How much for smoking the tails

[CincinnatiZ]

So I called my buddy at the body shop. I told him that I want to smoke out both the tails and the 3rd brake light and I want them as black as the truck. He told me $100 to remove, smoke, and reinstall them. Is this a good deal?

 

[DwDrummer]

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! The 3rd brake light is the hardest to get out.

 

[KMeloney]

So I called my buddy at the body shop. I told him that I want to smoke out both the tails and the 3rd brake light and I want them as black as the truck. He told me $100 to remove, smoke, and reinstall them. Is this a good deal?

Since it's a buddy, I wouldn't nickel and dime him, but it'd be interesting to find out how much of the $100 is removal and reinstallation of the tail lights, since it's a 4-screw/five minute job...

Incidentally, can the tail lights be just SLIGHTLY smoked? Or, is there no such thing? I wouldn't mind mine just barely smoked (just enough to take the whitish edges out of the Denali lights)...

 

[UofMZ71]

yeah i want to do the same thing! ive been looking around, even at using a film tint. But i dont want it black just smoked to make it look clean!

 

[killer20072001]

You can make them whatever shade you want.

Here was a test run on a dodge junk headlight. Remind you there was no prep work done here and this headlight has been sitting on my porch for like 6 months.

Here is what my first set of tails looked like. This was about the same paint mix. Just 3 coats differance.

IMO $100 is to much for black paint, clear coat and practically no prep work. But $100 is the going rate these days. If you were close to me I would do $40.

 

[2000Yukon]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned VHT Nightshades.

 

[bigblue]

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! The 3rd brake light is the hardest to get out.

yeah at first it seems really hard..but once i got away from the forums, it is easy to figure out! lol

 

[CincinnatiZ]

My problem is its for an escalade, so if I mess up these LED tails im Effed. At least with my old tahoe I could pick up a new (used) lense for 30 bucks. Im going to leave painting to the pros. Ill have some pics up soon.

 

[CIATAHOE]

100 bucks is a good deal. The labor removing/ install is not really an issue, you can remove all 3 lights in 10 minutes. You just want to make sure that they paint them well, all clear coat with a few drops of black depending on the shade you want. I do them all day long, and my cost is more than 100 bucks by the time I pay my guys, paint, clear, buffing, etc.

You should do it...

 

[BOSS]

How much to smoke the tails...I'd say about $22.

You=remove the tails FREE
You=buy VHT Nightshades $14
You=buy a 6-pack of beer $5 + tax

Tinting your own tails, worth every penny...now that you learned, you can do every car you own
B