3 coats. My vehicle is dark grey so I think 3 will look good with the paint color.
@@roachthedon328 how many coats of clear did you do? I heard more the better.
For his it was about 3 to 4 coats that's for the dark look, on my personal vehicle I didn't want mine to be black just tinted so I just did about 2 and a half coats. The more coats you do the darker they will be
Watched about 6 videos on tinting with spray this one is thought out and no BS in the beginning. Just went straight to working. Love it.
you know it's professional when you actually read the manual :D
Your video was extremely helpful. I was able to successfully tint my wife’s tail lights great results. Moisture inside the tail lights had caused them to become cloudy and they looked kinda bad. LED taillight assemblies with lane departure sensors etc. would have been incredibly expensive to replace just for cosmetics.
Thank you
Thanks for the video, I found it and followed your steps. My Ls430 has never looked better, thanks from Victoria BC.
small world lol
hey dude I'm from victoria bc also, I assume there is no law about tinted taillights?
great video, I've started to process and am at the point of 5 coats of VHT and I don't have any orange peel going on, today am going to apply the clear coat.
Use that awesome spray in a well ventilated area, I have put people on ventilators due to inhalation of that caustic product
Enamel.+ Enamel paint ! That't the key , awesome video . I'm looking on you tube what is the best option but your video is the best of all " Thanks "
Turned out a lot better than I’d thought especially being my first time painting something! Thank you!
So how long until you can actually put them back on your truck
Rewatching this I came to realize I missed my 3rd brake light too!
Did you end up switching to LED bulbs? Looks amazing great job 👍🏽
Thank you. Why clear coat is important after the nite shade?
You likely wont see this given its a 5 year old video. But in the off chance you do, if you put your spray cans in hot water (not boiling just hot) for about 20-30 minutes before you spray, it eliminates orange peel.
Use clear vinyl over the reverse lens it's easier to cut out
Hi nice job. If I may add . my third brake light has been painted flat black with a lil bit of sanding. Yes lil rectangles were cut out for cargo lights. My truck is black and wanting to diy my tail lights. I think 6-7 coats would work perfectly as I think sanding down in a shadow effect allowing dark red to illuminate through to be visible. Thank you and props to you.
Darrell Syrnyk 6-7 costs is probably going to be wayyyy to dark, unless you have LED tail/brake lights to help counteract the darkness.
@@mattfairfield9103 thank you Matt ,I'll keep that in mind.
Why you don't use the duplicate parts?
Could you use it on your headlights just to give it a smoke look?... one or two passes
The problem is that it’s hard to get a uniform thin coat, most likely it will look grainy and also have some spots darker than others. Also your headlight will be noticeably dimmer. The right way is to just get black housing headlights
Jerry yeah now I can see that, I just did my taillights and I can see how it would look on the headlights
how do you polish and buff after wet sand
Did this today. The paint came out really spotty / patchy, any ideas on how to safely remove the paint without causing damage to the plastic housing
Gasoline does the trick. Make sure to wash your car after
brake cleaner will remove it as well!
@@mattprice4075 brake cleaner will work but it can eat into the current factory clear coat and plastic. I ruined the plastic on a fog light using brake cleaner before.
Goof off.
Yes, I second goof off spray. Works like a charm
If I add the clear coat will that come off with the dyi solvents brake cleaner goof off etc? I live in Texas and I had to remove my vinyl tint from the front ad back to get my car through inspection. I would rather remove this and its cheaper.
Why would my vht paint dry with cracks ?
is pre sanding absolutey nessaccery? im about to do mine but scared they wont turn out and ill have to remove it haha
Youre getting the spotty finish because youre not spraying a heavy enough wet coat
Why in the world would I want to damage my lights by sanding them first? can somebody please explain it to me!
88' MikeTyson a sandpaper with that high of grit you aren’t damaging the taillights you’re smoothing out any possible imperfections and giving the product something to grab onto. You spray paint on a surface not sanded it will more than likely flake off
ITSALLAGAME You have to sand anything before you spray, it gives the paint something to grab onto!
Can you do the 2k clear by spray max with the vht?
of course
Still holds the can at and angle lol. Heat the cans in bucket with hot tap water and it wont orange peel. There a professional tip for ya!
Heat the cans?
@@Kaiser187 warming the cans allows the product to mix better. It also creates more pressure which better atomizes the spray for a smoother finish.
@@Ladysman_217 Thanks for the info.
Would duplicolors 1k clear extreme gloss finish work?
Can I do this to the head lights?
Put paint can in hot water before you spray it
How long in between each coat?
How well does this stuff last? Does it wear off after a while or start looking like $hit?
It will eventually fade but not for a while
Do you need the wax remover?
I would suggest using wax paper or a plastic bag to make a template for the reverse lights.
Cory Brown interesting! May have to give that a shot. Thanks!
I would suggest an old fashioned beat down where you both walk out with two black eyes and a broken leg
What’s the best cut and polish compound to use, I’m bout to do mine as well
Meguirs ultimate compound
E. L. That’s a polish compound too?
@@schmidty0616 just cutting compound
@@eldrickejleest so Meguires ultimate compound can be used for the last stage? Or do I need a polish also?
@@Psilocy-ben it's the second stage. First stage is using the clay bar on the car. Third stage is polish and last stage is wax.
How are you. Excuse me, is VHT NITESHADE smoke color or is it black? how many past you gave him. Then you didn't put some shiny lacquer on it? Thanks in advance (with google translator)
The VHT color depends on how many coats you apply. One coat would be a lighter smoke, two would be darker and three would be insanely dark, going beyond that is not recommended by VHT.
I did my third brake light it is wayyy to dark and the paint cracked any tips?
if it cracked it either had a chemical reaction with what you cleaned the lense with if it wasn't dry yet, or you applied it too thick itll crack that way too. only thing to do would be to sand and redo
@@BrandonClark563 thank you sir ! Wasnt expecting an answer from how old this is but thank youuuu
@@og_doubledown5165 no problem! I'm still active just havent posted in a while lol
@@BrandonClark563 hey man what sandpaper grit did you use ?
@@og_doubledown5165 instead of sanding it and destroying the surface just use brake cleaner and it removes the paint right away. Just apply on a cloth and put pressure on it and scrub away and it easily comes off. Don't sandpaper, you'll have a rough surface and would need to apply more products to gloss it out back to normal.
Williams Robert Lee Melissa White Sharon
Would you recommend clear or no??
100% get the clear. Its a must to make it pop real nice and last
@@mushroom13cfh can you please give me an Amazon link to the clear coat? Because I want to add it onto my niteshades when I do it
@@Hamza-hf9td dont know how to send link. Type in Spraymax 3680061 2k clear. Its 20 bucks right now good deal. The final coat spray on thick it'll level itself out. I wish id a done that i wouldnt have had to do the final sanding and itd a came out that much more glossy. Trust me 👍 it came out good though
@@mushroom13cfh thank you so much. So all I have to do is put 3 coats of niteshades, and then wait for it to dry, and then put like 3-4 coats of clear coat? No sanding required?
@@Hamza-hf9td sand after the final nightshade with 2500 wet dry so maybe 4 coats of vht nightshade. I did like 5 coats of clear. Might have to do some sanding after and buffing
Is Acrylic Enamel gloss clear work?
Smith Anthony Moore Jeffrey Robinson Kenneth
Lee Carol Rodriguez Lisa Hall Ruth
quick question. am i missing something? do you have to do anything after you sand the tail lights the 1st time? or do you go straight to painting them. it seems like the haze would stay after you paint them..
John, sanding with the 2000 grit is pretty much filled with the black tint paint. Note that he puts enamel clear on it all afterwards.
Bryan Dover so I didn’t do the 1st sanding of just the tail lights with no VHT. Should I still sand the VHT and polish like in the video? Is it necessary?
Great video, thank you! I do like blacking out things, don't get me wrong, but I've always wondered why people make their taillights (and brake lights) darker and therefore harder to see by other drivers. Isn't the whole idea to be SEEN on the road? So that other drivers know A - you are there, B - you are braking, C - you are turning. I really like my truck, I have done many mods and will continue but I also don't want to be hit from behind (again) because someone couldn't see my dark taillights. I guess I care more about my truck and my body than the cool factor.
You should have used 1000 or even 800 grit paper to prep the lights. The purpose isn't to just "smooth out the surface", it's to rough the surface, helping the paint to adhere better.
For paint, yes your goal is rough the surface for adhesion, but VHT is not a filling, covering product like actual paint, it's a very thin transparent product that doesn't need a rough surface to adhere to. It can even be sprayed directly on the surface without sanding at all. The risk for scratches and sanding marks showing is way higher than with spray paint. I've been applying this product for years doing this same method and it's never failed, chipped, flaked, etc
Navy guy?
Is this legal in California or just off road?
I was wondering the same thing. I just looked it up. Everything I found says it is illegal...
Bahala Na Kennels in Arkansas, the law states that the light should be seen from 500 ft away, tinted or not.
Ya it's meant for off road use only. If you do decide to do your lights don't use very much. Me and my friend both put too much on our trucks and we both got pulled over. It sucks trying to get this stuff off and it looks like shit. Go light or just bite the bullet and get aftermarket lights. Otherwise it's just a matter of time before you get that one cop behind you. You could of bought tail lights but now you gotta pay a fine.
Man, a vinyl wrap would have been so much easier. Plus, it's reversible. You just peel it off later.
Bryan Dover not for me lol tried vinyl before I did this. I’m much more comfortable in this field. This is reversible too just some sanding and recleared lol
I’m not sure if it’s just a certain type of vinyl but the ones I have seen that are wrapped have a little brown tint to them after a bit.
I have yet to see one with a dull finish which leads me to believe you dont know what your doing
Dumbest comment award goes to you. Congratulations!