Anyone know of a guide or write-up on how to separate the lenses from the black part? I want to clean out the dust/ corrosion and paint the reflectors (metal part not the lenses) with a "paint" or something like it to make the housings more reflective. (car is a 2002 camaro stock tails)


suggestions on how to make the housings more reflective would be appreciated.

I want to be better seen as night (if you are asking why)

 

www.superbrightleds.com .. get the led tail light bulbs.. way brighter than stock.. you'll be seen lol

 

I've too thought of this, or something similar... I thought of buying the LED tail lights off ebay, and switching the stock cover on to it, and fabbing it up so it'd look good.

 

Yeah, was thinking of chaning the bulbs but I want to try repainting the housing part with something like a high temp chrome to better refect and to change the look a little when you look at them.

 

i tried to separate the tails, failed miserably, lost a perfectly good light in the process.

its nowhere near as easy to separate them as it is the headlights because the way they're put together. I wouldn't try it again. Just getting the LED's should solve you're problems.

 

The tails look like the plastic was actually fused together vs sealed with RTV like the headlights are.

 

No way. The brake lights will be slightly dimmer.


Your best bet is a dremel and a steady hand, but I wouldn't attempt it!

I used chrome vinyl to make my tails slightly brighter with my SMT bulbs. It worked pretty good.. I also did the same for the reverse housings. I did all this with the lights still together though...

 

I would have to disagree with you there man. i went to LED's on tinted lenses and it has a way more "thick" red color,and slightly brighter than 3157 bulbs.

 

Yeah, you can't separate the tails like you can the headlights. The 2 pieces of plastic are sonic welded together. I opened up one once to try an LED conversion. It's possible, but it's a HUGE pain in the *** to do. You basically have to cut holes in the back to make room to put whatever your making in there, then seal them back up. Not worth it IMO.

 

damn they must be tinted dark. On non-tinted tails leds are definitely dimmer, probably because more light gets in from the outside...

Anyway you can still make them a lil brighter with the vinyl trick

 

yeah that's what I was thinking. something simple as taking them apart doesn't seem to be an option.

can you elaborate on how you used the vinyl and where you got it? is this the reflective police decal tape?

 

I get mine on ebay. Just type "chrome vinyl" in search, and you shouldn't need more than 12x12" sheet.

I used a silver sharpie to draw outlines on the back of the taillight housing, so I could use separate pieces of vinyl to fill out the entire reflector sections. I then cut out pieces of vinyl according to the outline and placed them inside the housing to make them reflect more light. It takes patience, but its not terribly difficult.

I did this to my brake lights and reverse lights..


PIC: I used the bulb hole to put the vinyl in there. I knew my small hands were good for something. I'd take a pic of the vinyl installed, but idk how I would do that without the tails open..

 

Does anyone have any pics?

 

+1 i want to see what it looks like with vinyl

 

Dude you just bumped like 5 threads that are old and dead. why?

 

Well I was doing a search and those were the only ones I could find. I know how people get about asking things that are already talked about.

 

**** them just start a new thread it's fun pissing people off