Bodywork On A 1988 Chevy Camaro

Taillight Tech

While we were working on the Camaro at Chino High School, former student Mario Wingate gave us a great custom tip on how to "smoke" our taillights and give them a tinted look. He even offered to help us do it. As you can probably guess, we accepted his help.

You can see the stock taillight in his hands. First, Mario wet-sanded the whole taillight with some 1500-grit paper, which gave it just enough scuff for the clear to stick to.
You can see the stock taillight in his hands. First, Mario wet-sanded the whole taillight
Once the lens was dry and cleaned, we went into the spray booth and Mario used a tack cloth to clean any excess dirt, fiber, etc.
Once the lens was dry and cleaned, we went into the spray booth and Mario used a tack clot
Here is the secret. Mixed into the clearcoat is a small amount of black paint. Mario made several light passes with the spray gun. With each succeeding pass, the lenses gradually got darker, giving them a "smoked" look. The key is to make several light passes. If you get them too dark, you will have a miserable time sanding all the clear off and starting again. After he smoked the lenses, he then sprayed them with a regular clearcoat to give them some shine and protect the color.
Here is the secret. Mixed into the clearcoat is a small amount of black paint. Mario made

Here you can see the lenses drying in the booth. Let them cure for about 24 hours before you touch them. The clearcoat is soft and you can easily leave a fingerprint.
Here you can see the lenses drying in the booth. Let them cure for about 24 hours before y
Last, but not least, is the finished product installed on the Camaro. It looks fantastic and adds to the overall color scheme of the car. Thanks Mario!
Last, but not least, is the finished product installed on the Camaro. It looks fantastic a

SOURCES
SLP Performance 1501 Industrial Way N Tom's River NJ 08755	Toyo Tires 6261 Katella Avenue, Suite 2B Cypress CA 90630 8-00/-678-3250 www.toyo.com