I tinted my lights a few days ago, easy enough to do, and they looked sweet! Nice dark color to my liking but only problem was the matt finish. So i figured id pop on a gloss/top coat so i could then buff it and make it shine rather then have it matt.

Went to autobarn and the guy said to purchase this, i asked him thrice if it was the right thing for tinting tail lights and he answered in the affirmative.
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss204/muzzi_gtv/P200409_175902.jpg


Today i sprayed it on the same way i did the niteshade, coat by coat. As it sprayed on it went on kinda powdery but i assumed once it dried it would be ok. Once i did i few coats it was still powerdery so i let it dry then polish/waxed it to see if i could get a shine on it.

now THIS is what i ended up with!
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss204/muzzi_gtv/P200409_175901.jpg
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss204/muzzi_gtv/P200409_1759.jpg

WTF!! did the f&*^*r at autobarn give me the wrong thing!

As you can tell iam majorly f&*&^d off and iam eager to take blood for this coz it means more work for me to fix it.

What should i have ACTUALLY used for gloss? and how the hell do i clean it off, which means the niteshade will go too so ill have to get another can of it!!
:swearing:

What you wanted was clearcoat.

I not an expert of gettin that stuff off but I'd look into terps or somethings similar.

As for tinting I had a similar matte finish result when I did the tails on my TF. But I was talking to squeaker once and he said you can get cans of tint that have gloss in them. You might drop him a PM and see what he used.

I not an expert of gettin that stuff off but I'd look into terps or somethings similar.

As for tinting I had a similar matte finish result when I did the tails on my TF. But I was talking to squeaker once and he said you can get cans of tint that have gloss in them. You might drop him a PM and see what he used.

Terps will make the light go milky.

You could of just sprayed a nightshade then wetsanded it to a gloss finish AFAIK.

Go back to auto-barn and tell them what they have done.

thats it, iam going back and gonna start snapping necks! AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH:zap:

so i suppose gotta get clearcoat then! would turps be too strong? last thing i want is to end up melting the plastic! lol

thats it, iam going back and gonna start snapping necks! AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH:zap:

so i suppose gotta get clearcoat then! would turps be too strong? last thing i want is to end up melting the plastic! lol

AFAIK turps will make it go a bit milky...so unsure what you can use...

also AFAIK if you wetsand the nightshade it will come up glossy, then clearcoat that if you want.

Sorry, but that is hilarious, they look funny as

This is exactly why I didn't want to tint my tails yet, too scared of things going wrong, how bad was the matt when it was just nightshade?

Sorry, but that is hilarious, they look funny as

This is exactly why I didn't want to tint my tails yet, too scared of things going wrong, how bad was the matt when it was just nightshade?

my tails are tinted, the matt isn't too bad, but can easily be fixed....

its not that hard to tint a set of tail lights? its not like turbo'ing your car yourself, all you have to do is spray them?

I would now get it done properly. Get a panel beater or body shop to rub back the milkyness and spray a tint compound that's been mixed with clear.

What i would do is sand it all off, chemicals will screw the plastic...(unless someone knows of something that woint possibly damage the tails?)

You will need an arcylic clear coat. and painted during the day.

RULE NUMBER 1) DO NOT TAKE ADVICE FROM AUTOBARN STAFF.

']What i would do is sand it all off, chemicals will screw the plastic...(unless someone knows of something that woint possibly damage the tails?)

You will need an arcylic clear coat. and painted during the day.

RULE NUMBER 1) DO NOT TAKE ADVICE FROM AUTOBARN STAFF.

paint master, am i right in saying a wetsand will bring out the glossyness?

paint master, am i right in saying a wetsand will bring out the glossyness?
LMFAO HAHAHAHAHHAHAAH
nah pretty sure they are fooked ;) but i would wetsand it down as far as i can and start over again. AFAIK thinners will screw with the plastic, paint stripper will definatly screw with the plastic, maybe eucalyptus oil?

haha thanks for the damn quick replies! went downstairs like 2 min ago, loaded up with food and came back and got all this help! lol sweeet!

Aye ive learnt the hard way all the knobs at autobarn as just that..knobs.

i think ill take the more expensive, yet safer, road of getting a professional to do it. I dont really wanna mess up the lights and then HAVE to fork out another $400 odd.

Haha now that my tummys in the process of being satisfied it does look pretty hilarious ay! lol

Im gunna say forget these lights.

Get yourself a new set and take them to a panel shop. Get them to mix up some black and clear. 2parts black, 1 part clear and paint them properly..:) if you got a mate that works in a panel shop it will cost you a carton of beer..:)

Other thing you can try is hit them ones with some enamel clear coat. should make them shine atleast..:)

Im gunna say forget these lights.

Get yourself a new set and take them to a panel shop. Get them to mix up some black and clear. 2parts black, 1 part clear and paint them properly..:) if you got a mate that works in a panel shop it will cost you a carton of beer..:)

They are still salvagable....I've had to do it before when I stuffed up a set....Just get 1200G wet and start sanding, you'll see it come off...
The 2-3 layers of night shades let dry or accel with heat gun, then 3-4 coat of clear coat, let dry, sand with 2000 when dry and buff.

']RULE NUMBER 1) DO NOT TAKE ADVICE FROM AUTOBARN STAFF.

RULE NUMBER 2) NEVER BUY K&H. THERE'S A REASON IT'S SOLD AT AUTOBARN - IT'S CHEAP. CHEAP TO MAKE, CHEAP TO BUY, EXCELLENT MARGINS.

These 2 rules will give the same results over and over again - the only thing more reliable than gravity.

RULE NUMBER 2) NEVER BUY K&H. THERE'S A REASON IT'S SOLD AT AUTOBARN - IT'S CHEAP. CHEAP TO MAKE, CHEAP TO BUY, EXCELLENT MARGINS.

These 2 rules will give the same results over and over again - the only thing more reliable than gravity.

ive MEMORISED BOTH rules now. Never again!

i wish i could just dump these lights and start afresh but thise weird thing called money seems to be stopping me! lol

I rekon its too messed up already to try puttin anything on top..so looks like i gotta go grab some 1200 wet and use gud ol' elbow grease to bring them back! :owned:

LoL... i had no problem just nightshading then clearcoating mine?

Weird..

yeah go to supercheap they know cars really well and only carry high quality products

haha oh yeah niteshade was no problem..came out awesome if i do say so myself...the only reason they messed up coz of mis information reagarding the 'clear' coat..which wasnt damn clear at all!! lol

Sand paper, possibly even a buffer if you have one.

Remember that the stuff on there is just layers, the original light is still under there, just dirty. You'll be able to fix it up easily enough. just a time consuming job

As for autobarn, At least go back and return the cans you bought. Explain that even though you used them, they buggered up the lights and its going to take ages to fix etc. Because you were told the wrong thing by staff there you're entitled to a refund, even if theyre used. so thats at least some money back. Then see if you can get some free replacements or free stuff to fix the lights up with. depends on the manager there, but if you seem like you're going to take it further they'll probably try to resolve it on the spot.

try saying you called mitsubishi and they said to take it up with autobarn because it was there LIABILITY. That word scares the ****e out of stores. but try not to cost the dude who sold it his job...

RULE NUMBER 2) NEVER BUY K&H. THERE'S A REASON IT'S SOLD AT AUTOBARN - IT'S CHEAP. CHEAP TO MAKE, CHEAP TO BUY, CRAPPY MARGINS. (as with anything 3M after 3M is K&H)

These 2 rules will give the same results over and over again - the only thing more reliable than gravity.

edited for you

try saying you called mitsubishi and they said to take it up with autobarn because it was there LIABILITY. That word scares the ****e out of stores. but try not to cost the dude who sold it his job...


:facejump: :gtfo: that was a good laugh, cheers


back on topic,
yes we can see it's rapid dry enamel does it say clearcoat on the can?? as to me it looks like you sprayed they lights with the can to far away or else in to much heat and the clear ( if it is that ) has half dried before hitting the surface

i sprayed clear on mine but it was acrylic clear and it rubed off (was hard though) and i ended up doing them again but this time just polishing them

No more company/brand bashing thank you. The onus is on the buyer who is ultimately responsible for the researching, purchase and use of any product. Especially in any DIY type modification. Cheers

Same thing happened when I tryed to clear coat my car PC's monitor surround, just sand it back.

haha aye liability IS a scary word..to ANYONE! lol definetly going back and seeing how much i can squeeze out of them though. just annoyed gonna have to spend alot of man hours sanding..but aah well the fun of keeping stylish! lol

On the can where the barcode on the front is it does say clear..hence why i believed the guy when he said it was the right stuff. Iam in vic..so right now i dont even know what the word heat means! lol

I sprayed with the same method i used for the night shade, and at approx 20-30cm away..so iam pretty sure i did it the right way! i hope!

Muzzi, when did you paint these? At night? In the cold?

if it says clear on the can thats fine, it seems the application is the issue,
when using clear you need to spray it on to the point it almost runs and you get a great finish, anyway good luck with it and sorry but can't see the store doing anything about it as you asked for clearcoat and thats what you have

Aye, thanks hypertf! Truer words never said. Learnt the hard/fun way! lol

I sprayed it about 4pm today, while listening to hamish and andy, in the garage with i think about 40% humidity! lol

Wasnt overly warm or cold...no wind..just the great smell of chroming in the air! was meant to be a side thing while i installed the million colour leds..WHICH still havent been installed! lol

yeah go to supercheap they know cars really well and only carry high quality products

I work at a supercheap. do not trust us ever. EVE
yes i know the post i quoted was sarcasm

I work at a supercheap. do not trust us ever.

yes i know it was sacrasm

Used to work there aswell for ~3 years. Difference is when I walk into SCA I know not to take there advice cause they are all snot nose teens. When I walk into riceobarn and see that the staff are all of an adult age 1 would assume they would know what they are talking about.

Best thing to do is not ask any of these people and know what you are after before you enter :)

Either way....I would start wetsanding that off....I would pee off that clear aswell...or whatever it is...

if it says clear on the can thats fine, it seems the application is the issue,
when using clear you need to spray it on to the point it almost runs and you get a great finish, anyway good luck with it and sorry but can't see the store doing anything about it as you asked for clearcoat and thats what you have

damnit! i dont want to hear that its MY fault! lol so next time i should up crazy close then. as mentioned before i sprayed like i did the niteshade at about arms distance away, to AVOID the runs. Should be interesting what the guys say when i take the can back then!

damnit! i dont want to hear that its MY fault! lol so next time i should up crazy close then. as mentioned before i sprayed like i did the niteshade at about arms distance away, to AVOID the runs. Should be interesting what the guys say when i take the can back then!
Good luck, there return policy is *** BS. I dont care what anyone says. I purchased like $60 worth of there stupid paint a while back, didnt use any, was 2 days over there stupid 14 day limit cause i was so busy and wouldnt even give me a store credit. FU autobarn.

So yeah, GL fighting that, once you open the can your pretty much screwed in that store.

I recon get some 1200G paper and sand it lightly then get that Jasco brand polish compund with a buffer wheel and go at it. Should come up awesome.

']Good luck, there return policy is *** BS. I dont care what anyone says. I purchased like $60 worth of there stupid paint a while back, didnt use any, was 2 days over there stupid 14 day limit cause i was so busy and wouldnt even give me a store credit. FU autobarn.

So yeah, GL fighting that, once you open the can your pretty much screwed in that store.
legally you're entitled to a refund if ther product was not fit for the purpose it was intended for IF a staff member said it would be. Its a legal right, so if you make sure they know that you're aware of it, you should be fine.

quote from: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/815360 (check it out for more info too)

"Statutory conditions are the essential terms of a contract—they 'make or break' the deal. If a statutory condition is breached, you may be entitled to a refund.....

....The goods must be fit for their purpose. That is, they should do what they are supposed to do and be suitable for any purpose that you might have made known to the supplier"

if you asked if they were good for tinting lights and you followed the instructions on the can. i'd say you're good for a refund.

well for once the law may acutually be on MY side then. dw iam a ****y enough bastard, stubborn enuf too, so ill fight to get my way. should be interesting to what they say..but till then ill go out tomorrow and get some wetpaper and get into it!

well for once the law may acutually be on MY side then. dw iam a ****y enough bastard, stubborn enuf too, so ill fight to get my way. should be interesting to what they say..but till then ill go out tomorrow and get some wetpaper and get into it!

buyer beware??

Yep, 1200 grit, then 1500 or ultra fine. Warm water and bucket, keep it wet the whole time. Be VERY careful using a buff on the plastic, you gotta know what you're doin' as it is very easy to burn the plastic. If you're not comfortable with a buff then get turtle wax polishing compound (it's not to harsh and will bring them up nice), in a bottle and polish the lights by hand(if you wanna go back to original). i reckon an hour or two per light should do it.

Or...
When you've repainted the night shade, take it to a crash shop and get them painted with 2pak clear.

Goodluck, have fun.

take it to a spray painter get it done right.
this is what mine look like, and im still not happy, now have my pin stripe continueing around them, with the black boot paint over the top
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn177/lowridermagna/17042008003.jpg

mmm, that sucks, i got my supra yellow stickered a while back (for 3 things arent illegal mind you) and i was forced to take the nite-shade off all my lenses, i sprayed a pepsi bottle with nite-shade and gave it to a mate whos dad owns a paint n panel shop, found out that thinners, applied on a rag(just a little) will take off the tint, so it should also work on the clearcoat, found one problem, once i had cleaned the area, if i had too much (i mean dripping wet) on it would leave a milky residue, which is just the thinners drying off, so after i finished i got some Autosol polish and gave it a once over, BAM sexy again(or rather non-sexy, but legal). Light sandpaper(1500 grit) would clear off the milky residue aswell!

good luck
wog

RULE NUMBER 2) NEVER BUY K&H. THERE'S A REASON IT'S SOLD AT AUTOBARN - IT'S CHEAP. CHEAP TO MAKE, CHEAP TO BUY, EXCELLENT MARGINS.

These 2 rules will give the same results over and over again - the only thing more reliable than gravity.

What a load of crap (not having a go personally), K&H is one of the best products on the market, it is not cheap and it is a very commonly used product in panel shops and is also sold in some of the best panel shop supply places out. In that basis, NEVERY BUY NGK as Autobahn also sells it :nuts: :nuts: Always love the degree of knowledge shared on these forums that is total rubbish

Back to OP, try Mr Muscle on a small part, I have used Mr Muscle to remove paint from plastic on many occasions. One rule of painting, you apply clear to a matt colour and you end up with matt.

Also to all who have gone on about the paint, you do not even know if he got clear or what as the can does not state what it is except for the fact it is enamel????? YOU DO NOT mix paint types and if the night shades is not enamel do not mix
ALWAYS try somewhere or on something else first if you are not sure, do not blame the product when the application was clearly in correct

IF it all gets to hard to clean them up i know where you can get a set of lights from.:ninja: Just pm me.

Ive got a spare set as well.

OK you lot.

Theres nothin wrong with autobarn as a whole but you can get bad advice anywhere.

I use em and have no major dramas with em.

Now

Enamel paint is oil based, acrylic is water based.

Using enamel paint on plastic is never a good idea because it can effect it quite badly.

Get some 1500 wet and dry and some soapy water, keep it wet and work on a very small area gently to see how it goes.
If it gets it off then do the whole light.
You may need to use a little plastic polish to get the nice shine back.

If you have the bucks get a pro to do it, if not, ask a pro how to do it.

Dont use thinners or turps etc as it will dissolve the plastic surface

All you guys are pro enough for me. Ive got no beef with autobarn..just with the doofus who guaranteed me that what i got was what "everyone" used for glossing tinted tail lights. On the can where the barcode is it does say clear. There was a 'gloss acrylic' can there too..and for some reason i rememmbered tufftr bitch with someone if a cheap can of enamel was beter then acrylic...so i was going to get the acrylic..but the guy i asked said to take the enamel one.

Oh well..like they say you learn from your mistakes..and damnit i better have learnt or help me god! lol

Will pop out to bunnings and hit me up some wet sandpaper and get into it..hopefully by days end ill be back at square one...and either a) re niteshade and just buff...or b) get a professional job!

Once again thanks for all the info brotherin's...saved me coughing up for a new set of rada tails!:happy:

.........and the led's definately wouldnt have worked in those tinted lenses...:woot:

Sorry Oldfart, acrylic can be water or thinners based, acrylic you use on your house is water based but the acrylic you would use on your car is a thinners based, similar set up to 2 pac but does not need a hardner

Mr Muscle or Caustic soda (not as safe to use) is great for removing paint of plastic, used to use this on model cars when I was a kid, it also does not damage the plastic.

1500 can be ok but you have a heap of polishing after to then do if you really can be bothered

The issue here I would say is incompatable paints being used

Use thinners to remove dont and it back. Once cleaned off wash with warm soapy water to stop the thinners eatting at the plastic I know ive had my tint removed b4 and never had a problem.

U dont have to clear the nite shades either if u give it a good hand buff it will look like it was already there Trust me ive done two sets of lights and no probs

Everyone has told u what u can do and what not to do but i work with a pro painter and he showed me that thinners wont hurt the tail lamps if washed with warm soapy water so u can take evryones advice or u can take mine because i ve been there and done it your choice.

Sorry Mightymag, I have only been using thinners and painting cars for hmmmm 20 years

While you may be ok if you have a/ done it this way before and b/know what you are doing, then all good. In this case most have given the safer solution as leaving the thinners on too long or putting too much on will make a bigger mess than there currently is.

Sorry Oldfart, acrylic can be water or thinners based, acrylic you use on your house is water based but the acrylic you would use on your car is a thinners based, similar set up to 2 pac but does not need a hardner




Shhhhhhhhhhhhh ..............I was trying to avoid that whole thinners conversation :ninja:

Love the thread! its a pis##ah

Why not just don't do it as its against most states laws adr's etc! lol

There goes home mods and the club....lol!!!!!!!!!

All good advice so far but depending on skills you have you could use a wide range of methods.

If you had a go and stuffed it..well at least you tried.

Go to pick a part and get some old school cheap ass lights and have a practice.You might learn something.

I stuffed my first attempt but stuck with it and got the tint perfect while still being able to see the lights work..!

Prob cost me more to do myself but in the end but can do any new car in the future "piece of cake."

All the best and may the tint be with you.

Sorry Mightymag, I have only been using thinners and painting cars for hmmmm 20 years

In the backyard or professionally? Not having a go at you, just curious.

In the backyard or professionally? Not having a go at you, just curious.

Depends on how you look at it, while I am not a qualified painter or panel beater, I have painted and restored more cars than I care to think of, most of which while I was in business so I guess I would call it professionaly

Have a look at my thread on my TF, that will show you my work

Back to OP (again!!)
The suggestion above is actually a good one, wander to a wrecker, if you are in Melbourne Jolly Rogers is a good one that is self service , grab a few old crap tail lights and play with them. Once you have a process you like then you can apply to yours

haha damn you guys are all heros in my eyes and now so is the manager of the autobarn lol...went in today..dude just bought out some k&H(:gtfo:) wax and grease remover...and cleaned the lights for me himself..and voila..back to my original darkened tint! lmao..i think i giggled like a girl..for a LOONG time when i saw that!

Look at it this way...by your powers combined i now know more about how to mess up and fix tinted tails then EVERYONE! lol 'jokes'.

The tails honestly arnt as dark as they seem in the pictures! HONEST! and with the stock bulbs the light shines through..easy! I think i just need to grab a LED strip to put in the rear window since iam now sans rear wing.

I think iam addicted to niteshade now...next iam gonna tint the side flashers...coz i can.

and the reason this all happend in the first place? ill leave the gloss to the experts and take it in to them!:happy:

Cool!:beer:

__________________________________
/-------| -|--------|--------|----------\
|. :booty:-------------/\----------------|----\
|---AUTOBARN ---_\/_-RULES OK! ----\____|
|-----__---------/_/\_\--------___--:iough: |
// -:rofleek: :rofleek: -\\ -----------------//-:rofleek: -\------

wait ... sooo.....

how do i tint my lights ?

HEHE :ninja:

Problem solved in the usual mature way....

And to the OP, if you do not want advice, dont bother posting your problems as many will give you opinions and ideas.