# painting tail lights red, experiences?
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [March 29, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371 "2010-03-29T10:17:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Karter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Karter)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/1 "2010-03-29T10:17:15Z")
okay, I bought some stock tails for my truck, but they are pretty beat up. the truck has really nice condition clear altezzas, so needless to say I want to paint them red.
I looked online and they seem to reccomend testors transluecent candy red, or plastikote of the same variety.
I looked at a bunch of how tos, but would like to hear / see first hand experiences.
The truck will be in a garage all winter so im not overly worried about the paint flaking in winter, but how does it hold up to powerwashing? and normal buffalo elements ?
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### Author:  [@LUKE\_L](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LUKE_L)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/2 "2010-03-29T12:03:35Z")
You need to use a translucent red on the clear plastic. Testors is an enamel so it should hold up pretty well. If you are worried about it flaking off I would look into using a polyurethane (PUR) clear coating over that for durability.
You could find a PUR clear and add a red tint. That will hold up better than the enamel.
I would go with the any exterior translucent paint for plastic.
Another idea would be to remove the lens and paint the inside…?
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### Author:  [@Mr\_T](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mr_T)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/3 "2010-03-29T12:20:00Z")
> [@LUKE\_L](#):
>
> You need to use a translucent red on the clear plastic. Testors is an enamel so it should hold up pretty well. If you are worried about it flaking off I would look into using a polyurethane (PUR) clear coating over that for durability.
>
> You could find a PUR clear and add a red tint. That will hold up better than the enamel.
>
> I would go with the any exterior translucent paint for plastic.
>
> Another idea would be to remove the lens and paint the inside…?
this!.. used the testors red translucant on my old civic tails and it looks awesome, people always asked me where I bought my tail lights. it holds up great if you clear it.
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### Author:  [@Karter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Karter)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/4 "2010-03-29T12:21:20Z")
who carrys the testors locally?
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### Author:  [@Mr\_T](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mr_T)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/5 "2010-03-29T12:25:31Z")
> [@Just Karter](#):
>
> who carrys the testors locally?
local hobby stores should have It I got mine at the hobby store by the galleria mall.
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### Author:  [@fiend540](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fiend540)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/6 "2010-03-29T12:54:08Z")
What about using Laminex, I’m pretty sure they make it in red.
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### Author:  [@95dime](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95dime)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/7 "2010-03-29T13:50:12Z")
stained glass paint from a craft store?
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/8 "2010-03-29T14:23:41Z")
I’ll second Laminex. High quality product.
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### Author:  [@airhead](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/airhead)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/9 "2010-03-29T14:35:04Z")
I used Testors candy apple red on the amber part of my Jetta tails and it looked amazing. After about 4-5 years it started to fade. The car was stored winters but left out all summer. I just bought the car back, I’m going to toss the old tails and do a new set up since they’re cheap enough.
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### Author:  [@JustinH](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JustinH)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/10 "2010-03-29T15:06:46Z")
For what a set of aftermarket ebay lights costs that are already red, I doubt it will be worth the time to paint them back, and you won’t get the same light output as you would with a stock light.
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### Author:  [@Karter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Karter)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/painting-tail-lights-red-experiences/152371/11 "2010-03-29T15:43:25Z")
> [@JustinH](#):
>
> For what a set of aftermarket ebay lights costs that are already red, I doubt it will be worth the time to paint them back, and you won’t get the same light output as you would with a stock light.
the light output was an issue I was worried about. dont really want to spend 50$ on a pair of tails tho. I spent too much this month already haha.