Along with the billion or so other things I am doing to my car, I decided to start prepping the rear lens for painting. I read that I should degrease them (acetone), then scuff them up slightly before painting them. Well I scuffed mine up, and I was thinking - after I paint them, the scuffed surface is beneath the paint. The paint may be shiny on top, but won't the lens look somewhat foggy? I then thought maybe I should polish the lenses really good (with Meguire's plastic polish), then degrease them, then paint them, with no sandpaper involved. I would think that would give the desired effect.

What do you all think?

 

Well don't scuff them too deap, just a light rubbing will give the paint a surface to adhear to, but not deep enought to make it visible to the naked eye.

I think there are some on the board that have seen mine, and mine were lightly scuffed, but came out looking great.....

 

I used some super-fine sand paper (don't know what grit) when I scuffed mine - you don't see any scratches, but the left lens definitly looks foggy now compared with the right lens.

I think I'm going to polish mine back and try again...

 

I have painted my tails, two of my friends tails, and three sets that we have around the shop. Each time, i just cleaned them off with gasoline, let them dry, then shot 2 or so coats of paint on them, after masking them. It works great!
-Aston

 

I have the paint..how long will this realistically last in the sun/weather??

 

I painted mine several months ago and haven't seen any difference in the color yet. I prepped mine with scotch brite before painting, just enough to take the shine off the plastic. After they were painted you cannot tell they were roughed up.

 

i painted mine about a year ago with Dupli color transparent.I can see a little fade now, so it lasted a year.I am going to have respray during next weekend, since i have two extra cans which i was not able to send to Jeremy (my944)....

Olli
'88 951 with almost whole red taillights

 

"Painting tail lights"?
Huh?!?!?!?
Why would a person want to paint their tail lights???
Am I missing something here? I don't think that would be legal in most states.

John (puzzled) <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

 

John,

ALL RED



newest fashion


SHAUN

 

Will it still flash in yellow after that??
Here in Sweden I think the side markers have to flash in yellow so if it flashes in red after painting them I have to buy a new set of tail lights if I get caught..

 

Duke,
it depends how much of red paint you are using.I started with one layer of paint and was able to have amber light.I used also amber light bulp.Then i added three more layers of red paint.With total of four layers of paint all of the red sections of the lights are like factory installed.But you get the US-style red blinking light...I know it's illegal in Sweden to have red blinkers ! Here in Finland it's allowed, so it's not a problem.However it's illegal to paint light assemblys here .....So i have an extra pair of the tail lights for our yearly inspection use.
I used Dupli Color paints, which are also available in Sweden.What comes to side markers (???), did you mean side repeters which are located in front fenders on euro spec cars ?? Just use colored VW Golf II repeters.They are same as all 944's have.They are available in different colors.They also blink amber light...I use the black ones on my satin black metallic 951.

Olli
'88 951
with all red tail lights,black side repeters,black marker lights
waiting for all clear front blinker glass