I've explained this alot of times but i thought i'd write a clean explanation on how to "red-out" your tails. This really goes out to all the 95/96 owners who want to at least get rid of the ugly ambers on their tails. This process requires some effort but is worth it in the end. There are 2 ways to red them out... using red tape or painting them. This is how to use the tape. Of course the real red/clears look great but this is a pretty simple $3 cosmetic mod!

Things you need:

-HeatGun or BlowDryer (heatgun works better)
-Soapy water (water mixed w/ dishwasher fluid works)
-Red Translucent Vinyl Tape (can be purchased at a hobby store... one sheet would be enough to cover both ambers; $3 per sheet)
-something flat and hard... a credit card works perfect

Procedures:

1. Wash/Clean both tails so that there isn't any dirt on em

2. Now, apply LOTS of soapy water on the tails... let it run down, it doesn't matter, but they need to be wet as you apply the tape. The reason for the soapy water is to avoid any air bubbles or having the tape annoyingly stick onto the surface where u don't want it to be.
3. Now place the tape on the ambers and position it. With the water under the tape, you will be able to move the tape and adjust it properly.

4. After adjusting it, use the credit card to squeeze out the water underneath. Start from the middle, then move outwards. Keep scraping the top of the tape so that the water underneath will squeeze out from the ends of the tape. Don't worry, the adhesive will still be 100% sticky.

5. Now that you've squeezed out as much as u can on the most flat surface and the tape is stuck to the ambers, you will realize that u have to do the outwards of the ambers where they curve. For this to be done properly, use your heatgun/blowdryer to heat the tape so that it "melts" or become softer and stretchable.

6. As you heat up the curved parts of the tape, stretch the tape out as hard as you can w/o ripping it hopefully to wrap around the curve and not form any air bubbles. CAUTION: Don't burn your fingers!

7. After doing a satisfactory job w/ the tape stuck to the ambers, use an exactoknife or razor to cut the excess tape off. CAUTION: Don't cut yourself in this process.

Voila! No more ambers.

As you read this instructions, you may start to realize this is EXACTLY how tinting windows are done. Basically you are doing a tint job on your ambers. Good luck!

References:

Here's a website that show's you how to red out the tails on an RSX... but it's the same process provided w/ pics. For fun... can you see a reflection of the maxima on the body of the RSX??
- Visual Instructions (RSX)

Pics of the red out done on my superblack '96
- http://npx1.cjb.net

 

That is an awesome idea!

I'm adding this to the FAQ!

 

That looks tight! Great writeup also.

 

WOW...that looks good. I might just sell my clear reds and try this instead.

 

i still like clear/reds...

Ant

 

I used Testors red translucent paint ($4). It has the same exact effect.


Dave

 

Wow, thanks a lot for the idea, I think I am gonna do this next weekend.

 

Whoa, what about using this tape on the regular all clear lenses on the bottom half to make it half red half white? Perhaps better than paint? I mean if it doesnt match, you just put a piece on the inner light also. ANy opinions?

 

pretty cool Idea. creative too. good job man!

Kevin

 

Nice mod but wont this mod be illegal under DOT because it has to emit an orange color? Course I really have no idea just wondering.....

 

No, I have thought about this one for a while, I dont see how this could be illegal, as many cars have red rear turn signals stock. My dads old Chevy Caprice comes to mind (just an example, there are tons others.)

 

Yea its completely legal as long as the reverse lights are white so getting the tails to be all red or "candied" is hard unless you install seperate reverse lights somewhere else. Think about it this way, almost all domestic cars don't use ambers where as all imports do.

 

That's a good write-up. Nice to see someone stickin up for the 95-96s Though that tape seems to be noticably darker red than the stock lower portion....dave, does your paint match a little more closely? Or does anyone know of any tape that matches better?

 

and if a cop REALLY gives you **** about it... peel 'em off in front of him.

 

would this work on the clear outer tails that are available for 95-96s? Or would it turn pink?

 

I'd go w/ skeelo's advice and put the red tape on the inside too. Also, you can probably get red bulbs. Enough layers of Red tape, and it will come out the red you need.

 

I think that yours look good enough. I checked into the all-clear prices- NOT worth it!

Good job, Nadir...

 

Thanks

I'm gonna attempt this red-out again because I didn't have access to a heatgun. I ended up using a blowdryer and gave up w/ a couple bubbles in the corner. The next time i do this, I'll take pics of each step.

Lemme know how your red-outs come out! good luck

 

i'm bored and have my old stock lights sitting around...so i want to try this to see if i like it better than my altezzas(no comments needed please). anyways, i've been to art stores and a weird game/hobby store and no luck finding the tape. anyone know specific store chains that carry it or where i could look?

 

i actually went and picked some up today. from what i can tell the proper name for it is transparent vinyl film, at least that's what the roll i got is called. you can get many different colors. i bought it at one of those train/hobby stores...very weird places if you ask me. the roll i got is 6 feet long and was $16.99. I'll let you guys know how the "install" goes.

 

I dunno, I remember someone thought about this idea a year or so ago and inquired about it on the org. People thought he was dumb, and they thought it would make the Maxima look like a "cheap American car" or something along those lines. A few other comments followed after that.

I just want to really thank u nadir for typing up a writeup with real results.

 

Turdz,

I think that this would look fantastic on your Ruby-red Max. One of my favorite colors of the max....

 

Is there any way to keep the emitted light that amber color?

 

lol, thanks for the compliment. I've grown to love this color also. But actually, I already have some red/clears...DavidL's. But they were crappily made. I'm not b*tching, but I've noticed that a lack of quality when the red paint was sprayed. They're overspray dripping inside the lens, and it doesn't match right. I remember another member just recently painted their own clears. Those look awesome.

 

I think that's the whole reason why a lot of people like myself are trying this method for getting all red and clear tails...I haven't seen any aftermarket red/clears that match up to the stock colors well. That on top of the fact they're ten times the cost of the vinyl film helped me make my decision. Besides, if the film makes it look like a cheap American car, I can just peel it off.

 

that is a great idea! - at first i was thinking it would look ghetto, but those pictures look perfect to me.

 

look good to me but i think you should also go over the part that was red initially just to make it all look even. Right now the top looks darker.

 

actually that was me...with a different username...and i did the mod way back then...and i was supposed to post pics but i never got the chance and forgot about it...first i taped it on...but it kept peeling off cuz i didn't use the glue gun that was suggested...and then i went to transparent paint and i love it...looks better than the amber...i got it at a hobby store for like 4 bux...it's a spray can...and then i just covered the back part up with seran wrap...but i got like tiny drops of paint on the car and then i got a hot towel and rubbed it HARD and eventually it came off (so relieved)...but i would suggest the paint..imo, it looked better than the tape

 

this guy has the tape, specify that you need them for maximas.
box@curtisfong.org

and in his pictures of the Acura RSX he did are red, but illuminate amber. go here for a pic by pic, step by step process.
http://www.4sided.com/rsx

 

ahh thank you....i can't believe i missed that on the write up page. i might consider painting if the tape looks cheap...but in the mean time i'll try this out.

didn't i see a pic of redded out gen1 altezza's before? i wonder if this was used or it was painted?

 

i emailed him.... $12 shipped for a big sheet of it. is it worth this much guys? i wish i could just find some in a local store.

 

does the vinyl stay on

 

Did you try the local hobby stores?? I will go and check it out and see how much it is now and where are the other possible stores are. Just call ure local hobby stores and ask em if they have "transparent vinyl tape/film" .

 

i only find it in little thin strips, unlike the one shown on that page where it is a big sheet that can be cut to fit perfect without any overlapping lines.

 

ah no, not those. those are used for covering up cracks and stuff on broken tails. You can only find it at a hobby store. I've got to go get carbon-fiber vinyl tape from there anyways, ill check it out for u.

 

ok guys, thought i would share my experience with this. i tried the vinyl film today with sorta mixed results. on the flat part of the tail light it looks awesome! the color match is PERFECT and you can't tell it's got a film on it, even up close. the bad part is, getting the rounded part to look good was a B*TCH!!! i started out using a hot hair dryer and it worked just OK, but was taking forever. so i went to the heat gun, which was a little easier. it got the film hot enough to smooth out the corner, but i never could get the film to adhere real tightly at the front edges of the light. it looks like the first time i take a pressure washer to it the film is going to peel right off. which will be very annoying, because it took a long time to get it looking good.

another warning about the heat gun...i was being as careful and slow as i could with this thing, and i still got the platic hot enough to deform my taillamp just a bit. it's not obvious, but if you run your hand over it you can feel a dip in the plastic. aaarrgghhh!!! also, the black plastic trim right around the lamp kind of looks aged now due to the heat.

all in all, i would recommend just waiting for the real deal from custommaxima or someone else.

 

OH MY GOD, this red/clearing ish is hot but did u guys see his blinker video?! oh my god, when i get my new max, nadir i need u to tell me how to do that. It blinks so hot.

FRONT SIDE FRONT SIDE FRONT SIDE, i'll post video here after posting this

 

http://snow.prohosting.com/nspx1/maxima/video.htm

 

That's not hard to do...

Cut the ground wire for the side light. Splice it into the positive wire for the blinker. Done.

 

member (Requin6) posted they got paint from here if anyones interested...for under $5...not bad. http://www.testors.com/Product.asp?product%5fid=RC271