Although some light apparently does show through your taillights, have you tested the reflectors in the taillights?? Will a car approaching your parked Magnum at night be warned by the red taillight reflectors, or think that it is just a big dark spot??

 

Hey Grinner,

gotta love that plate dude. Nice subtle touch. Thats Photoshop or you really have that?

Did putting on the eyelids do anything to the amount of light you put out, or was it blocking over the cutoff and hence no harm/foul? Looks like you did the fogs too. Same question. I would guess the fog covering would restrict light, but it would restrict it VERY close to the ground on the bottom and up into the air.

And what kind of paint did you use for that? Something I can grab at the local Kragen, or a web site?

 

Cheez...

Joined just to post this.

Have you guys ever heard of 3M

They make a nice black high performance vinyl (used mostly for outdoor signage/vehicle lettering).

Looks black when front lit, translucent white when backlit. With it applied to your Mag's tailights you would get the blackout look all daylong without losing the red glow at night. Still theres no simple solution to losing the safety reflector function of those tail lights.

Hope you have a big rearview mirror! [8D]

Just my 2¢ .

Nice forum, nice cars.

 

You don't have to spray much to get a tint effect with the tails. Ever noticed the tint on your car window and how much light transmits through it when a light source comes through the front window. When you put up a sun screen accross the dash it becomes alot darker in the car but the visibility from inside is still the same it just APPEARS darker from the outside, same for the tails. A light coat of black and it appears dark but not enough to severly affect the light output from behind. I can guarantee you that my tails on the mag are a hell of alot brighter than the tails on my 32 ford or most 80s and 90s era cars for that matter. The reflector on the other hand is a good point BUT, honestly, when was the last time a reflector on a car saved me from hitting it? If I cant see the car then how would I see a little reflector?
2 images -same tint-different light angle


Grinner and I have very similar taste in vehicles cept I don't ever need my wiper(killer ride dude!)
ohh, and the cheap bulbs that use highter wattage to overcome their blue coating have a history of burning headlight wiring harnesses, check any of the ricer forums, its a fact! Hell they even had a thread bout it in a Ford (cough, cough) forum I use to belong to, that's one reason they offer upgraded wiring harnesses. You can throw as much book smarts as you want at something but reality is the way of the world and I know some idiot savants.

 

I do not care for your 'all black' color scheme, but your wheels are excellent!! What is the size, make, model, etc?? [sm=feedback.gif][sm=goodidea.gif]

 

ink sindicate: nice car, and the two examples are great. my dakotas taillights are blacked out as well because it contrasts with the yellow very nicely. also, i have heard of people actually using black nylon pantyhose to smoke out lights. suppposedly you just stretch them over the light to your desired tension and mount the light back. i havent seen it personally (or at least not that i have realized) but it sounds like it would work, so for any one who wants to try a cheap fast way might try that.

 

Tinting the tails is very popular in my Grand Prix club. There is a product called Niteshade that comes in a spraycan. The finished product looks dull but you can bring back the shine with a buffing wheel. Here is a pic showing the finished product.

 

I have tried a spray tint much like the niteshades from VHT. The stuff I used was a spray tint for model cars and is usually available at hobby stores so it is fairly convienient to come by. After using the spray tint put a few coats of clear to protect the tint (the spray stuff faded quickly without clear) then buff it out a bit and it will be as shiney as the paint job. That is how I did my Expedition tails, with the Mag I couldnt find the tint spray quickly enough so I used regular black paint and just fogged it on then did the clear thing. It isnt as smooth as the spray tint (not to the touch but more in regards to the speckled look of fogged paint) but from a few feet away you cannot tell. That Pontiac looks wicked I tell ya!
I have never heard of the stocking trick but I can just hear the Mag complaining now about a run in it's stockings. I can see in my mind how that would work with different tension creating different darkness but I would imagine you would need a spray adheasive to hold the stocking tight and that might hinder light transmission, interesting idea nontheless.
I have tried to question sign shops about 3M stuff and also tint shops for actual tint but both places said that the adhesive used in those products will alter the transperancy of the plastic and make for a less effective light transmittance.
Fourteen, I am glad you dont like the all black look, we need different likes and dislikes to keep us happy. If everyone had the same taste it would be a very boring life. I built the car to my taste and no one elses so I expect dislikes/criticisim. "Variety is the spice of life"..... "opinions are like @ssholes, everyones got one and they all stink" 2 great quotes that come to mind. Thank you for the props on the rims though. They are 22x9.5 Helo Explodes.

 

I just got her!!!!



[IMG]local://upfiles/31455/DF58BC279B184163865FDD8D9F2BECA7.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/31455/F9731984230E4630A32648AC92EBDB7C.jpg[/IMG]

 

Here's a site that does light tinting: http://www.jonstintedtails.com

Look in the custom gallery, and you'll see a lot of tails tinted, but that left some area un-tinted. A good combination of looks AND safety.

I think Fourteen makes a good point on safety, albeit obnoxious and condescending. Personally, I feel his choice of endagering every oncoming car is much worse than the one car behind a set of tinted tails. To each his (or her) own.