Plastidipped tail lights

g_chandler85

Well-Known Member
Okay so, normally I would not think about this, but plastidip was on sale for $4 a can so I figured why not. Everything on my truck is dark and I don't want to buy all new headlights or anything yet, I just want to add a darker look to them. I picked up black, gray (the truck is gray) and glossifier.

I'm wondering if any of yall have tried it on tail lights and what looks best. I've also thought about taping off the headlights and just going around some of the edges and stuff. I'm just going for a light smoke to just darken around the lights some. Any advice?
 
Do not use the generic matte plastidip on your headlights or taillights! It is an opaque paint and will be near impossible to get the smoke finish you want. You will seriously alter the brightness of your light output if you use the matte dip.

However, plastidip has a product called "Smoke" that is engineered specifically for tinting. It is a transparent dip that will allow light to penetrate no matter how much you use, and it is as easy to apply as any other dip. You can find it online, I use dipyourcar.com.

https://www.dipyourcar.com/Plasti-Dip-Smoke/
 
Do not use the generic matte plastidip on your headlights or taillights! It is an opaque paint and will be near impossible to get the smoke finish you want. You will seriously alter the brightness of your light output if you use the matte dip.

However, plastidip has a product called "Smoke" that is engineered specifically for tinting. It is a transparent dip that will allow light to penetrate no matter how much you use, and it is as easy to apply as any other dip. You can find it online, I use dipyourcar.com.

https://www.dipyourcar.com/Plasti-Dip-Smoke/

I was wondering if I could maybe just tape off where they actual lights are and then just lightly go over all the extra red and stuff on the sides with a light layer
 
Last edited:
It'd ruin the point of the brake light, probably is illegal, and won't look as good as just using smoke
 
It'd ruin the point of the brake light, probably is illegal, and won't look as good as just using smoke


I'm sure the teenage girl behind him texting her bff will have no trouble stopping in time once he obscures his break lights and turn signals. My favorite is when they pretty much paint their lights black and then the sun glare hits them. They might just as well take the bulbs out of the things.
 
I'm sure the teenage girl behind him texting her bff will have no trouble stopping in time once he obscures his break lights and turn signals. My favorite is when they pretty much paint their lights black and then the sun glare hits them. They might just as well take the bulbs out of the things.

Haha I was trying to avoid that. i stenciled out the the actual lights, turn signal, and back-up light along with the side light. So far so good and all the lights are completely visible.
 
And this is just temporary until I can afford aftermarket lights. So the ghetto smoked lights aren't gonna be there forever haha
 
Haha I was trying to avoid that. i stenciled out the the actual lights, turn signal, and back-up light along with the side light. So far so good and all the lights are completely visible.

I can't tell you how important that is. I can live with the loud exhausts, and the kicker boxes, but of all the ghetto things that drive me nuts it's the 20 year old Caprice with 70" wheels that passes me and slams on it's breaks because there is a bump in the road and the blacked out brake lights.

In the 90's, GM was using very dark tinted brake lights on some of it's cars along with a much higher Watt bulb that fit the standard 1157 socket. Problem was, when the original bulbs would burn out, none of the owners would get the correct bulbs. They would just pop in 1157's because they were too stupid to know better. Unless your nose was pressed up against the light, you couldn't tell if it was on.
 
I can't tell you how important that is. I can live with the loud exhausts, and the kicker boxes, but of all the ghetto things that drive me nuts it's the 20 year old Caprice with 70" wheels that passes me and slams on it's breaks because there is a bump in the road and the blacked out brake lights.

In the 90's, GM was using very dark tinted brake lights on some of it's cars along with a much higher Watt bulb that fit the standard 1157 socket. Problem was, when the original bulbs would burn out, none of the owners would get the correct bulbs. They would just pop in 1157's because they were too stupid to know better. Unless your nose was pressed up against the light, you couldn't tell if it was on.


I completely agree. That's why I asked on here. I was just wondering if anyone had done anything similar that wasn't too tacky looking and didn't defeat the purpose of the lights. Realistically I'm just going to have to invest in aftermarket lights. Tried the dip and hated it so I immediately pealed it off.. No harm done I guess
 
What you can do is just buy some precut tinting strips on eBay that you just stick on and your done
 
Back
Top