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3rd brake light painting

K

KerryKool

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
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Location
Tampa, FL
I had though about this for awhile but wasn't really sure if I wanted to do it or not. Now the inside of my 3rd breaklight housing has a yellow tint to it. If I was to paint the inside(the part you see when your behind the car) flat black, how do you think it will look? Has anyone done this before? What type of paint should I use?

Best pic of 3rd break light I could find. And my car looks suprisingly clean.

P5140003.jpg


While on the painting subject, should I leave the bumper moldings alone or paint those black(or another shade of black) also?

Thanks a bunch,
-KJ
 
Black (on the bumper molding) would look incredibly tacky, IMHO. Black on the inside of the taillight housing would probably look decent.
 
Yeah paint it.

The way it looks now is an eye sore on an otherwise black window. It really breaks up the windows form.

Go for it!

Forget about the bumper trim though...Blechk!
 
Does anyone know how to take it out? I looked through the hanes manual w/ no luck. I'm going to pickup the paint(spray) today and finish it tommorrow. Before and after pics will be posted.
 
Thats why when I had my car tinted I took out the rear deck and had the entire back window tinted (32%). Looks awesome. No more of the break light sticking out like a sore thumb. Totally blends in untill you hit the breaks.
 
I told the guys to do that but they said it was illegal to tint the glass in front of the break light. ehh, did really think about it in the first place.

How do you take it out? I'm going by Michaels tommorrow and picking out flat black Krylon paint. I was going to do it today but I decided to wash my car instead.
 
did you get your tint at auto safe and sound. They tinted over my brake light and whole rear window in one solid piece of window tint.
 
KerryKool said:
...While on the painting subject, should I leave the bumper moldings alone or paint those black(or another shade of black) also?
...
Click to expand...
Paint it teal, what you have now. Somehow the full same color on the bumper looks much better (1996 and up). Of course, this is an unbiased opinion. Check my signature. ;)

Edit. High mount brake lamp, from 1996 Ford CD

Lamp, Rear Hi-Mount

Removal and Installation

1. Remove two rear hi-mount lamp retaining screws from under package tray. If you don't have fold down rear seat backs, you will have to climb into the trunk to do this. Hope you are not too big.
:D

2. Disconnect wire harness to rear hi-mount lamp.

3. From inside vehicle pull rear hi-mount lamp upward and remove from vehicle.

4. To install, reverse Removal procedure.

Lens and Reflector

Removal and Installation
1. Remove rear lamp cover by pressing in on tabs.

2. Release four locking tabs retaining lens and reflector, one at a time while working lens and reflector from housing.
 
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RandyCSVT said:
did you get your tint at auto safe and sound. They tinted over my brake light and whole rear window in one solid piece of window tint.
Click to expand...

Yea, I though it was wierd that they didn't tint that part and that they mentioned it afterwards. I didn't mind anyway. My "rear lamp" needs to be cleaned anyway.

About the removal, thanks for posting that. My size isn't the problem, the huge sub unit is.:crazy:
 
Removing it was easier than I thought. Its finished but it didn't turn out as good as I hoped. I looks a lot better though. Pics will be up tommorrow.
 
Yea, I wish it was darker. The only way I can think of to make it darker is to add a clear coat. But I didn't want it to be glossy. Maybe I'll touch it up later on.
 
lame...

my recomendation is for everyone to get their windows tinted and have them tint the entire back glass and you will never notice it... the shop I took my car to tinted all the way down and it looks sexy as hell.

You will still see the light if you step on the brake so there should be no legality issue. They just need to disassemble the light a bit and scrape a bit of foam away from where the housing meets the window glass.

take your car back to the shop who tinted it and have them re-do the rear glass... thats the only way it will look the best...
 
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NVMYSVT said:
lame...

my recomendation is for everyone to get their windows tinted and have them tint the entire back glass and you will never notice it... the shop I took my car to tinted all the way down and it looks sexy as hell.

You will still see the light if you step on the brake so there should be no legality issue. They just need to disassemble the light a bit and scrape a bit of foam away from where the housing meets the window glass.

take your car back to the shop who tinted it and have them re-do the rear glass... thats the only way it will look the best...
Click to expand...

that is illegal in some states.
 
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