blacking out taillights
- Thread starter benbec01
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trdrun
New member
There are some smoked LED taillights available.
Best Deals on Eagle Eyes 01-02 4Runner LED Tail Lights - Smoke
Get it off ebay. I got mines at $125 i believe, but I personally liked the clear lens better.
Best Deals on Eagle Eyes 01-02 4Runner LED Tail Lights - Smoke
Get it off ebay. I got mines at $125 i believe, but I personally liked the clear lens better.
RunninInGA
New member
Read up on NightShades by VHT (I believe). I had a friend wh took his on another car to a paint shop. They laid a couple very light coats of black and then a clear and that looked really good.
There are two ways you could go about this. One wuld be to paint them, which would require taking them out and finding a suitable paint, I would guess they make a tinted clear coat you could find online or maybe at Vato Zone.
The second way would be to use a tinted film. We tint tail lights at work with a light smoked film, they are available from a variety of compaines. Install is pretty easy, cut the vinyl about twice the size of the light. Have two spray bottles, one with a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alk and water, the other with water and a little bit of baby shampoo. Spray both sides of the film with the water baby shampoo combo. Tack the film on the body of the runner above the tail light using the alk solution. Then stretch the film over the tail light and tack it down below the light. Use a tinters squeege to get the middle part of the film on the light. Then push the majority of the moisture out the sides of the light. Use a heat gun on the low setting and apply light heat while pushing the film around the rest of the tail light. Using the heat gun a squeege you will be able to shrink the film to fit the light. Use an Olfa or exacto knife (ALWAYS USE A FRESH BLADE) and trim slightly larger than the light. Use the heat gun again with a hard card and push the sides down. Everything should be heated and smoothed over. There will be some moisture still trapped under the film, dont worry it will dry out in a few days.
Or you could go and pay someone to do it. We charge about $60 to do two 4Runner tail lights.
The second way would be to use a tinted film. We tint tail lights at work with a light smoked film, they are available from a variety of compaines. Install is pretty easy, cut the vinyl about twice the size of the light. Have two spray bottles, one with a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alk and water, the other with water and a little bit of baby shampoo. Spray both sides of the film with the water baby shampoo combo. Tack the film on the body of the runner above the tail light using the alk solution. Then stretch the film over the tail light and tack it down below the light. Use a tinters squeege to get the middle part of the film on the light. Then push the majority of the moisture out the sides of the light. Use a heat gun on the low setting and apply light heat while pushing the film around the rest of the tail light. Using the heat gun a squeege you will be able to shrink the film to fit the light. Use an Olfa or exacto knife (ALWAYS USE A FRESH BLADE) and trim slightly larger than the light. Use the heat gun again with a hard card and push the sides down. Everything should be heated and smoothed over. There will be some moisture still trapped under the film, dont worry it will dry out in a few days.
Or you could go and pay someone to do it. We charge about $60 to do two 4Runner tail lights.
96743runner
New member
+1. If someone rear ends you, the other person can put you at fault for your blacked out tails. As already mentioned, look into the ebay ones available.
Gerdo
New member
Blacking out tail lights (with spray or covers) is actually illegal.
"347.13 Tail lamps and registration plate lamps. (1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle, mobile home or trailer or semitrailer upon a highway during hours of darkness unless such motor vehicle, mobile home or trailer or semitrailer is equipped with at least one tail lamp mounted on the rear which, when lighted during hours of darkness, emits a red light plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear. -[[[No tail lamp shall have any type of decorative covering that restricts the amount of light emitted when the tail lamp is in use.]]]- No vehicle originally equipped at the time of manufacture and sale with 2 tail lamps shall be operated upon a highway during hours of darkness unless both such lamps are in good working order. This subsection does not apply to any type of decorative covering originally equipped on the vehicle at the time of manufacture and sale."
SCRunner12
New member
I did mine with VHT, but very lightly. It basically just made the red a darker red rather than black. I like it a lot better than the all black some people do. I will get a picture up later to show you. It doesn't look factory, but I had an extra set of taillights that had scratches anyways. So I can switch to stock anytime I like.
The pictures as promised.
The pictures as promised.
Last edited:
Park
New member
I know that I am reviving a thread but I have info that could contribute to this discussion. The spray on Night Shades stuff at Autozone is removable. Just get a cloth with a little gas on it and rub it right off! Honestly I thought this was common knowledge but apparently I was mistaken....:ybrick:
ichambers
New member
I had used the nightshades stuff when i had my ford ranger, I only did like a coat or two but it looked good and there wasn't problem seeing the lights. I also had one of those ed bars that goes in the tailgate gap though for extra visibility, plus it looked cool! The trick is just to not get it too dark or splotchy. I have also seen where people mask parts of the light, but i think that only looks good if it flows with the cars natural lines to begin with.
A.Wilson013
New member
I almost rear ended a Charger with blacked out tail lights on the interstate yesterday. Idiot had them so dark you couldn't see his brakes.
