Smoking or Redding BRZ/FR-S Tail Lights
 

Smoking or Redding BRZ/FR-S Tail Lights

http://i.imgur.com/MaQjt.jpg?1
First you need to get yourself some red lense paint or smoked lense tint. In my case, I am going to paint them red first, then put a single layer of smoke over that for a dark red look.


http://i.imgur.com/MLan7.jpg
First, pop your trunk and find the single plastic rivet on each side. A small flat-tipped screwdriver will allow you to pop the center out about 1/4".


http://i.imgur.com/NBeRy.jpg
Once the center of the rivet has been popped out, you can slide the entire rivet out of the hole.


http://i.imgur.com/ORXUa.jpg
Fold the carpet back to reveal the area behind the tail light.


http://i.imgur.com/ZbgOA.jpg
Using a small tool (like a pick, or even a nail) you can lift the plastic catch inside of the zip tie.


http://i.imgur.com/v5mr2.jpg
With the catch lifted, you can pull the zip tie loose from the wiring bundle.


http://i.imgur.com/NFkgk.jpg
Then unscrew the zip tie assembly from the stud and set it aside.


http://i.imgur.com/pg1BR.jpg
Almost ready, just need to unplug the tail light. Push the tab in while you pull the plug out.


http://i.imgur.com/hMpdQ.jpg
Now you can remove the four 10mm nuts. It's easiest with a deep 10mm socket, but even with an adjustable crescent wrench it is pretty easy. Now you can pull the lamp assembly off of the car.


http://i.imgur.com/waT2x.jpg
For a good paint job, you need a clean surface. I use mineral spirits and a soft towel to wipe down every inch. I wear gloves to prevent contamination from my oily hands.


http://i.imgur.com/fGhNY.jpg
I almost forgot to mask the black plastic areas that are visible when you open the trunk.


http://i.imgur.com/ZNB0m.jpg
Plenty of masking tape will make this paint job look professional when it gets peeled off. Now I let the lights sit for a bit to completely dry off.


http://i.imgur.com/Lxb8s.jpg
The key to a good paint job is cleaning, and light coats. I spray several VERY light dusting coats on the lens first. Light coats prevent fish-eyes, which are caused by contamination on the surface. If you build up a few light dusting coats then any contamination will get sealed in and won't be noticeable.


http://i.imgur.com/HOWnz.jpg
I put three very light coats on, then one medium coat. To know how much paint to spray, look at a reflection of the surface while you are painting. If the coat is too light then it will still look sparkly with a texture like sand. The perfect amount is when you get just enough paint on the surface that it blends together into one continuous smooth sheen. Spray any more than that and you will start getting runs (drips).


http://i.imgur.com/GzJKy.jpg
I let each coat sit for 30 minutes, so after my four coats of red I put one medium coat of lens tint over the top of it. This isn't a great photo, but after I let the lenses sit overnight they should look pretty good. No judging yet!

http://i.imgur.com/GWDOD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pBw1d.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/99NUn.jpg
Parking lights only

http://i.imgur.com/1XyjB.jpg
Brake lights only

http://i.imgur.com/Wi63U.jpg
Brake lights and hazard lights

http://i.imgur.com/BU5GJ.jpg
Smoked vs Stock


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9HMzTTNro"]Smoked Tail Lights on Scion FR-S - YouTube[/ame]


.

Can't wait to see results!! The red paint looked fantastic!

nice! hoping you got a better shot of just red cause looking pretty good

Thanks for the DIY I plan to do this

Here are a couple more shots of the red before I smoked it.

http://i.imgur.com/duwl0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hUoFr.jpg

The red would've been perfect for me. The only thing about nite shade I don't like is that it isn't the right gloss I'm looking for. Nevertheless, I might try it if I can pick up an extra set once cars start getting totalled

The smoked red looks amazing. In the last picture I'm really impressed at how glossy it turned out.

Waiting for someone to take the plunge and do this, I quite look forward to the results!

Gloss on taillights is the result of how deep you can get reflections. To do that, you need to finish off the tint job with wet sanding and polishing.

Proper tinted spray lens tinting takes about 1-2 full days without a curing room. If you do have heat on your side...drying and curing times can be cut in half.

Are the reverse lights on the bottom of the bumper?

I love the solid red very awesome thanks for the post and the DIY!!!!!

Red is nice! Want to see them on a car.

What does the final product look like reinstalled?

I'd like to see how badly this prevents the lights from being visible... Looking forward to the end results!

Hmmm... that is a good question. I don't know yet because the lights are still curing, but I am going to have them back on soon.

props for having the balls to do this on a brand-new car. I know I would prob mess it up somehow...

Can't wait to see the final result

The read tails look good! Is there a clear coat that you added?

I tried clearcoating my on my last car, but the can of clearcoat that I used melted the smoked paint so I had to strip it and start all over. I've found that I can get it glossy enough with the smoke that I don't really need clearcoat.

subscribed.

Good DIY thread. If I got you right, the black smoke coat is the last coat that you apply to the lens?

Looks very good. Will check the final result.

Yeah, I could have ended with red, and if I had a lighter color paint then I probably would have ended there, but since I have a dark car I think that the smoked lights will blend with the car better.

I like the red coat only b/c that smoked tails wouldn't last a week here in SoCal. :bonk: Looks good

I have found that as long as the light isn't too dark through the smoke that the cops here will leave you alone. This smoke tint spray I am using doesn't seem to block much light if you use light coats, so it still appears pretty bright. I will add some video once I get the lights back on.

Can you post some pics with the lights mounted, lights on and with the brake lights.

Based on the freshly painted tint, that shade alone would be enough to get pulled over down here.

Yay, red tails! Thanks for the DIY!

:confused0068:: :wub: :party0030:

Very anxious to see the result of this!

I'm hoping to achieve the same look.

I was just doing photoshops of tails last night. I want to see what it actually looks like on a real car

WOOHOO the DIY tuts have begun!

Im gonna get my friends painter to do mine for me. That way they are smooth with no texture.

And turn signals! That red + smoke seems like it will almost completely block out the amber light from the turn signals...

Even the aftermarket lights that are available smoked will get rolled on.

http://www.car-parts-accessory.com/u...988185a3ba.jpg

When I get my FR-S, I'm going to just wrap it instead of painting it; less headache to deal with once the weather and time get to that paint.


please post up all combination! :happy0180:

Yeah they flank that triangle reflector at the bottom center of the bumper.

http://i.imgur.com/GWDOD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pBw1d.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/99NUn.jpg
Parking lights only

http://i.imgur.com/1XyjB.jpg
Brake lights only

http://i.imgur.com/Wi63U.jpg
Brake lights and hazard lights

http://i.imgur.com/BU5GJ.jpg
Smoked vs Stock


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9HMzTTNro"]Smoked Tail Lights on Scion FR-S - YouTube[/ame]


.

To be honest, it didn't turn out EXACTLY like I had pictured it but it is still WAY better than stock in my opinion. The light shows through it just fine and it matches the color of the car better.

Nice! Did you leave the amber turn signal bulbs in there, or did you change then to un-coated ones?

Why do you say it didn't turn out how you wanted? What would you have changed?

I pictured less red and more gray, maybe I should have just skipped the red first. I think it looks good, though.

I left the amber turn signal bulbs in there.

Gotcha. I still think it looks awesome though! Makes me want to do just red!!

All red looks awesome, great job! Gonna have to do this soon.


Justin