hey everyone. well i know its been done several times before and i thought id give it a shot myself in painting my tails to replicate the evo 7's. id rather have the real deal but i cant justify paying $500 for some tail lights at this point. while doing it i thought id write a 'how to' in case anyone wants to use 'my' method of painting theirs. enjoy and any feedback is welcome, flame on suckas
phase I

step 1: remove the tail lights from the vehicle, which include 2 phillips screws and one connector each. if you cant figure this out id advise you to stop reading and just enjoy the pics


heres all the products needed for phase one:


step 2: i used the saran wrap around all the connecters to prevent any water that may get away while washing them.


step 3: wash the tail lights carefully and rinse


step 4: i clay bared the tail lights to get any grit and grime off


step 5: rewash and rinse the tail lights, then dry them off and let them sit for an hour or so to get back to room temperature.


step 6: after they dry off, use the painters tape to tape off all of the backing behind the lens (top, bottom, and both sides)


step 7: now comes the fun and tedious part, pinstriping! i first cut the pinstriping to length for each line. after that i cut the end of the pinstripe to a half round edge trying to replicate the curve of the tails as close as possible. this takes a little time but be patient



step 8: now its time for paint! since its 20 degrees here in WI, i had to set up my paint booth inside. id HIGHLY recommend doing this in a well ventilated area or you may have your significant other yelling at you as well once you setup your paint station place the tali light as i did so your able to spray evenly. give the spraypaint a couple of sprays before you start painting, that way it doesnt splatter when it first hits the light. i sprayed the light about 6 inches away going side to side at a steady motion. dont cake the paint on as this is only the first coat.



step 9: dont be scared if your tails look pinkish at this point. after the first coat is on, wait about ten minutes and then apply the second coat as you did the first. after the second coat is on the red gets much deeper.


step 10: this part is a little tricky and you need a steady hand to do it. after about 2 minutes of letting the second coat adhere i took off the pinstriping. i didnt want it to dry with the paint in the case it might peel the paint off when taking the striping off. i used a razor blade and started at the square end of the pinstriping. i lightly picked underneath each stripe to get enough up, then just take your fingers and lightly pull away.


phase II

step 11: i let the tail lights dry for 24 hours. now comes the wetsanding. i used 1500 grit sandpaper and warm soapy water.


step 12: i sprayed the entire tali light as so with the soapy water. i wrapped the sandpaper around a sponge so i could apply the correct amount of pressure. DO NOT apply a lot of pressure at all or you will ruin the paint. i basically set the sandpaper on top of the wet tail light and just went over it with almost no pressure at all.



step 12: scream because youve just ruined your tail lights! JK JK. this is what they looked like after sanding (and thats with no pressure applied). doing this allowed my to get most of the imperfections out that dried into the paint during phase I.


step 13: i then taped the blinker portion of the tail light and the remainder of the tail light as in step 6.


step 14: i then applied a 3rd coat. right after you apply the coat remove the painters tape.

step 15: let dry for 24 hours and reinstall on your evo. heres what they look like when all done





i know the pics arent the greatest and they really dont do the tail lights any justice. they look a lot nicer in person. ill snap a couple of pics of them on the car tomorrow. if you have any questions feel free to ask. thanks

Adam

and a big thanks to yakshii as he inspired me to do this

 

damn good writeup!!!! they look great!! i have authentic ones, and these look damn close to the originals!

 

Why didn't you sand the light to start with? Just wondering.

Could you provide a link to the paint you used?

That looks really good.

 

they are awesome man!!!!

 

also what paint did you use

 

thanks for the love fellas. makes me feel like the time and effort has paid off.
i will snap a couple pics tomorrow for good measure
heres a link to to the lens paint, expensive but very good stuff http://www.racinglab.com/painrelheadf.html

mcdougal: im no professional by any means but i didnt feel a need to in the beginning. the surface was clean and smooth. the ONLY reason i sanded was to get some of the dust molecules and lint off that fell onto the lights while sitting in the house drying.

 

Awesome write up This should be sticky so we don't have to go search for when we need it. Thanks for the write up bro. You just save me a ton of money A few questions though. If the first and second coat looks good, why do you have to sand it and recoat the third time? Do you spray clear coat over it? Same question as Mike, what paint did you use and what auto shop carries it? Thanks

 

did you apply a clear coat at all?

 

thanks guys. a third coat is not needed if there are no imperfections in the paint when drying. i had a few and most of them came out. the lights arent 'perfect' but if your that close looking at my tail lights to notice you have issues
no clear is needed at all. i provided a link above that sells the paint i used

 

looks like real ones! even that light pinkish tone CLEAN. i did a write up of mine too but i used a darker red :]
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...ml#post7075637

 

Nice bananas.

 

great job doing that. it came out looking great. you want to do my for free?

 

if someone want to do the same thing with their 9MR tails, i would like to trade for VII original tails )

 

I wish i could plus rep you for doing this right..

Awesome job.. Many people need to follow this to get there tails done right rather then just a glob of red paint "professionally" done by a paint shop.

 

good stuff man. they came out really nice!