red tint spray for rear lights £6.90 DIY job - pics

[stevemed]

My rear light story - titled

"I'm an un-decisive Cluster F@*K"

Simple story and happy ending - i hope!

Bought the car like this - i was a bit



did this (£60 later) - i was not sure i liked it



so i had a think and saw this on ebay,



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/E-Tech-Multi-Ligh ... 7C294%3A50

and acheived a transformation



paint prep wipes used - masked off amber area. Then thought sod it , who cares if they don't know i'm reversing (dam pedestrians get a car!!) masked off some more then sprayed small coats to build up a nice red - drying inbetween with the missus's hairdryer to speed it all up





it looks better than the photos, i took them before doing a couple of coats of clear laquer over the top.

pics of them on car to follow (where hopefully i will finally like my rear cluster's!!)

not a bad mod for £6.90 dont ya think

the end

[ImysE30]

Look nice although i would have left the reverse light white

You might have a problem come MOT time though

[Alex]

much better steve, i didnt really like your rear lights but i never said anything

they look really smart,

[stevemed]

Look nice although i would have left the reverse light white

You might have a problem come MOT time though

thats what i thought but i asked my mate who does MOT's before i did it and he reckons its fine!! ?? fingers crossed for next years MOT

[ImysE30]

Look nice although i would have left the reverse light white

You might have a problem come MOT time though

thats what i thought but i asked my mate who does MOT's before i did it and he reckons its fine!! ?? fingers crossed for next years MOT

As long as the indicator flashes orange and not red you should be ok

I'll have to place an order soon as well

[Alex]

dont you put green bulbs in or something for it to flash orange


steve do you still have them bulbs

[ImysE30]

I've heard about the green bulbs Alex, not seen or heard from anyone who uses them

[stevemed]

much better steve, i didnt really like your rear lights but i never said anything

they look really smart,

got some spray left for you and steve!! hint hint !! and some chromed bulbs going spare for your front indicators.

HOWEVER

not 100% they will fit though - those nasty clusters that i put them in had pins on them that looked like they were at ten past ten ( imagine clock face type thing) and i reckon ( haven't checked) that the bulbs in your front indicators will be more like the straight quarter past nine style pin???

anyway there yours if they fit

or we could try a sly swapping trick thing at halfords

[Alex]

yer i think mine are the straight ones, i will have to double check or do a halfrauds dodgey swop

i wouldnt mind doing my indicators red but will keep the reverse light

[stevemed]

nah i will just change the clear bmw bulbs in the standards for some orange ones - that will be orangey enough

Anyway -

1 - FBI can't catch me anyhows i'm tooooo fast

2 - I'm a BMW driver!!! - therefore i don't indicate lol

[stevemed]

yer i think mine are the straight ones, i will have to double check or do a halfrauds dodgey swop

i wouldnt mind doing my indicators red but will keep the reverse light

fair do's will give you the spray next time i see you!

has to be the cheapest mod your cars had !! lol

[ImysE30]

i wouldnt mind doing my indicators red but will keep the reverse light

But it's Council

[Alex]

nah i will just change the clear bmw bulbs in the standards for some orange ones - that will be orangey enough

Anyway -

1 - FBI can't catch me anyhows i'm tooooo fast

2 - I'm a BMW driver!!! - therefore i don't indicate lol

one of my orange side repeater bulbs were orange, i bought them second hand and the bulbs came taped up and once the tape was removed it took most of the orange off, nothing a red marker pen can sort out hence why one flashes redish

[Alex]

i wouldnt mind doing my indicators red but will keep the reverse light

But it's Council

No lexus ones are

[stevemed]

i wouldnt mind doing my indicators red but will keep the reverse light

But it's Council

he's right alex - shine the bmw torch out the door when you reverse if your that bothered lol

[Alex]

i wouldnt mind doing my indicators red but will keep the reverse light

But it's Council

he's right alex - shine the bmw torch out the door when you reverse if your that bothered lol

Doesnt work does the light in the key count

[stevemed]

But it's Council

he's right alex - shine the bmw torch out the door when you reverse if your that bothered lol

Doesnt work does the light in the key count

try this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E30-E36-TORCH ... 7C294%3A50

"super brite reversing lite (hand held)"

[Alex]

only £17 new unless they have gone up (theiving barstewards)

wish i had took the one out of my 316i now too late now

[ImysE30]

Are they really worth spending money on? Not got one in mine, where are they located?

[Alex]

you dont know where the torch goes the glovebox in the torch socket

[ImysE30]

Never really bothered me tbh, just a novelty

[Alex]

i bet you went out to look for the socket

[ImysE30]

Car isn't parked outside, it's elsewhere

[Alex]

I will let you off then

[ImysE30]

Back on topic, how many coats of the spray did you apply?

[stevemed]

Back on topic, how many coats of the spray did you apply?

three if i remember right -

one was still too orange
two was a bit pink,
three was fine.

the clear laquer was a must i think - the finish before it looked kind of matt like on the photo and it looked weird.

the laquer brings it closer to rest of the cluster making it look more factory and smooth/glossy

[ImysE30]

Cheers

[konfuzion]

[ snip ]

the clear laquer was a must i think - the finish before it looked kind of matt like on the photo and it looked weird.

the laquer brings it closer to rest of the cluster making it look more factory and smooth/glossy

Depends how you spray it.. I didn't think about lacquer, but would be hard-pressed to tell what had / hadn't been sprayed IMO (FWIW.. only the indicator was, with 4 thin coats, the rest was masked up):



My old lights years back however, I screwed up and they looked more like sanded down plastic



Regards,

Ian

[stevemed]

as promised the finished product.



however:
i may change the clear sections (reverse light bit) back to its original and put some orange chrome look bulbs in and wire them up as indicators?!?

as people have suggested.

not sure though i thought i had read somewhere there is a legal distance on how close together indicators can be on cars? anyone heard of this?
if they were on the reverse lights that would make them only a bit bigger than the number plate apart!

is it legal ? and what would i rather get pulled for? - red lindicator ights or orange ones that are too close?

the average cop probs won't even know if there is a legal distance will they?

they do look good though imo

[Rav335uk]

Like mine and clear laquered too.

[oomz1975]

Like mine and clear laquered too.

I like those tails, did you tint them yourself?

[Rav335uk]

Yes mate.

[blackE30indy]

i wanna try this on mine to

[robsy]

as promised the finished product.



however:
i may change the clear sections (reverse light bit) back to its original and put some orange chrome look bulbs in and wire them up as indicators?!?

as people have suggested.

not sure though i thought i had read somewhere there is a legal distance on how close together indicators can be on cars? anyone heard of this?
if they were on the reverse lights that would make them only a bit bigger than the number plate apart!

is it legal ? and what would i rather get pulled for? - red lindicator ights or orange ones that are too close?

the average cop probs won't even know if there is a legal distance will they?

they do look good though imo

That DOES look good - need to lose your rear spoiler though to make it perfect IMO - convertibles dont look right with the M tech II Boot Spoiler

[MillwallSE14]

looks great for 6.90

think i might give this a go on mine