rear lenses: to spray or not to spray?

[ben16v 0]

whats the process then?

 

it is spray then sand, spray then sand until onto final layer of laquer? ( vaguelly remember it being like that on my golf eybrow but dunno if its different for lenses?)

 

and kev i read somewhere you had to wipe the laquer off at some point.... is it easy to do and what do you use?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah when the bar steward coppers pulled me over :evil: Just some solvent or cellulose thinners will remove it. Doesn't harm the plastic at all as it's acrylic and not affected by either of those too chemicals. The former is the best. It's now called "glue remover" to help prevent solvent abuse, and Evostik make it. Red tin, sold at Homebase and B&Q.

 

The process is just to ensure the surfaces are dead clean and don't apply too much laquer in one go. Sanding off the Hella markings is optional. I don't bother personally. Keeps an original look about them.

 

When you're happy with the finish, leave them for a week to harden then polish with car polish. Needs to be mildly abrasive, so use something like Super Resin.

 

Obviously the upper halves will now have more sheen than the lower halves, so paint those and the surrounding black plastic with a coat of clear laquer.

[MoonlightVR 0]

I tried that too and it's difficult to do properly due to the graduations in the paint levels, i.e. steps where red meets orange.

 

Sure you get a stepped paint level, but it's not that bad looking IMO. Especially if you clear lacquer afterwards.

 

If you want to try that route, first give the orange layer a liberal coat of red first, then do the strips. The steps won't be so thick then and it will look even redder, whilst still shining through orange.

 

I would not recommend this. My lights have no red on the amber stripes and they only just flash amber. If you spray the amber parts red (even lighltly) you'll get a very marginal amber which is likely to get you into trouble with coppers/MOT testers. It'll be all that effort for nothing! :mad:

 

I would also recommend a green indicator bulb. Green flasing thru red gives amber :D

 

Brooksey, I'll dig out the reference for the bulb.

 

My lights have been on the car for 2 MOTs now and I've never had a problem, and my MOT place is pretty strict!

 

As Kev says prep is the key. My method:

 

*Choose a warm sunny wind free day!

*I rubbed down all the raised lettering first with 600 grade wet and dry.

*Do the whole lens surface with the same grade to get a key.

*Wipe surfaces with alcohol based degreasant.

*Mask the stipes on the indicator lens. If you look closely on the lights they are made up of a plain plastic row and then a "crystal" effect row. I masked the crystal row (so this will stay amber).

*Mask up the brake light and the black plastic suround and black middle stripe.

*Spray the red lacquer (I used FoliaTec) evenly in thin layers. I between layers put the light in the sun to cure.

*Keep building up the layers until you're happy it matches the brake light lens.

*Allow to cure for the rest of the day and overnight.

*Next day remove all the masking tape.

*Give the red lacquered surface a very fine key with 1000 wet and dry.

*Wipe down all the lens surfaces, including brake light. Mask up the all the black plastic parts of the light.

*Spray all the lens surfaces with clear lacquer.

*After about a week rub down the lacquer with a mild car polish like AutuoGlym SuperResin to get a high gloss finish.

 

Pic attached of the lights from a distance.

 

Cheers

 

Asim

[chubbybrown 0]

Nice one Asim,

That looks so updated while retaining the character and its a smashing finish too.

 

chubbz :mrgreen:

[stevemac 0]

I've never had any problems with mine being tinted

Neither have I. My rear lenses are completely black, although the lights shine through the tint okay. In over 12 months, I've passed 1 MOT & never been pulled or questioned by the police.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

There's no guarantee you will get pulled. I did unfortunately. The copper was probably bored and we all know how they like to victimise motorists as they're easy targets. He wasn't aggressive about it or overly anal, and in fact commented on how well they were done (compared to Chavv'd up cars he regularly pulls over) but he said red was illegal, plain and simple and the red laquer had to come off. Boo hoo :cry:

[MoonlightVR 0]

Nice one Asim,

That looks so updated while retaining the character and its a smashing finish too.

 

chubbz :mrgreen:

 

Cheers Chubbz :)

I'm very surprised that In Pro et al have decided only to go the crystal route on aftermarket lights. IMO an all red version would outsell anything they currently do. Oh well :roll:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Totally seconded. I don't do FK/Inpro, they're shite. All red is the way to go in my book.

 

Gotta say Asim, your car is a credit to the rest of us. It's stunning and I'm so not jealous.....not!

[MoonlightVR 0]

All in the eye of the beholder mate....

But then we are both from the smooth and subtle school :wink:

I wish I didn't get so attached to my cars cos I should really be selling it but I just can't bring myself to do it :cry:

[W3RKD 0]

asim > have u still got the mk1 too ?

[MoonlightVR 0]

asim > have u still got the mk1 too ?

 

Certainly have mate, hence why I should really sell the C. :cry:

Am giving the Mk1 a pretty extensive make over, and you know how much time that takes up....

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I wish I didn't get so attached to my cars cos I should really be selling it but I just can't bring myself to do it :cry:

 

Don't sell it. You have something to be proud of there. You will regret letting it go!

 

Yeah we all fancy E55 AMGs as the years pile on but they're no Corrado :wink:

[stevemac 0]

Yeah we all fancy E55 AMGs

I've driven a couple of those - fast in a straight line but handle like barges when it comes to cornering - not my idea of a fun car to drive at all. :shock:

[MoonlightVR 0]

Don't sell it. You have something to be proud of there. You will regret letting it go!

 

Cheers Kev. I don't think I could bear to see it being driven off into the distance! :oops:

[MoonlightVR 0]

Yeah we all fancy E55 AMGs

I've driven a couple of those - fast in a straight line but handle like barges when it comes to cornering - not my idea of a fun car to drive at all. :shock:

 

Were they 211 (latest) series??

[pablo_vr6 0]

just did my lenses yesterday - few light coats of red foliatec light paint and it looks ace. very easy to do and even tho the paint is £15 for a small can a good cheap mod that really helps the backend.

 

my reversing ligts now look a bit red but the indicators are still mostly orange.

 

pretty happy all round to be honest.

[stevemac 0]

Yeah we all fancy E55 AMGs

I've driven a couple of those - fast in a straight line but handle like barges when it comes to cornering - not my idea of a fun car to drive at all. :shock:

 

Were they 211 (latest) series??

1 was a W210, normally aspirated E55AMG, the other was a W211 supercharged E55AMG.

 

W211 - far superior car but still handles like a barge in the corners IMO.

[MoonlightVR 0]

Fair enough. The 211 E55 is a saloon at the end of the day, but I certainly wouldn't describe it as a barge. Considering that it needs to have some ride quality plus the handling to match it's 476bhp, I thought it was pretty much spot on :D

[stevemac 0]

The whole car's just too big & heavy IMO. It aspires to & has the power to be a real sports car but the sheer size & weight lets it down. Like most Mercedes - it's far more suited to motorway driving & looking good on the driveway 8)

[pablo_vr6 0]

here is mine:

[LowG 0]

this is how mine used to look

[pablo_vr6 0]

like the g60 cutout :)

 

black is a bit pimp master for me tho

[RS VR6 0]

 

 

Sprayed mine with a Japanese spray tint...