Thread: Advice on Tinting/Clearing Reverse Bar

I'm about to go pick up some Rustoleum lense tint and clear coat to tint and clear the gross, oxidized reverse bar on my '05, and probably clear coat the third brake light while I'm filling the spoiler with expanding foam. I've got a few questions though if anybody has some advice for me, as this is my first time doing any painting on a car past touch-ups.

I'm assuming I should sand the reverse bar and brake light before doing any painting to remove oxidation and other crap, but when else should I sand the lights? I believe I've mostly seen people sand after all the tint is laid down, and after every clear coat. Should I sand the last coat as well? I've got a polishing attachment and some polishing compound for a dremel so I'll polish them up afterwards, I'm aiming for a factory level of gloss.

Any suggestions on sandpaper grit? I'm going to pick up some 1000, but maybe I should wetsand at the end?

And how many layers of tint would you personally go on the reverse bar? My rear windows are tinted at 20% so I don't want to cut out too much light, but I'm not leaving the little reflectors exposed because it looks a bit silly. I do have bright LED reverse lights ATM from Diode Dynamics, similar to the Cree's with a high power LED facing forward and four on the sides.

I plan on taking my time with this so not urgent by any means, I've just seen a lot of variance with how people do their work. If only Flip still painted :/

get some 1200 grit wet sand papre, peppys has it, some prep spray, your tint the clear. and rubbing compound.

remove it from the car, wash it, then wet sand with warm soapy water, dry it off, tape it off if need be the back edges not sure what it looks like, you may not need to tape it off.

set your light up so its in a way you dont have to move it to paint it. spray the edges first, then 50% over lap with each pass, so for a 3 inch light bar two passes will be one coat. keep the can the same distance from the part, and keep the same speed as well.

let it dry 10 minutes or what ever the can says, and repeat till its dark enough for your taste, 2 coats is see through still 3 will black it out good.

once your tint is on let it dry the wait time, then clear coat it as per the cans directions. let it dry for at least 24 hours, then wet sand again with the 1200 grit paper with warm soapy water till its smooth, then your gonna buff the fine scratches out with the compound. and its done.

edit: the prep spray, after you wet sand the light, and mask it off if need be, then hit it with the prep spray, this will remove all your greasy finger prints. then start to tint. and so on.

I really appreciate the walkthrough on this, I feel a lot more confident having some laid out directions. I picked up all the supplies and got home a few minutes ago, so time to get crackin.

I'll take a few before and after pictures and report back in a day or two with how it went. If everything goes well (which I expect at this point), maybe I'll go ahead and paint the tail lights over the next weekend or two when I get a chance

The good thing is you put the tailights back on in a hour later.

When u get it done take a picture I wanted to black my my reverse bar too I wanna know how it looks

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I did mine a while ago. I beleive it was 3 coats on the reverse and 3rd brake. but it also was my first time tinting so I may have been heavy on the coats. I used vht nightshades and I forgot exactly what brand of clear. One thing I want to mention is that I put the lights inside my house for 22-24 hours before I went to wetsand, but it was still soft enough that I ended up working through the clear on one area. Again, it was my first time doing this, so I may have been too aggressive on the sanding, but if I did it again I would set it up so I could wait another day and be more careful. The lights didn't seem tacky or anything when I did it

But I am happy with the gloss I got and definitely with the result I saw afterwards. Good luck!


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Also, light output suffered a lot on the reverse bar. But as far as my tails go you can still see them clearly in the daytime and so far I haven't had any trouble whatsoever from officers


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id put a stencil over the lens and then tint it so you can have reverse lights that sorta work, but look cool.

my regal has white slots in a square area's of the center tail light. so i masked them off tinted, then took the tape off, and cleared over it all.

2 light coats and 5 coats of clear, they sat for 3 days before i wet sanded them. i had a work trip so it worked out.

i did these over 3 years ago now i think, still look the same as day one. they do get the buffer when i do the car.

You may want to invest in some high power LED rev bulbs, I got some 60w ones off fleabay for like 32 bucks. Assuming they take the same bulb as a 97-03.

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I just bought these 7 dollar ones on amazon I'm an 06 they don't do **** for the drive but atleast people can see when you put your car into reverse

what they looked like factory. just dull plain red crap.


damn i glad i fixed that bumper, these pics are hard to look at for me lol dont mind the long ass tips. that was my brother trying to be funny, hes like hey!!! i got some chrome tips for ya. and thought he meant good ones cause he seemed happy, and he shows me this lol


i also replaced this center section of tail light, as its cracked. the replacement was no better looking, but not cracked of course. its what got tinted.



snagged this one for 20 whole dollars, even took the harness for the lights and truck lock....lol morads wants 50 or more for just the lens.

Originally Posted by theaceofspades

I just bought these 7 dollar ones on amazon I'm an 06 they don't do **** for the drive but atleast people can see when you put your car into reverse

stock bulbs all around. i can see! you dont want to even know how many bulbs are back there at 6 bucks for 2 local here. costly little bastards.

For what's it's worth might want to stop by a local body shop and ask them how much they would charge to tint it and have them do it. That way it's done right and shouldn't effect light output.

im gonna do 2 light coats on my fogs, fast and light. thinking it should look ok. may get some hid's for them too.

What about plastic dip? Would that work

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Originally Posted by rafael802

What about plastic dip? Would that work

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plastdip is not transparent, so no, unless u leave peak a boo squares so the light can pass, but i still wouldnt do that, VHT all day