How To Nightshade Your Tail Lights

[78Scottsdale]

Hello All, I know this is 73-87 Chevy Trucks, but I really wanted to share this with everyone because it has gotten me many compliments from all ages around town.

So I decided to Nightshade my Tail Lights because it makes it look more Aggressive.  Heres how I did it.


Heres The Paint I used.


Take out your tail lights carefully, your bulbs should be twisted in, gently squeeze the grey plastic clip and twist it until it becomes loose and pulls right on out.



Once the tail lights are both out, get some cleaner, I used Mineral Spirits.  Get some 00 Steel Wool soak it in the cleaner and scrub the tail light with it, I also used 2000 Grit sandpaper but I would of been better off with 1500 grit because 2000 is like printer paper (haha).  Once you clean the tail light with cleaner dry it up with a rag, then begin to scuff it in even patterns with sandpaper or heavier steel wool.


Make sure your tail light is all dry and no dust from sanding is visible.  Then Tape up the tail light so there will be no over spray visible.


Now for the scary part, be sure to shake your can of Nightshade for a good 2-3 minutes, now before you go ahead and spray the tail light be sure to practice your strokes with another random paint can and get your patterns down.  I used an old can of Rustoleum on a peice of scrap wood until I got the timing and strokes down.

When your finally ready to paint your tail light give it a VERY light coat of paint because this stuff is very thin and if it runs it will look like heck.


Now you have the time to go inside your car and set your radio presets because that paint needs about 5 minutes to dry.

Once your done with that give it another coat, this time you can go heavier, but again, make sure not to lose your pattern and if your painting a tail light like mine you have to get the sides and inside the grooves without making your coat drip.

After about 3-4 coats, (I did 3) let it sit for an hour or so because when you get ready to clear you need to gently sand the top layer down a bit so your clear has places to stick.

Once dried, get your clear coat (I used Krylon Triple Thick Clear) and 00 steel wool and be sure to scuff it but not to much.

Lay on the clear pretty thick and be sure to cover the whole light without runs.

Do about 4 coats of clear. Let dry for an hour.

After all of that untape your tail light and put it back in the same way you took it out.

Let the paint cure over night then when you get up in the morning and wait for your coffee to brew, run outside and give them both a nice coat of wax.

Here's My Light..

[team39763]

I did that to mine, but I have never been able to get it to come out right.  Every set I did ended up cracking when I put clear on it.  I guess I didn't prep them good enough or maybe the temp was wrong?

[DnStClr]

78 Scottsdale, a small correction is needed. You are painting the tail light lens, not the tail light. When I first started reading I couldn't quite follow what you were doing. Nice job tho. It does look good.

[78Scottsdale]

78 Scottsdale, a small correction is needed. You are painting the tail light lens, not the tail light. When I first started reading I couldn't quite follow what you were doing. Nice job tho. It does look good.

Thanks for your correction, but I do believe most people get the idea of what I am portraying. 

[Armor]

any shots of light coming through? i'm interested to see the light amount

[69byrd]

Good job on those lights!  This has got real popular in my area, there are alot of guys doing it.

[Irish_Alley]

i will say it does look good but there not dot approved since you cover up the reflective lens they do sell dot approved lens. and if a cop want harass you then you just gave him a spark to light his fire.

[78Scottsdale]

I will get a night picture up soon, once I get out of work tonight and I'm awake enough to do it

I have had cops follow me before at night, if the light is visible at 500 Feet, you are perfectly safe.

[Irish_Alley]

even when i built a car trailer you had to have reflectors on all corners. SGT any input on this would help

[choptop]

Allot of things we do to our trucks is illegal somewhere, just enjoy it and cross that bridge when you get there. One of my best friends is a local cop, and he has said if your arent doing anything stupid to get yourself noticed, most dont care about reflectors or any other little items.

[DnStClr]

Yeah my son the cop says the same thing. What really bothers them is deep tinted windows. For obvious reasons.

[Irish_Alley]

its the same with my lifted truck in Maryland you cant touch your suspension. as long as i dint make too much noise or speeding to bad they leave me alone, on top of that i have historic tags on it so i can only "supposed" to drive on weekends but again as long as i dint cause no trouble its all good. i do like the look of black tail lights on black or white paint. i have the black euro lights on my truck

[87wrangler]

Nice grand prix! i am into g-body's as well, i have a few Malibus.

[Blazin]

I have done this a few times years back. We always used lacquer though. We would mix it way thin, almost transparent, then lay three or four coats on the inside of the lens.

[GoatBeard]

Those turned out excellent!  Good job!

I'd too would like to see a night shot of them on.