Painting trunk reflectors

JT15601

Registered User
I want to paint the reflectors on the trunk lid. Not the tail lights themselves just the reflectors and revers lights. I want them to be like gloss black. I have 2 different black paints at my house but I never used them on plastics like the lights. I have urethane enamel that is really really nice and I have clear coat to go with it but idk if it will stick to the plastic. And I also have oil based enamel that's just tractor paint and clear coat for that as well but its not nearly as nice as the urethane. Would the urethane work on the plastic?
 
If you're worried about it sticking, you may want to 800 grit scuff and then use a primer. I think Krylon makes an outdoor plastic paint w/primer. VHT sells a spceific tail light tint that will darken them if that's all you want.
 
I want them gloss black. I'm going to smoke the lights themselves. I have primer. Its like omni high solids v2k or something like that Id have to double check. But the paint I have isn't like cheap Walmart paint its imron 3000 I think. Its all at my shop.
 
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Check on the primer and if it's compatible, use it and the urethane.

Good luck and photos or it didn't happen :)
 
The VHT product is called "nite shades" can get it from summit in rattle can. It is like a candy color high gloss black, the more coats you put on the darker it gets, but is not "solid", ie the lights will still show thru. I would use it to tint the actual light, and also the reflectors, that way the finish and color will match all the way across the rear panel

Adam
 
Took about an hour of work. Cutting the tape around the reverse lights and the birds was the most time consuming part
 

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Not bad for free 99 with stuff i had laying around. In the light its like a mirror. Its actually a lot more black than the rest of the car ha.
 
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That looks awesome with the black car and keeping the brake lights stock was a good idea I like it. I'm about to tackle this myself as well good to see someone else's work before hand.
 
That looks awesome with the black car and keeping the brake lights stock was a good idea I like it. I'm about to tackle this myself as well good to see someone else's work before hand.

My only suggestion is to peel the tape off the reverse lights before you clear coat because there's a like of thick paint there and it looks like it might peel eventually. So if u were to clear over the light it would blend that rough edge together
 
Nice... I did a similar thing for my XR7 but there I filled the crevices with liquid tape then sprayed it with "nite shades" to bring back the stock look.
 
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