Completely Dark Rear Light Clusters ... NOT R32 ones.

[Strat]

hey guys,

i was thinking that my R32 'smoked' tail-lights aren't infact dark enough, especially with a black car the red seems to appear a maroon colour against the black paint. Iv seen a few cars dotted about, and im sure one was at the santa-pod meet (a black R32 i think), where they had completely black rear light clusters. anyone know where such an item can be bought from?

this is an example, although im sure they were much darker even than this:



Thanks!

[WhiteGTI]

I reckon in that photo above he has just put tinting film over the lights.

[Strat]

yeh he may have done, but that sort of thing is easily botched, i ideally want to buy one which is made as intended!

[WhiteGTI]

LOL, yeah that sort of thing is easily botched! I know full well! haha

[animal]

Tint spray is a bodge - I wouldn't consider Lamin-X to be a bodge. They are cut to size and give an even tint across the lights which is hard to achieve with tint spray. You're unlikely to get darker than R32 lights without going for some of nastier looking aftermarket lights. Worth bearing in mind also that after market lights rarely fit as well as OE ones, so surely tinting the originals is the best course of action? It's also a darn sight cheaper and easily reversable.

Just my 2 penneth.

[Strat]

Tint spray is a bodge - I wouldn't consider Lamin-X to be a bodge. They are cut to size and give an even tint across the lights which is hard to achieve with tint spray. You're unlikely to get darker than R32 lights without going for some of nastier looking aftermarket lights. Worth bearing in mind also that after market lights rarely fit as well as OE ones, so surely tinting the originals is the best course of action? It's also a darn sight cheaper and easily reversable.

Just my 2 penneth.

yeh thats really my question. are there any after market ones which are darker than the R32 ones before I explore this self-tinting lark. iv looked at a couple of places but can't seem to find some which are black all over the light unit>!?

any help with links? ... please!

[TurboTrev]

There are a few different designs out there, but I'm not aware of a standard cluster that is darker than the ED30/R32.  I would say lamin-x is the way forward, although I haven't personally used it.

[RunRabbit]

They're also illegal in that picture, the reflective area won't be effective enough and if you went even darker i'd expect to get pulled over by the police.

[WhiteGTI]

Lol Lamin-X is harder to apply than it looks/sounds!!!!!!

Mine were pre-cut too.

Guess I just don't have the skills dammit! 

[RunRabbit]

Lol Lamin-X is harder to apply than it looks/sounds!!!!!!

Mine were pre-cut too.

Guess I just don't have the skills dammit! 

Would probably be easier if they weren't precut, you then wouldn't have to line them up, just heat em up and put em on then cut the edges off

[VeeDubDan]

As well as R32/ED30 lights, Awesome sell smoked Hella units that look a shade darker perhaps.  Check out the link below and compare.  One point to note though is they are LHD so need a bit of rewiring.

http://www.awesome-gti.co.uk/product.php?xProd=7104&xSec=154

[Top Cat]

I took the laminex off my reflectors after the bodyshop i was getting some work done showed me some of there rear lights. they had all gone for this spray job on theres that had almost completely blacked out there lights. The look wasn't for me but it did look like they came like that, and i only got one coat of this stuff on my reflectors and they also look like the came from the factory tinted.   

[bennylenny88]

They're also illegal in that picture, the reflective area won't be effective enough and if you went even darker i'd expect to get pulled over by the police.

ive been pulled by the cops at night in my bora.. didnt say a word about the lights though