separating tail lights

[sweetbmxrider]

how do i separate the lense from the plastic backing? also, if anyone has stock LT1 taillights for cheap, pm me.

[transmaro93]

you can probably use a heat gun to loosen the glue and get one of the small screw drivers and work it around it prying it very carefully... dont go crazy cause its plastic it will break... but that should work...what are you trying to do???

[sweetbmxrider]

yeah i tried that with a front marker lense, it was working a little but i cracked it i had one of those gasket scrappers too so it had a good edge. i heard they can be baked but wasn't sure if someone here had done anything like this and had tips.

i replaced a tail light on an 08 scalade. the lense was broken on it. has LED's that light up red. 4 strips of like 8 or so. wanna sneak them in the tail light somehow. i was going to use them as DRL in the front, but they are red and i don't need that bs attention too. so some sweet looking brake lights i guess. maybe, just maybe, sneak them into the turn signals as well.

[ar0ck]

Look up how to paint the amber on a 3rd gen Camaro tail-lights, its the same process.

[sweetbmxrider]

ok yeah i have seen that where they do the candy red. thanks.

[Slow96LT1]

i got a set of lt-1 tail light and black out covers 60 bux 50bux without covers
as far as taking them apart just bake them in the oven at 350 for like 10 min just keep an eye on them and they pull right apart done it to a bunch of honda headlight to paint the inside black

[FIcamaroRE92]

That would look bad ass.

[madness410]

yeah the LED's would look bad ass. i painted the housing on a buddy of mines headlights and separated the lens from the housing by putting it in an oven for a few minutes then prying it apart with a screwdriver gently, maybe it could be the same thing with the tail lights

[NastyEllEssWon]

put your oven to 250 degrees. put the tails on a slab of wood in the oven...if the plastic touches metal its gonna melt stuff....leave the door open and watch it for 10 minutes. after all the glue is melted they just peel right apart

[sweetbmxrider]

sick i'll try it on a junk front corner first. this should look pretty sweet.

[FIcamaroRE92]

post pics when you get 'em installed

[sweetbmxrider]

fer sure! might be some time but i've got time. going to be a pita to get it to look real good and fit well but i'm game.

[creeper]

popping my tail lights apart was a painnnnn, even with a heat gun and a thousand screw drivers, picks, and scrapers to get the glue out. i chipped the corner off in the process. woops.

[maroman88]

i tried to get apart one of the honeycombs off the 98TA and had no luck.... one light is real dark and one is nice and red!!! wtf

[sweetbmxrider]

cell phone pics of the leds





if i looked straight at them lit up, my eyes hurt. i noticed my cell auto adjusted for the brightness, before it does its pretty much just red on the screen
i think it will show right through the VHT

[creeper]

Originally Posted by maroman88

i tried to get apart one of the honeycombs off the 98TA and had no luck.... one light is real dark and one is nice and red!!! wtf

that's why i did mine. there was not one spec of reflective paint left on the inside of it. spray painted it silver. looks way better now.

[FIcamaroRE92]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

cell phone pics of the leds





if i looked straight at them lit up, my eyes hurt. i noticed my cell auto adjusted for the brightness, before it does its pretty much just red on the screen
i think it will show right through the VHT

Do you have to put a coat of clear on the VHT, I sprayed mine and it came out flat black?

Also, Those LED look sick

[ar0ck]

Make sure you use the right resisters or you might throw an ABS light, I know some people have that issue when putting the SS LED 3rd brake light in.

[creeper]

vht normally comes out flatish. i've heard of ppl wetsanding/clearcoating it to give it a better finish. or you can use their spray on window tint? i think it is, which dries glossier.

[FIcamaroRE92]

Originally Posted by creeper

vht normally comes out flatish. i've heard of ppl wetsanding/clearcoating it to give it a better finish. or you can use their spray on window tint? i think it is, which dries glossier.

ya i used it on my t-tops, came out great, lights=Ftw tho soiled a decent pair of side markers

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by FIcamaroRE92

Do you have to put a coat of clear on the VHT, I sprayed mine and it came out flat black?

Also, Those LED look sick

thanks and yeah. i left mine flat black. might clear them up though. i would do a few light coats of clear and some guys polish them to really get them wet looking. experiment! (with spare lenses)

Originally Posted by ar0ck

Make sure you use the right resisters or you might throw an ABS light, I know some people have that issue when putting the SS LED 3rd brake light in.

yeah i've been wanting to do an ss spoiler and have heard/read this many times though. thanks for the heads up.

[madness410]

im excited to see how this turns out..should put a pretty nice touch on your tail lights

[NJSPEEDER]

That looks like it is gonna be sweet once it is done. Did you get that as a kit or wire it yourself?

[sweetbmxrider]

stole them from a cracked escalade tail light. the tail light goes for 350+ from the dealer, these worked fine so yoinks! should be a fun little project. i hope it all goes together nicely. i need to check some wiring diagrams. they will probably only function as brake lights, which is cool still.

[sweetbmxrider]

well a little update. tried separating a tail light, failed. it dimpled like they do with black out covers on. so i am thinking of just drilling holes in the back of the lens for the leds to come through and be done with them. i'll try it out on a junk lens and see what happens. if it works, i'll post pics!