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Messing around with 3M gloss black tape and some smoke tints from Amazon. Still debating on the gloss black trims but I think the tail lights look pretty neat. First time doing any kind of wraps myself so they aren't perfect by any means. Picture is with left lamp tinted to show difference between with and without film.
I like it. I did all of the trim in a titanium wrap since my car is gray. I think it brings the body lines out a bit more.
I've considered the lens tint but didn't want too dark. What did you use?
I used vht. I followed a YouTube video that showed how to buff and clear coat it for it to shine. Initially they were kinda dark but it fades in the sun and is now perfect. I had used lamin-x and worked out good but over time the film shrinks (heat gun required).
The headlights have lamin-x on them still, just to give you an idea.
Last edited by armysoldier1073; Oct 15, 2017 at 02:10 PM.
Thx I've used VHT a number of times with good results. Interested to see of there is a viable film option as well.
Mine used to have lamin-x film (thick vynil), but the sun made it shrink. If you do get lamin-x, get it by foot. I think the precut is a lil bit too small and they didn't count the sun shrinking it.
I love that the film is not too dark and is not dull like some of the spray on versions. Film bought on Amazon for $12.99. One order is enough to cover about 2 lamps mounted to body and 1 lamp mounted on trunk, so 2 orders are needed.
Item is called: VViViD Extra-Wide Headlight Taillight Vinyl Tint Wrap 16" x 48" Roll Including Blue Squeegee & 2x Black Felt Edge Decals (Smoke Black)
Here's a photo of both side tinted. Light output is honestly only down by like <5% and matches perfectly with the 3rd brake lamp output since my back glass is tinted too.
I followed a video that uses this film on an E coupe.
https://youtu.be/cInd3rSV7XQ
Well, I tried the Oracal 8300 and found it to be too dark for my taste. Not a big hit at $12.
But then for fun I decided to use some of the tint on the headlight to follow the hood curve into the fender. I sort of like it but easy enough to pull off if I change my mind.
I also found a BIG difference in the characteristics of this film vs the 3M 1080 I used for my trim/grille wrap. The 3M stuff is like butter to work with, very easy to heat/stretch and very forgiving. The Orascal is ok but more difficult to stretch around curves without getting creases that have to be dealt with. Heating the 3M removes creases, heating the Orascal seems to create them. I do like the tint level of the Amazon wrap that LemonSqueezy used, I may give that a shot. ArmySoldier's black car looks great with the darker tint but it would not look right on mine.
Looking good. Although I'm not a fan of tail lamp tinting. We wanted LED rear lights forever, finally they're on just about every vehicle...they illuminate faster than incandescents, are brighter, and last longer. But most importantly, they're bright. Anything you can do to be more noticeable and get the driver behind you to stop in time is well worth it. Tinting the lenses is adversely affecting the safety of your brake lamps (or tail lamps in fog). But to each their own!
Looking good. Although I'm not a fan of tail lamp tinting. We wanted LED rear lights forever, finally they're on just about every vehicle...they illuminate faster than incandescents, are brighter, and last longer. But most importantly, they're bright. Anything you can do to be more noticeable and get the driver behind you to stop in time is well worth it. Tinting the lenses is adversely affecting the safety of your brake lamps (or tail lamps in fog). But to each their own!
I have some good news for you, mine are still super bright!
I have some good news for you, mine are still super bright!
Sorry mate - daytime is the problem. They all look plenty bright at night. It's daytime diminished brightness that can be dangerous, especially in bright sunlight. Also heavy fog, heavy rain, etc. On a clear night no problem. But perhaps yours aren't extremely tinted, all good anyway. Your ride is looking sweet and you're happy with it...I was speaking more in general terms about all tinted rears. Some are way worse than others, tinted heavily and dangerous. If I was a LEO I'd tag folks for it...too many rear end accidents as it is without altering safety features.
Last edited by fosterelli; Oct 25, 2017 at 04:54 AM.
The VHT is red color based. Even though mine look dark, they can be seen well over 500 ft in direct sunlight. Noone gas come close to rear ending me in bad weather either. I've been pulled over a few times by different police agencies and never once was it mentioned. My window tint on the other hand has been metioned a "few" times. I have pre face lift that uses the led boards. The folks you are talking about being too dark, most use straight spray paint.
Last edited by armysoldier1073; Oct 25, 2017 at 07:39 AM.
Sorry mate - daytime is the problem. They all look plenty bright at night. It's daytime diminished brightness that can be dangerous, especially in bright sunlight. Also heavy fog, heavy rain, etc. On a clear night no problem. But perhaps yours aren't extremely tinted, all good anyway. Your ride is looking sweet and you're happy with it...I was speaking more in general terms about all tinted rears. Some are way worse than others, tinted heavily and dangerous. If I was a LEO I'd tag folks for it...too many rear end accidents as it is without altering safety features.
Hey fair enough, I do agree most tints out there are too dark and may hinder driving safety. But for those curious out there, here's a couple shots of how mine looks, looks about the same as a stock honda accord in direct sunlight, looks quite a bit darker in the evening but by then, parking lights are already on. 👍
So which one is a good brand for some film? I tried some cheap one from ebay , but could not get rid of bubbles and creases.(ive done some wrapping before and wouldnt call myself a newbie) but it was a bit challenging. Is 3m easier to apply and get rid of bubbles? Thanks
IMO:
3M 1080 is top quality premium wrap, but as far as I know it doesn't come in a tinted version for tail-lights.
Orascal 8300 is frequently used by installers, but it's slightly darker tint.
Vivvid wrap is also a good material and that has been my current choice for the tail-lights, as recommended by posters above. It's a lighter tint and doesn't seem to have a death impact on the light intensity, especially with LED lamps.
I found (by a couple of fails) that the tail-light tint is a bit tricky to get right, seems that it is very dependent on the heat gun application. I also struggled with getting it stretched right and wrinkling/bubbles.
I'm installing the Vivvid material dry (no water on lens/vinyl) per the youtube wrap guy CKWraps. He does a good installation video, in fact on MB tail-lamps but makes it look easy. I hate that guy..... !
IMO:
3M 1080 is top quality premium wrap, but as far as I know it doesn't come in a tinted version for tail-lights.
Orascal 8300 is frequently used by installers, but it's slightly darker tint.
Vivvid wrap is also a good material and that has been my current choice for the tail-lights, as recommended by posters above. It's a lighter tint and doesn't seem to have a death impact on the light intensity, especially with LED lamps.
I found (by a couple of fails) that the tail-light tint is a bit tricky to get right, seems that it is very dependent on the heat gun application. I also struggled with getting it stretched right and wrinkling/bubbles.
I'm installing the Vivvid material dry (no water on lens/vinyl) per the youtube wrap guy CKWraps. He does a good installation video, in fact on MB tail-lamps but makes it look easy. I hate that guy..... !
thank you for a little more info.
yes , no wonder i couldnt find any 3m film for tail lights.
and yes , i think Vivid one with air channel is the way to go after some researches , it even says , that it was made for difficult applications. So this is my option number 1 as of now , because definately dealing with cheap film on our tail lights is tough , even with heat gun it felt like i needed a friend to help me out.
i guess i will post a reply once i try Vivid , to update with news.
The vivid film is fine for tail lamps. I used it on my headlamps and it doesn't look too good, there's a slight purple hue to it in direct sunlight.
You can apply this vivid film wet or dry, it's completely up to you, I tried both. The trick is really learning how to apply heat while also learning how to stretch and squeegee it to avoid wrinkles and creases. I started getting a good hang of it on my 4th or 5th try. Also be very careful cutting it as you don't want to cut the paint.
The YouTube link I posted above with ckwraps is a good video, but he does make it look really easy...
Third try on the tint, it's not perfect but acceptable till I decide to re-do it. There are a couple of small creases in the film but at first pass it looks fine. If I do I will get a second set of hands to help stretch the film and LS was right about application of heat. This time I used liberal heat and pulling to get the film pulled into place.
The level of tint to me is perfect, just a shade difference from stock. Lights are plenty bright and I like the overall look with the gray car and the wrapped trim.
Third try on the tint, it's not perfect but acceptable till I decide to re-do it. There are a couple of small creases in the film but at first pass it looks fine. If I do I will get a second set of hands to help stretch the film and LS was right about application of heat. This time I used liberal heat and pulling to get the film pulled into place.
The level of tint to me is perfect, just a shade difference from stock. Lights are plenty bright and I like the overall look with the gray car and the wrapped trim.
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