Thread: Went back to "stock" lookin tail lights...

Before (a few moths ago):
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...z/DSC01617.jpg
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...heYanz/GTP.jpg


Now:
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/.../DSC057462.jpg
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...z/DSC05745.jpg
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...z/DSC05747.jpg


I mean to me it did start lookin' kinda generic & cheap with the smoked taillights (They looked good in person when they were clean. In the before pic there was considerable morning condensation). Plus I have this whole red & black thing goin' on now & sh*t any more red stuff I can add especially from the back will go a long way. I photoshopped what it would look like & it was a no doubter Sanding off all the clear coat & VHT took a bit of time. i did it all by hand & when I was completely done I used some of the remaining materials from the Rain-X headlight restorer kit i bought & used on my GF's Eclipse GT headlights. That stuff rocks!! Good stuff Any thoughts/ comments?

Also... Anyone know where I can get a set of the plastic smoked tail light lenses u can just kinda put/ clip on? I saw them on a GTP a few years ago in Streamwood, IL on some dude's driveway in an area we were working in. I'd like the option of being able to switch back & forth but I don't want anything permanent & I don't want the window tint type junk...

PS I like it being more "legal" not that I care but it doesn't hurt & also there's the safety issue. I was ALWAYS freakin' out some assh*le was gonna plow into my rear bumper any time I would slow down or approach a turn. I would ALWAYS watch the rear view as I turned. I went light on the VHT & didn't over do it too much. It was just hard to see during the day. Plus I have my rear Limo tint under the rear top brake light...

I went light on my tails cause i was worried too and ive driven behind my car down the road during the day and night to make sure they had plenty of light coming out and honestly i felt like it wasnt hindered at all.

But anyway nice job on the cleanup! they look good.

whats wrong wiht your. get led tails!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Doug 97 gtp

whats wrong wiht your. get led tails!!!!!!!!

That's not even a complete thought.

OP: These look great. I've done the same thing. Polished stockers.

Do you people drop out of school?

Or even if you are using a phone, re-read what you are saying to people?

The **** I read on here boggles the mind.

lol

Hahaha! I know a guy like that He just gets lazy is all. LEDs? Bullsh*t! I tried a set of LED bulbs in after the very 1st time I went smoked (Did it a 2nd time much lighter a few months after my 1st attempt years ago). IMO the light output was WORSE! Perhaps the bulbs weren't that good but during the day I'd be weary of LED bulbs for my tail lights. Hey burgundybullet, are those stock torque star rims painted black? I have a set of those that are just the polished variety & kind of blah. I bought a sweet set of stock chrome Grand Am rims off eBay & was considering the idea of painting the old rims black so when I switch the chrome rims for the winter it looks somewhat flashy. Those old rims, although kind of clean & respectable, look like boring crap. Black would be pretty nice. U paint those or take 'em somewhere? If that is what they are...

He wasnt saying LED bulbs. He was saying actual LED tails. The light output is undisputed.

Actually the stock polished torque stars rims are the ones below in my Sig Pic. I mean they look alright but I dunno. If I did paint them black then I might have to think of a temporary tail light tinting solution for the winter. Then the entire thing would be blacked out with the minor red accents. Would look pretty crazy... Perhaps a used set of tail lights would work for that. Tint those & switch whenever I wanted to

Just get some LED tails and you wont have to worry about light output if you lightly tint them. 97-03 Pontiac Grand Prix Euro LED Tail Lights - Smoked
And just tape off the reflector like some of us did and it should give you the red that you want.

i was using my phone and i guess it didn't type. what i meant to say is there something wrong with your paint it look faded in some areas. but led tails are awesome with light output even if you tint them they still have more output than the stockers.

Aah... See I was kinda assuming something like that (about actual LED tails vs bulbs). I've seen nice, newer higher end cars with stock LED tails. They ARE bright. But $200 for all that jazz? Eh maybe in the future but I think I'm set. Lol, my paint? Well in the pic most of what u see is dirt & filth. The car does get quite filthy quickly in the NW IL suburbs & riding to Chicago & back frequently for work. However that's not the original factory paint job the car came with. The car was a nasty bronze mist crap originally. I hated it! I DIY painted it with some Rustoleum high gloss house paint from Home Depot a few Falls ago. Not the spray paint but the big $30 gallon or whatever. I used those sponge brushes to paint it after sanding down the clear coat. It came out alright. Not too shabby. Much better than those cars kids paint with non gloss paint that look ghetto as hell, Lol! Yes it does have some imperfections but sh*t for $30 & a few hours of d*cking around in the garage? I'll take. Besides, I have nice HIDs, HID fogs, a grille kit, decals, chrome rims, & nice tires. The paint's fine for now... I'm gonna look into finding some stuff I can mix with the paint to make it not as sticky & thick. I think it would come out a LOT better if I could take my time with it if I decide to redo it.

See here's how it looked in '08 I think. Had the car since the summer of '05...

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...Yanz/GTP-1.jpg