View Full Version : Painting Tails - Opinions?
Matt D.
07-31-2008, 08:56 AM
Anyone have any advice on temp/length? Should I flip the oven on to 350, let it pre-heat, then turn it off? I don't want melted tails :D
The headlight painting threads say to do 15 minutes at 225*, but I wouldn't do anything close to that if just trying to dry some paint.
I'd just use a clear coat that you find at the hardware store that is probably more durable than hobby paint.
TkrPerformance
07-31-2008, 10:16 AM
I can start tinting tails this year just like last summer if people want it done. And you all know it is not some cheap ass paint from a bomb can
blageo23
07-31-2008, 10:41 AM
Just a suggestion...
I saw this at the maplewood scion car show. Its an IS300. Looks like they took the factory headlights apart, Painted the silver/chrome parts black. Then they tinted the red light part. I think it looks good. Then you have a clear housing but everything is black. Here is the best pic I could find. I think it would look good on the stock evo taillights on a black evo.
http://cujojpn.com/rand_images/scion/IMG_0121.jpg
Kevin 1G Drummer
07-31-2008, 09:42 PM
The highest temp you would ever need to go is like, 170 and no more than 15 mins. Anything above that and you risk blistering the paint, or softening up the plastic in the headlights. That Testors stuff would probably work alright as long as you scuff the lights with a gray scotchbrite pad first. For a clearcoat: If I was to go with a bombcan, it would probably be Duplicolor. then wetsand it with like, 800 or 1000 grit, re-apply, then bake them again, then wetsand with 1500, then buff them till they're shiny.
scheides
07-31-2008, 11:12 PM
Kevin, would you mind giving me a hand with the wetsanding part? That's the part that makes me nervous....but also the part that could make these things awesome! If you don't mind working on a home-brew project, that is....
Will this make my oven stink?
I was thinking 3 coats of red, about 5-10 minutes apart, then bake for 10, then 4 coats of clear, 10 minutes apart, then bake again for 10 mins...all on a nice warm sunny day, do the work in the back yard, rest them on my grill in the sunlight...
How long after I initially paint/bake them do I do the sanding?
I wanna do whatever I can to keep these from being too foggy.
rose0529
08-01-2008, 09:42 AM
I think you should paint the red stripes over the turn signals. I think it makes that taillight look more complete, even though it would prob be alot more work.
7595
7594
7596
had to just attach the pictures at work..
Kevin 1G Drummer
08-01-2008, 06:32 PM
Your plan sounds about right, but you wouldn't need to bake them after the 3 coats of color. I wouldn't mind helping you out with this, just let me know when you wanna do it.
scheides
08-03-2008, 12:31 AM
So, no baking required at all? Why not?
eagle talon guy
08-03-2008, 12:36 AM
I painted a model car with that exact color (LOL a mitsubishi eclipse actually..) and it's like a darker red, but it's transparent, so it should look great on tail lights, and I don't think you have to worry about them looking pink if you use a good clear coat
Kevin 1G Drummer
08-03-2008, 09:53 AM
^^ Clearcoat will have no effect on the color of the paint, just an FYI. And you would still wanna bake them after the clear coat. The reason I say don't bake after the base coat is because the paint will be cured, and you would have to re-scuff them again to get the clear to stick.
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