Ugly tail lights
#1
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Car: '92 firebird
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42 gears with eaton posi
Ugly tail lights
alright, im not actually talking about the tail lights themselves, but the black plastic piece between the tail lights on my 92 bird where the license plate would go on a camaro. my problem is that it gets all chalky and isnt shiny anymore. is this something that can be buffed out so its shiny like the tail lights again? what products should i use?? btw, would have searched but i wasnt sure what to call this piece. thanks guys.
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Car: 86 Trans Am, 92 Firebird
Engine: 408 sbc, 3.1L of raw power
Transmission: TKO600, T5
Axle/Gears: Moser 9", 3:70 trutac, 3:23 torsion
if the chalking is caused by something on the center section, then yes it can be buffed. but the tail lights, especially TA tail lights are notorious for seperating, wheich causes a cloudy, light grey on black apperence. if so its junk and you need to get a new one.
pics would help
pics would help
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Car: '92 firebird
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42 gears with eaton posi
the tail lights themselves look brand new, but the piece between them with the bird emblem on it is what is getting chalky. i think its just from age or something. ill look through my pics and see if i have a good pic of it. (snowing outside and cars covered)
#4
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Car: '92 firebird
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42 gears with eaton posi
kind of bringing this back from the dead but im still curious. finally took some pics. what can i do to make this thing shiny like the tail lights again, (im assuming it was shiny to begin with correct me if im wrong)
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Car: 1991 Z28 convertible built 3/1/1990
Engine: Cammed 6.0L LSX
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: custom Ford 8.8", 4.10 gears
I believe others have sanded them with a very fine grit paper, like 1,000 grit. And then they finish it off by buffing them out with a Mother's Power Ball and some polishing compound.
#6
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A mild polishing compound, (like 3M) followed by some Imperial Hand Glaze should take care of that... keep it waxed, afterwards and it should hold up OK...
#7
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Car: 1986 Firebird
Engine: V6
Transmission: Automatic
Yours is still in pretty good shape. Other center pieces, like mine, look like it's marble if you know what I mean. If that was the case, you'd be pretty screwed.
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#8
Its just faded paint. Not much you can do about it if you want to keep it stock looking, meaning keep the firebird symbol. It helps a little bit to sand the outside with 400 grit, then 800, then 1000, then 1500/2000 then buff. The black will still be dull.
The black paint can be sanded off from the inside (along with the firebird symbol). But then its difficult to get the inside plastic sanded/polished perfectly. Any little scratch thats not removed from sanding the inside will show up when you repaint it as white streaks in the black paint.
I have a custom decal on my middle tailight section. I'm going to have it illuminated(using the red paint from the camaro red taillight mod). Since I can't get it perfect, I'm going to use VHT niteshade on the outside. It will appear all black.
So, VHT niteshade paint is an option, if you want it all black.
Of course do the VHT niteshade thing right. Sand it down to like 1000 grit, clearcoat it, then buff or do something similar. Could just use black paint too.
The black paint can be sanded off from the inside (along with the firebird symbol). But then its difficult to get the inside plastic sanded/polished perfectly. Any little scratch thats not removed from sanding the inside will show up when you repaint it as white streaks in the black paint.
I have a custom decal on my middle tailight section. I'm going to have it illuminated(using the red paint from the camaro red taillight mod). Since I can't get it perfect, I'm going to use VHT niteshade on the outside. It will appear all black.
So, VHT niteshade paint is an option, if you want it all black.
Of course do the VHT niteshade thing right. Sand it down to like 1000 grit, clearcoat it, then buff or do something similar. Could just use black paint too.
Last edited by Firebat; 02-07-2007 at 01:31 PM.
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Car: '92 firebird
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42 gears with eaton posi
Hey thanks for the input everyone. i think ill try the polishing compound and glaze first and see how that helps. if that doesnt work i guess ill have to break out the sandpaper. nice idea with the vht niteshade paint should look pretty cool when done.
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Car: 87 Formula/ 00 Xtreme
Engine: TPI 305/ v6
Transmission: struggling t-5/ 4l60E
Axle/Gears: 3.08/ 3.23
Some Meguiars body scrub and a little 'elbow grease' with a terrycloth towel will do wonders.
#13
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#14
How do I know the base model center taillight is just painted on the inside?
That pic was taken when I sanded only the inside where the paint was. Once I sanded down the outside, all the yellowish stuff disappeared and it became the same color as new plexiglass.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...taillight+bird
Last edited by Firebat; 02-09-2007 at 12:16 AM.
#15
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Originally Posted by Stuart S
The dullness is in the plastic on the outside.. those are not painted.
This is why reading comprehension is a good thing. The inside is painted, the outside is just plastic. Just like I stated above. The "chalky" look is on the outside. You even re-stated that here:
Red92Bird... the procedure I outlined initially, will cure your problem.
Please let us know how it works out for you...
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Car: '92 firebird
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42 gears with eaton posi
i just happen to have some polishing compounds and glaze here so im going to try that first, but im wondering how to remove it? does it just unbolt after removing the tail lights?
thirdgenbird, have any pics of the back of your car with the painted center piece?
thirdgenbird, have any pics of the back of your car with the painted center piece?
#17
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With the taillights off, the center piece has 2 bolts on either side...
If you are just going to polish it, there is no need to remove it, though...
#18
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Car: 1991 firebird
Engine: tbi 305
Transmission: 700r4
http://www.f150online.com/galleries/...778&anum=11632
my car is dark green so its alot less noticable than red would be, but i have seen it done on fourth gens as well and i really like it.
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 L03 TBI
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 4th Gen 10 bolt posi / 3.43
I just started buffing myself... I went to autozone, bought some Premium Grade Turtle wax rubbing compound (becoming obsessed with using it on EVERYTHING). I had an old nasty dull looking set of 91' maro tail lights and started practicing on them. They look almost like new now. If this cell phone pic shows up well look how shiny and glossy the inside black peice on the grid looks.
#20
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Car: '92 firebird
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42 gears with eaton posi
Ok well i tried polishing it today and im extremely happy with the results. i used 3m perfect it III rubbing compound on a rag and followed it with 3m perfect it III machine glaze. this stuff is probably more designed to be used with an electric buffer but it worked great!
here are some pics and thanks for the tips everyone. i could have gotten it a little better i think especially if i had taken the piece off the car but these are my results after about 15-20 mins of work.
btw the little white specs in the pics are just lint
here are some pics and thanks for the tips everyone. i could have gotten it a little better i think especially if i had taken the piece off the car but these are my results after about 15-20 mins of work.
btw the little white specs in the pics are just lint
#21
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Car: '92 firebird
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42 gears with eaton posi
Also, i noticed the paint on the door handles get chalky and gross looking. gave them the same treatment and heres what i came up with. before and after.
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