Ipothas Whiteout 6MT

[ipothas]

Originally Posted by RandomFRSguy

Dude I like the tinted lights, both front and back.

Do you have any shots you could upload of the lights on?
I ask cuz i was thinking about doing this but I don't want it to be a safety hazard if the lights aren't bright enough.
I'd imagine some good white HID's with the tint would make it better then stock lights with tint but still....... bit worried about that.

I'll upload some with the lights on very soon. The product I used, VHT, says if you only use up to 3 coats, light output will not be hindered.

Originally Posted by DuMa

dang i hope you dont plan on driving at night ever.

The lights show plenty bright at night. I'll post pictures later. These are taken in the shade, and don't do the rear's justice. They aren't as dark as this gives off.

[djdnz]

Not trying to be 'that guy' but did you tint the tailights on your other cars? Seems like based on your track record you might want to have your brake lights as visible as possible. Not to mention, tinting the headlights doesn't sound like a great idea.

[ipothas]

Originally Posted by djdnz

Not trying to be 'that guy' but did you tint the tailights on your other cars? Seems like based on your track record you might want to have your brake lights as visible as possible. Not to mention, tinting the headlights doesn't sound like a great idea.

Lol no I did not tint the tails on my other cars. They are tinted, but it's not like a vinyl tint. We tested the headlights and taillights with every coating to check for brightness, and they always checked out. Clearly visible red and the headlights were still just as bright as stock.

Judging from how much negativity this is getting though, I guess I should just take them off, eh?

Here's some photos of the lights turned on. Keep in mind, the one of the rears is without the brakes engaged.




After looking at the headlights though, I'm considering removing what's on their now and sticking with just 1-2 coats instead of 3 and ordering HID's.

[Got3n]

Wow that looks good!!! Does look kinda dim though, but if you say the night visibility is still good then so be it. Awesome none the less.

[i_4got]

You're the first person I've seen smoke their headlights/tail lights without taking them off the car! I've been hesitant to smoke mine because I'm not super handy and I'm afraid to take them out. But seeing you do it without taking the car apart makes me feel I can do it too! lol

How do you think the final result compares to others that smoked theirs by taking them off the car first? Do you think I'd be able to tape off the area with newspaper instead? Or should I find some place to get those big sheets of plastic?

[ipothas]

Originally Posted by i_4got

You're the first person I've seen smoke their headlights/tail lights without taking them off the car! I've been hesitant to smoke mine because I'm not super handy and I'm afraid to take them out. But seeing you do it without taking the car apart makes me feel I can do it too! lol

How do you think the final result compares to others that smoked theirs by taking them off the car first? Do you think I'd be able to tape off the area with newspaper instead? Or should I find some place to get those big sheets of plastic?

I really didn't want take out my headlights and crack the factory seal. There are a lot of stories on here with water seeping in and what not, and it's not a risk I wanted to take. I figured if this didn't suit me, I could simply use some nail polish remover to get rid of the tint.

I think the final results are amazing. The paint dries to the touch in 1 hour, and cures in 24. I drove 120 miles on the highway about 2 hours after finishing my 3rd and final coat, and it held up just fine.

It's up to you how you mask it, as long as you mask it properly. I used painters tape and taped into the crevices surrounding the headlights, and made sure none of the surface of my car was visible. You could definitely use newspaper instead, but my advice here is to use more than enough rather than too little.

I actually removed the front tint entirely. I don't like the idea of my headlights not being bright enough or on par with other cars on the road. I plan on respraying with only 1-2 coats and purchasing some 35w 5000k HID's. It's really hard to determine how dark the coats will be until you let each one dry fully, the continue spraying. I'm not worried about the rear, though. The coat is plenty transparent as I only did 2 coats. Not to mention, there are lights under the car and in the rear glass panel that have no tint on them at all. Plenty of visibility during the day and at night.

To end this ridiculously long reply, I'll say this. Check the law in your area for modifying lights. Most of them just say "visible within XXXX feet," but it's just something to look out for.

[i_4got]

Originally Posted by ipothas

\I figured if this didn't suit me, I could simply use some nail polish remover to get rid of the tint.

Oh, so it's that easy to remove if I make a mistake? Then I'm definitely gonna try now! lol

I'm not too worried about the law about it. There are a few cars around here that have taillights way darker than yours. I like the darkness of your taillights so I'll probably end up doing only 2 coats for both head and taillights. Plus I already have HIDs, and I'm getting LED DRLs soon, so visibility won't be a problem.

Thanks for all the help! Can't wait to see what else you do on yours.


Edit: Sorry, one more question. Did you sand your headlights/taillights anytime during the tinting process? There are a few videos I've seen that tell you to sand before spraying the Nightshade, and then after spraying gloss on it. Did you just clean the lights and spray them with the Nightshade?

[ipothas]

Originally Posted by i_4got

Oh, so it's that easy to remove if I make a mistake? Then I'm definitely gonna try now! lol

I'm not too worried about the law about it. There are a few cars around here that have taillights way darker than yours. I like the darkness of your taillights so I'll probably end up doing only 2 coats for both head and taillights. Plus I already have HIDs, and I'm getting LED DRLs soon, so visibility won't be a problem.

Thanks for all the help! Can't wait to see what else you do on yours.


Edit: Sorry, one more question. Did you sand your headlights/taillights anytime during the tinting process? There are a few videos I've seen that tell you to sand before spraying the Nightshade, and then after spraying gloss on it. Did you just clean the lights and spray them with the Nightshade?

Yeah, it's really simple to remove. I just took a cotton swab and some nail polish remover (yes, it had acetone in it.) and began working on the tint. Just slow circles with moderate pressure, and the tint should start to strip off. Just make sure you don't get much excess on your paint, and be sure to thoroughly clean all areas exposed with soap and water, then rinse it off really well.

To answer your second question, no, I didn't sand the heads or tails. Research seemed inconclusive whether this step is necessary or not. The whole idea for me was to not harm my lens in any way, so I steered clear of hitting them with sand paper. If you're reading the directions on the Nite-Shade itself, it says nothing about sanding the surface prior to painting. I did, however, clean the lights off very well and dried them before the first coat was applied.

Oh yeah, this is a link to the product I used. Be sure to get the black and not the candy red lol.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...0473&ppt=C0171

[Pete156]

Originally Posted by ipothas

To end this ridiculously long reply, I'll say this. Check the law in your area for modifying lights. Most of them just say "visible within XXXX feet," but it's just something to look out for.

You may want to read your Missouri Revised Statutes. It clearly states that what you have done is illegal. Tail lights must be red by law. Whether they are on or off.
Worse yet, if you get in an accident ( get plowed in the rear again) your insurance company will look at your car. They always do. You may be dropped and liable for the wreck and injuries. That would be bad.
Looks are one thing. This mod is dangerous.

[ipothas]

Would you mind providing me with a link or something so I can read the statutes myself? In the light the tails appear red. Even more, when the car is on, the tails definitely are "red." the only thing that confuses me is that some vehicles made by Mazda and a few models of the Firebird come from the factory with tints on the taillights. If you post up the Missouri law here I would love to read it. It may coerce me to remove the tint, but I believe the law indicates the tail LIGHTS must be red, and visible, with the breaks applied, from a specific distance. Nothing about the lens being darker.

Oh yeah, also, this is no different than using a Bluebat overlay, yet those seem to be popular all over. On top of that, I've actually had 3 different police officers see my car over the course of this week and they didn't say a word about it. Even the headlights, who's tint I've actually removed since this post.


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[i_4got]

Originally Posted by ipothas

Would you mind providing me with a link or something so I can read the statutes myself? In the light the tails appear red. Even more, when the car is on, the tails definitely are "red." the only thing that confuses me is that some vehicles made by Mazda and a few models of the Firebird come from the factory with tints on the taillights. If you post up the Missouri law here I would love to read it. It may coerce me to remove the tint, but I believe the law indicates the tail LIGHTS must be red, and visible, with the breaks applied, from a specific distance. Nothing about the lens being darker.

Oh yeah, also, this is no different than using a Bluebat overlay, yet those seem to be popular all over. On top of that, I've actually had 3 different police officers see my car over the course of this week and they didn't say a word about it. Even the headlights, who's tint I've actually removed since this post.


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From what I understand, the ones from Mazda are actually black housings, not tinted.

Missouri laws are probably different than here in Ontario, but we're allowed to have tinted taillights as long as the brakes (when on) are visible from a distance of 150 meters. We're technically not allowed to tint headlights, but I'm gonna do 1 or 2 coats anyway lol. I have HIDs so it won't really affect me too much.

[RandomFRSguy]

Love the rears, I would put red LED signals in the back tho.
I'm not sure whether to bake the headlights or tint.
I'm leaning more toward bake.......

[Pete156]

Originally Posted by ipothas

Would you mind providing me with a link or something so I can read the statutes myself? In the light the tails appear red. Even more, when the car is on, the tails definitely are "red." the only thing that confuses me is that some vehicles made by Mazda and a few models of the Firebird come from the factory with tints on the taillights. If you post up the Missouri law here I would love to read it. It may coerce me to remove the tint, but I believe the law indicates the tail LIGHTS must be red, and visible, with the breaks applied, from a specific distance. Nothing about the lens being darker.
2

Here's the law.
Missouri Revised Statutes
Chapter 307
Vehicle Equipment Regulations
Section 307.075
Number 3

The law is clear, and there for a reason. Cars have had RED reflectors/tail lamps on them for 100 years. Why change history, make the roadway unsafe, and risk a big fine or the liability just to look cool?

[ipothas]

I didn't ask for you to post the law because I thought you were wrong. I just failed to find anything myself when I searched for more information on the modification.

Maybe it is illegal, but I think I might keep it. If I get ticketed, then I'll remove it. It's not like I'm the first guy to do this :P

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