Tailight paint restoration?

[Fidalgo911S]

I did a search and came up empty handed. Can the black paint around the edge of the taillights be restored? As you can see in the picture the paint has pulled away from most of the border. The area directly below the reverse light is intact and looks like it should.

I tried Dupont self-etching primer without success. Does anyone have a better idea?

[zrdstr3]

I did mine with a big black permanent marker after I removed the original paint,most of it was peeling anyway. Still was not happy with the results even though the taillights looked 100 % better. I had amber euro tails and replaced them with red ones I bought from our host. I bought the reproductions and replaced the gaskets and now it looks good.

[Kemo]

i tried to paint some black rustoleum enamel with a small paint brush...no luck. Still looked like crap. I have resigned myself to just buying another lens, which i havent done yet.

[911 in SC]

Originally posted by zrdstr3
I did mine with a big black permanent marker after I removed the original paint,most of it was peeling anyway. Still was not happy with the results even though the taillights looked 100 % better. I had amber euro tails and replaced them with red ones I bought from our host. I bought the reproductions and replaced the gaskets and now it looks good.

Do you still have your euro tails? Care to sell them? If so, e-mail me or PM me!

I masked mine off and sprayed the back side of the taillight trim, and I think they turned out great. Looks like they did when new.

Mike

[Long Nose]

I heard that using black "testors" model paint works well.

Thats the enamel paint you buy at Toys R Us for the little models. You can get black high gloss enamel and a little paint brush and just hand paint the black paint on.

It also works for the silver trim around the lights, as there is a nice silver leaf paint.

[Tim Hancock]

I masked mine off, lightly sanded then painted with satin black rattle paint and they still look great two years later. Prior to painting, I carefully buffed the lenses with buffing compound and they looked d@mned near new afterwards.

If you paint, make sure to get them CLEAN and lightly sand to give the paint something to stick to!

[Fidalgo911S]

I'll try the Testors paint with a light sanding prior to application. I'll post results. The gloss paint may be the ticket.

[zrdstr3]

Mike, both of my old euro tails were cracked so I tossed them.

[911 in SC]

I understand. Thanks anyway!!!

Here's a link where I cleaned my taillight assemblies and painted the trim on the lenses. I painted the BACK SIDE of the lenses satin black. I think they look great, although I wish they were Euro lenses...

taillights

Hope this helps,
Mike

[fastfredracing]

I used SEM trim black with a light sanding, it worked great, this is an awesome product, and it is self etching, most body shop supply places carry it.

[SCWDP911]

I have a set of euro lenses on my 83 sc. I bought them from someone else. At some point, someone tried to clean up that black edge, but got some overspray inside the the lens all over - just little tiny specks here and there. They do not impede the light at all, but still, I know it is there and it bothers me. I hate to think of the only way to clean being invidually and carefully scraping off each spec of paint. Is there a better way that does not affect the plastic on the lens or that ribbed surface? Would a 1200 wet sand followed by compound and plastic polish be OK to try? My lenses are orginal Bosch units and do have some slight "spiderwebbing" within the plastic if you look closely, but no cracks...

Thanks - hope this is not to far from your original post to be a hijacked thread

[haycait911]

I sanded the black off with 400 grit wet, that got the edges to clear plastic, and then painted the edges with acrylic enamel auto paint. I did red because I like the look, Don.

[greenkaw]

masked & spray-bombed mine over the winter & wasnt that happy with it. Unless you remove all the old paint or the new paint matches perfectly, you can see the difference between the two areas.