Using VHT Nightshade
12 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Waukesha,WI
i have no clear on my tails and side markers and from what i can tell hae had no problems with fading or peeling or flaking. The car is always parked in a garage away from the sun tho so could help. i just wet sanded them with 2000 grit and buffed away by hand. the side markers i also sanded off the raised letters. i'll see if i got a picture of the side markers but i know i got a good picture of the tails. I also have had the problem with the third brake light i've left it for now but i do need to strip it back down and try it again its weird. hope this helps at all. if i were to do it again i would use a good clear and buff it just for peace of mind
before
after
before
after
12 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Waukesha,WI
yea been working on that. can't vht the dam thing or it has cracks in the paint its strange alot of problems with the third brake light for tinting. i may make my own here soon if i can't figure anything else out.
From what I've read on here, spraying it first with a coat or two of clear then spraying the vht, then some more clear with fix the cracking problem. I think the plastic reacts with the vht and cracks. When you coat it with the clear and create a barrier between the plastic and vht, it won't crack..
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
I redid my 3rd brakelight today, and the underside cracked this time. I thought that was kind of weird, I might try that clear>VHT>clear idea.
But to the OP, yes I would clearcoat/wetsand/polish them.
But to the OP, yes I would clearcoat/wetsand/polish them.
12 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Waukesha,WI
yup thats what the top of mine did lol. first time i did it i thought there was still some grease on it or something so i cleaned the **** out of it and tried again no avail still looks like that. so yea when i get a chance i may try the clear first then vht. on a side note my trucks third brake light did the same thing i just shot clear over it and called it good tho 
Just don't do what I just did today. I sanded the letters off my tails, but had a brain fart and like an idiot didn't use a finer grit to smooth them out and clean up the sanding marks, so now after the tint is dry they look like crap 
Yep, You name it, I tried it. There are a few threads about people having the same issues trying to tint the 3rd brake light on T/A's. The underside, I have never had a problem with, along with taillights or side markers, just the top of the 3rd brake light.
What if you just used standard black spray paint for plastic with adhesion promoter on the top part, then tinted the underside, and then clear the whole thing?
Just trying to think of other ideas.
Hm OK. The Camaro 3rd tends to do something similar and that's how I got around it (then I replaced with an LED 3rd later on).
What if you just used standard black spray paint for plastic with adhesion promoter on the top part, then tinted the underside, and then clear the whole thing?
Just trying to think of other ideas.
What if you just used standard black spray paint for plastic with adhesion promoter on the top part, then tinted the underside, and then clear the whole thing?
Just trying to think of other ideas.
I did something similar. I sanded the top part with 120. Used lightweight filler and smoothed it, then painted the top black/cleared. No light at all is getting thru there...
Bottom side of lens is VHT and cleared. 