Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

I'm looking at options for painting my tails to make them JDM Evo VII style, and stumbled across this stuff:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/IMG_1091.jpg

I was straying away from paint because everyone I talked to said that they ended up looking pinkish. Well with that paint above, someone got these results:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/IMG_1097.jpg

Not half bad, very nice red color! But my main concern is, how will a paint like this hold up to daily use on a car?

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

Testors is model paint, so the chance of it standing up to the elements is questionable. I'd put a quality spray can clear coat on it and not more model paint, then take care of the taillights like you do the rest of the car.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

Anyone recommendations for a different clear coat?

Also, I these need to dry for a few days, would it help to put them in the oven for a few minutes or anything? I'll be removing the tails, painting them, then re-installing them once they're dry.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

There's better paint out there. Ask RS Motors Ron how he did his, it's some sort of stained glass paint that looks lots better.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

A nice Dupont Duplicolor automotive clear would be good. A few minutes in the oven would help cure/harden the paint quicker.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

Ron's was ok, he got that paint form Jo-Ann fabrics :D

I think that this with some wet-sanding actually looks better.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

How much do real jdm tails go for?

Paint should work just fine, just put a good clear coat on them.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

I wouldnt put them in the oven, unless you buy paint that is heat cured. Just let them dry in the house where there is less humidity for a day or two.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

I'd say you'd be fine with 250* for about 10 minutes. Thats what I did my S2k headlights at. A few rounds of that, plus some wet-sanding, and they'll look great. Do not put the lamps directly on the racks though, I'd recomend an Air-Bake pan for a little extra "cushion" from the heat/racks.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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.

Attachment 7595
Attachment 7594
Attachment 7596

had to just attach the pictures at work..

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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.

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

So, no baking required at all? Why not?

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

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

Re: Painting Tails - Opinions?
 

^^ 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.