Painting clear taillights

[Jon Cole]

What's the best looking method?
I am working on a series 1 Miata, want it to look as real as possible.
Just go with the standard clear red, & orange, or?
Also wondering if it would look better over silver, or black?
Would really help to see some examples of painted taillights. Thx.

[Renegade]

I use transparent red or orange with a silver back unless attaching to a chrome part.

[Greg K]

i use stop light red.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Greg K

[StevenGuthmiller]

i use tail light red.

Same here.

Testors tail light red.

 

Steve

[talon63]

I've had some great results using a red Sharpie, then backing that with silver or foil, depending on the surface it's being attached to. If it's a chrome piece, and the recess is deep enough that lens doesn't bottom out in it, I just use the sharpie by itself. Most of the permanent markers are translucent enough, and tips are wide enough to cover the lens in one swipe. 

[gtx6970]

Same here.

Testors tail light red.

 

Steve

Ditto.

This is over a chrome base . But it looks almost as good over a silver base

[GeeBee]

Pop some BMf into the recess where the lamp fixes into then, airbrush the lenses in clear red/orange and fix in place with clear epoxy, 

[Deathgoblin]

I've done clear red/amber over silver backing and BMF backing on pieces using sharpies.  Both methods work really well.  

[JTalmage]

^^ BMF, and paint it model masters stop light red. 

[Erik Smith]

First Gen Miatas (NA) have a three color tail light - so just red won't work - which you are probably aware of (not all respondents are?). I use Tamiya clear colors - red and orange - and I would use just a foil backing for the backup light (clear) portion. 

 

[Tom Geiger]

My problem here was that the Chevette had clear red lenses, while the rear car had red / yellow / red with a white backup light and a chrome frame.   I wrapped the whole thing in BMF and did the colors with Sharpies right on the foil.  The white was a white paint marker I've been using for tires.  Side light was done the same way with a black gasket.

[TomZ]

I also use Testor's tail light red and amber. I definitely recommend the acrylic over the enamel, which has a funky metallic appearance.

I like that Sharpie suggestion! I'll have to look into that.

 

[Snake45]

I used the Testor Stop Light Red for years, now prefer their Clear Red Acryl. Great stuff!

I'm still looking for  good way to do (clear/white) backup lights, especially when they're molded in chrome.

[Art Anderson]

For me, it all depends on the era of the car, the taillights:  While today, taillights are molded plastic inside and out, with a bright reflector surface inside, that wasn't the case decades ago (think 1970's on back here), and lenses have changed as well--what are red or amber lenses today, were glass until the late 1940's or early 1950's.  So, when considering taillights from years ago, think a darker appearance than what we see on the street today, with modern cars, when they aren't lit up.

With all this in mind, for models of cars of the early 70's on back, particularly those kits having plated taillight details, I prefer Testors Stoplight Red, which I tend to lay on rather thickly, as the thicker the coat, the darker red it becomes.  Tamiya clear red on such plated lens detail winds up looking very unrealistic to my eyes, more like the look of a colored glass Christmas tree ball than a taillight lens.  The same thing, for me at least, is true of amber front turn signals molded into a plated bumper--clear yellow has that tinsel look, but Turn Signal Amber (Testors) gives me a much closer to real appearance.

With modern taillights, I foil an unplated backdrop surface, then use clear red and clear yellow on the lenses, again something that is far more real looking in those cases, than Stoplight Red or Turn Signal Amber.

Art

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

While we're on the subject, does anyone have a good solution for clear turn signal lenses with amber bulbs?

my 1:1 '69 Grand Prix had that configuration.

The amber bulbs are evident through the clear lens but painting the entire lens amber is incorrect.

Of course, the turn signals on the old MPC kit are chrome, so it kind of creates a challenge to make it look correct.

I probably won't be building the kit for sometime, but I hope to find an answer before that time comes.

Just a side note.

The amber reflectors on mine are not correct for '69.

My car had some front end damage at one point & the lenses were replaced with 1970 lenses.

1969 lenses were all clear.

 

Steve

 

 

[Kit Basher]

Steven, if the bulb is molded on a chrome part, with a clear lens over it, painting the bulb with clear orange should work. I did that on a Viper and a late model Mini, and it looked good to me. If the bulb is molded on a clear part or something else, I'm no help.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Steven, if the bulb is molded on a chrome part, with a clear lens over it, painting the bulb with clear orange should work. I did that on a Viper and a late model Mini, and it looked good to me. If the bulb is molded on a clear part or something else, I'm no help.

Nope.

The entire lens is a chrome piece.

That's why it becomes a dilemma.

The only thing I can think of is a "dot" of amber, & then paint the entire lens a "milky" white allowing the amber to show through.

But I'm afraid that would just look stupid given the "V" shape of the lens.

This may be a scratch building situation if I want it to look right.

But that seems like a lot of work for a turn signal! 

 

Steve

[Foxer]

While we're on the subject, does anyone have a good solution for clear turn signal lenses with amber bulbs?

My thought would be to make a silicone rubber press on mold of the lens. Then cut the lens away. cast the lens thin in the mold. Bondic works well for this as you can just cover the surface of the mold with a thin coat.  Four sec under the light and it's done. Then you can cover the face on the bumper with BMF and put a amber bulb in. Bondic would work for the bulb too. You could always cast it in clear resin if you don't mind all the extra work and waiting for it to cure. 

 

 

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

My thought would be to make a silicone rubber press on mold of the lens. Then cut the lens away. cast the lens thin in the mold. Bondic works well for this as you can just cover the surface of the mold with a thin coat.  Four sec under the light and it's done. Then you can cover the face on the bumper with BMF and put a amber bulb in. Bondic would work for the bulb too. You could always cast it in clear resin if you don't mind all the extra work and waiting for it to cure. 

 

 

 

Something along these lines was kind of my thought.

I've been dabbling in "press casting" clear parts out of heated clear sprue that works pretty well for headlight lenses.

I may try making a mold of the original part & them mold a clear lens.

Then I thought about simply drilling a small hole in the back of it & inserting an amber colored "bulb", & then foiling the reflector & surrounding trim.

 

Steve

Edited December 12, 2015 by StevenGuthmiller

[Foxer]

Be sure to let us see once you get to it.

[djflyer]

Steve, for the amber bulbs I have used the stretched sprue method, kinda like your last post seems to indicate. Find some clear yellow/amber sprue (the hardest part now), heat gently until it will stretch to the diameter of the bulb. Cut off enough pieces for the number of bulbs you need.  Drill through the back of the reflector part, then insert the "bulb" and attach with a dot of white glue or epoxy. Works great with red bulb installs too.

Edited December 17, 2015 by djflyer

[StevenGuthmiller]

Steve, for the amber bulbs I have used the stretched sprue method, kinda like your last post seems to indicate. Find some clear yellow/amber sprue (the hardest part now), heat gently until it will stretch to the diameter of the bulb. Cut off enough pieces for the number of bulbs you need.  Drill through the back of the reflector part, then insert the "bulb" and attach with a dot of white glue or epoxy. Works great with red bulb installs too.

Thanks David.

The bulbs are the easy part.

making a clear lens where none exists now is the difficult part.

There are no reflectors or clear lenses with this kit, only a chrome piece.

 

Steve

[djflyer]

If the lens has some volume to it, I have used plexi or acrylic rod (or square stock) cut to rough shape to fit the lens area, then dremel/ file/ sand to correct shape.  Once shaped I then backed with foil or other reflector material. That seemed to work best on cars that have a lens that follows the contours of the body.

[aurfalien]

This stuff is killer;

http://www.thedetailer.net/index.htm

[Tom Geiger]

Something along these lines was kind of my thought.

I've been dabbling in "press casting" clear parts out of heated clear sprue that works pretty well for headlight lenses.

I may try making a mold of the original part & them mold a clear lens.

Then I thought about simply drilling a small hole in the back of it & inserting an amber colored "bulb", & then foiling the reflector & surrounding trim.

I think this is the best course of action.  Take the original chrome pieces, cut them away from the rest of the chrome piece. Glue a small stick (tooth pick or piece of sprue) to the back of each to make like a rubber stamp.  Then stamp these evenly into molding clay.  You could try your heated clear sprue, but other courses are to try clear resin or even two part epoxy. You can make a dozen of these to get two superb pieces  I did that once with VW tail lights.