Smoked my tail lights.
Disclaimer: For offroad use only!!!!!

First.... You need to get some tail lights...

Second.... Take some 1500 (or higher) sandpaper and sand them down. wet sanding is the best but make sure to tape off all the parts that arent getting sanded so no water dripps anywhere it shouldnt.



Third.... wipe down with a soft cloth to remove all the dust and water. (the one on the left is sanded... and the one on the right is not)


Fourh.... Spray with you choice of smoking agent (I used VHT). Make sure you do extremely lights coats.... Remember you can always go darker... its very hard to go lighter. I sprayed them with about seven coats waiting 15 minutes in between.


Fifth... let dry for about three hours. Then sand them again with 1500 sandpaper (I dry sanded this time because i didnt know if water would mess it up or not)

Sixth.... wipe down again with a soft cloth.

Seventh.... spray them with your coice of clear coat. I used three medium coats and waited 15 minutes between coats. Let dry overnight.


Eighth.... spray with your choice of cleaner and wipe down to see if the paint cured.

Big problem though.... they are too dark!! Im going to tinker with them, sand them somemore, and polish them up. hopefully they will lighten up... If not I will lightly smoke my factory taillights.




This is just with the lights on without the brake lights.... but my guess is that the lights will not be bright enough.
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Nice truck and all, but we have a little saying around here..

"Lets darken our tailights so we can get rear-ended, and then smoke the headlights so we cant see where we're going, and then, to finish it, lets tint the windsheild too, you know, finish the effect"

Sorry. Awesome truck, really..

MGJ

It is a very nice truck HOWEVER. In NJ it's a problem w/ these tail lights. Everything from caravans to civics, etc of some weird lights. You can't see the blinkers, stoplights, etc. Then when they want to get over and you didn't know if because you can't even see the lights they wonder why I'm being an ass. I love your truck, the whole tail light mod thing always erked me though..

Okay... I think i might strip these down and do them about half as dark... I love the dark look but it is illegal. I did have a cop directly behind me at a red light... but he looked like he was more interested in his computer and cell phone, than my truck.

Here is a pic... during the day... I added some reflective tape (and took some of my numerous sitckers off the back).

I have smoked a lot of things in my life, but never lights...

I think it makes the X look good, but how does it make it better for offroading?

I wonder how your tail lights would look with a deep blue tint, to match your X? Would probably cause your break lights to go purple though, hehe. You have a real nice looking Xterra though, no doubt bout that.

i smoked my tails and it came out great with the niteshade. you have to wet sand and polish after the niteshade is completely dry. mine looked as dark as those but afterward they are as smooth as stock. they are much more visible after sanding and polishing. 1500 grit and then 2000 wet sanded. use meguiars plastx for 5 coats. polish 2-3 times after til smooth