Head/Tail light tinting

I am looking to get my head and taillights tinted, but dont know if i should get them tinted with film or if i should let my paint guy spray a light coat over them. What do you think.

Films like Lamin-X and X-pel do more than just give the car a different look. They protect the light as well. Paint will not do that. Plus paint is basically permanent. You can always remove the film if cops give you crap for it.

I would def. recommend tinting. for the same reasons as underground. also there are a few dif. shades for lights. Smoke, steel, and others in dif. shades as well. Paint tends to show drip marks when the lights are on also. If not done correctly.

we paint with gaphics threw the lights..did a hemy and rt logo where the r/t shines brighter than the rest...as far as removing paint can be removed w/ sand paper then recleared......so yes "IT'S REMOVABLE"

you should think about that, we have done batman, hemy, ford, and a few other logos...basicaly using a sticker cut from a plotter using ComputerCut

sand prep..place sticker...add tinted paint ...remove sticker...then finish with clear....i gotta get pics posted

i luv my hobbie.......................

too much work for a headlight to me. u could cut the lamin-x or whatever u use with the plotter to place the image in the film, mask the image only to keep it together and them apply. thats what i personally would do if someone wanted a image in the light.

Unless those $$$$ are there and then WTF.........

Either use the stuff from stickercity.com which is pretty much the same as xpel and lamin-x . I have had a few body shops spray the taillights for me, yes they come out absolutely perfect everytime however, for all the wet sanding and work it would take to remove it in case of police issues or whatever, its not worth the time.

theres a guy around here that does vinyl graphics and he says that the black perf vinyl over the tail lights look really good.

just did this vette last week the same way with graphics

spray them and clear coat them for long lasting gloss

The Vette looks beautiful! The Mazda above... looks like hell! I hope thats not the finished product!

film on mine


but it isnt as shiny as paint

Dont want to go off topic but your car is so well done! Simply beautiful!

Thank you

Best investment for my business. Have another car just like it that my biz partner drives. The cars have everything we offer on them. Wait we also vinyl roofs, hoods, n trunks but we have it done to the rx8 we have.

it looks like poo right now

VIP be flossin'........

yes its as shinny as paint cause you clear coat it just like paint then after its totaly dry you buff to high gloss shine

why didnt you take a picture of it polished????.......where are the finished end photo's too?????

it takes about 24 hr b4 you can polish it cause the clear coat and tint spray take that long together to fully cure so you dont burn the clear coat and mark it up

its like painting a car you dont buff the car cause paint is dry to touch you come back 24 hrs b4 you buff it and then your still very carefull on how much pressure you apply when buffing

sooooo.......where are the final pictures of this magical process?

well if you want i can give you the customer name and you can track him down if it is that important to you to see finished pics


well it looks like most people on this site has no clue about paint process other than what they seen on pimp my ride or overhaulin take the time to do a set of tinted tail light the right way not your cheesy self adhisive film

any can lay a sticker to black out light but take a professional to lay paint the right way with no flaws the first time

Those pics you posted totally proved your point.

if this paint process is so good, then it seems as if you would have multiple pictures of cars you have done. Maybe you only did this one and it didn't come out good thats why you don't have other pictures

I personally rather put on the vinyl because yes "anyone" can do it, but it also makes it easier to remove if/when the customer gets in trouble for it. as shown by VIP's car, the end result looks the same(or in this case better )

so what i posted 1 car on tinted taillights lets see what all you other people have done on this subject afraid to post pics








does this help you out people on here
doesn't it make your mouth water to see quality work

I can't say as it "makes my mouth water" since I would never tint a pair of headlights/taillights for safety reasons. Dark film is one thing since you can still see out of it, but tinting head/tail lights is a whole nother thing since it reduces the visible light to the other drivers around you. I know I can drive, I just don't trust the other people around me

WHY are you quoting me.i was blinking at what Scotty said.i think if someone would want such a thing done to their car painting them would be the way to go.

http://www.headlightarmor.com/ I installed some rear tail light covers from those guys, I was really impressed with them.