Gettin rid of the amber in the tail lights?
01-26-04, 04:40 PM
#5
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Well I know how you COULD do it...
I know you can take out the taillight, then do something with a heat gun to loosen the adhesive (there is a site that says how to do all of this - but I'm not sure what it is anymore). Then you separate the housing from the lenses or something....well, it says on the site.
Basically, after you do all of that you can buy a can of model paint "Candy apple red". Make sure it's the transparent one. Then you tape off anything you don't want red, and spray a thin coat over the amber part. THIN COAT. You will have to do several coats...but make sure you leave enough time between coats for the paint to dry. You don't want to rush this - if you get drips it will look retarded (not sure - might look retarded anyway, but you asked). Anyway, after you get the amber to be red, you just reassemble and you should be set.
I know you can take out the taillight, then do something with a heat gun to loosen the adhesive (there is a site that says how to do all of this - but I'm not sure what it is anymore). Then you separate the housing from the lenses or something....well, it says on the site.
Basically, after you do all of that you can buy a can of model paint "Candy apple red". Make sure it's the transparent one. Then you tape off anything you don't want red, and spray a thin coat over the amber part. THIN COAT. You will have to do several coats...but make sure you leave enough time between coats for the paint to dry. You don't want to rush this - if you get drips it will look retarded (not sure - might look retarded anyway, but you asked). Anyway, after you get the amber to be red, you just reassemble and you should be set.
01-26-04, 05:02 PM
#6
I was thinking that i could just put a red "jell" or "filter" (that’s what we call them in photography) (a transparent red piece of plastic) over the amber colored part. But i am wondering if the color would come out funny. Because if you took orange light and then mix it with red light, wouldn’t you get a funny color? I am pretty sure you would. Just like when you mix yellow and blue to make green. I think it would look like ***, with orange and red mixed. But i think am gonna try it and see what happens. Any more suggestions?
01-26-04, 05:37 PM
#7
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Well, if I were going to try this mod, I would NOT just paint over the amber part of the light. The only way to make it look "right" would be to replace the amber piece with a red one. You would have to somehow fab your own red peice or you may be able to find some tail light at a wrecking yard that you could make fit. If you want it to look good it is going to take more work than paint.
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01-26-04, 05:49 PM
#8
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If you do there may be a problem with getting ticketed often, it is illegal in most states to have single colored reflectors and lights. The riceheads in Houston get ticketed on a regular basis for clear lights in the rear because the law says it should at least be an amber bulb.
01-26-04, 07:19 PM
#10
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Originally posted by mpowers8
If you do there may be a problem with getting ticketed often, it is illegal in most states to have single colored reflectors and lights. The riceheads in Houston get ticketed on a regular basis for clear lights in the rear because the law says it should at least be an amber bulb.
If you do there may be a problem with getting ticketed often, it is illegal in most states to have single colored reflectors and lights. The riceheads in Houston get ticketed on a regular basis for clear lights in the rear because the law says it should at least be an amber bulb.
01-26-04, 07:42 PM
#12
No it's not Turbo'd
Something that might look cool is all 3 circles on '99 spec lights red, and then turn on the driving lights, and have 3 red cicles, slightly illuminated (low) and then have the brakes on the center 4 and the turn signals increase in intensity on the corners 
And yes, a lot of classic cars came with all red turn signals.. white is a different problem all together...
And yes, a lot of classic cars came with all red turn signals.. white is a different problem all together...
01-26-04, 08:29 PM
#16
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Originally posted by DCrosby
Something that might look cool is all 3 circles on '99 spec lights red, and then turn on the driving lights, and have 3 red cicles, slightly illuminated (low) and then have the brakes on the center 4 and the turn signals increase in intensity on the corners
And yes, a lot of classic cars came with all red turn signals.. white is a different problem all together...
Something that might look cool is all 3 circles on '99 spec lights red, and then turn on the driving lights, and have 3 red cicles, slightly illuminated (low) and then have the brakes on the center 4 and the turn signals increase in intensity on the corners
And yes, a lot of classic cars came with all red turn signals.. white is a different problem all together...
SpoolinRX: Since your a pro photographer, I'll just remind you of what you probably (and should) already know. The stock amber lens removes all colors but "amber" from the "white" light from the bulb & reflector. It lets a little red light through, since it isn't an ideal single-wavelength filter. Installing a red lens in addition to the stock one will remove much of the "amber" light. So in effect the tiny bit of red light that escapes the amber filter is all you're left with, so it'll be very dim and a poor match for the rest of the stock red lighting.
01-26-04, 08:34 PM
#17
Yeah i thought of all that but, i was gonna take a orange jell and and red jell and put them in front of one of my background lights and see what happens. But i didnt think about the dimmer problem. In doin it that way.
One other things i thought of was if the amber lens was flat i could go find some tail lights bigger then the lens cut out the red part and shap them to my cars lens. Maybe some Mazda tail lights out of a 323 or somthing. But i didnt really wanna remove the amber lens.
One other things i thought of was if the amber lens was flat i could go find some tail lights bigger then the lens cut out the red part and shap them to my cars lens. Maybe some Mazda tail lights out of a 323 or somthing. But i didnt really wanna remove the amber lens.
Last edited by SpoolinRX; 01-26-04 at 08:39 PM.