Does any one have any tips for restoring tail lights off a 67? The red lenses are in good shape but the black is faded and the crome is dull on the lens covers. The front grill is in the same shape but I havent got that off the car yet. Im hopeing for a process i can do at home. Thanks for any tips
restoring tail lights
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On the SSCC website there is a very complete "How To" posted by one of our members. You can find it at www.sscconline.com , under the "tech and features" button on the lefthand side. Good Luck
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Not a concours method but here's what I did for both the back AND the front.
Rear: The grills come apart from the housings with about 8 or so 3/8" nuts. I believe that's the right size. Clean up the lenses. Then I used fine steel wool to clean the black paint off the grills and it also cleaned up the chrome at the same time. Then I used very thin pinstriping tape to mask off the chrome teeth and sprayed it with etching trim paint so it bites into the metal. Peel off the tape to reveal the chrome.
I did the same on the front except I removed the headlight bulbs and buckets inside and did all those pieces separately. I used the same method of cleaning and masking only using slightly wider pinstriping tape. (That stuff comes in a whole bunch of widths.) It's even more important to use the etching paint on the front due to debris always trying to sandblast the stuff while you drive.
Bear in mind, this method is NOT for the restorer types and as a result, you'll only leave the fronts of the chrome teeth, chrome; rather than the sides of the teeth as well. I came up with this idea when I was toying with the idea of blacking out the entire thing, but was afraid that I wouldn't be able to go back if I didn't like it. If you do like it, you can just leave the tape on and it will stay black, provided you use black tape. People have asked me how did I get just the fronts of the teeth to be chrome???
Have Fun with this one!! It's very time consuming but worth it in the long run.
Mark
Rear: The grills come apart from the housings with about 8 or so 3/8" nuts. I believe that's the right size. Clean up the lenses. Then I used fine steel wool to clean the black paint off the grills and it also cleaned up the chrome at the same time. Then I used very thin pinstriping tape to mask off the chrome teeth and sprayed it with etching trim paint so it bites into the metal. Peel off the tape to reveal the chrome.
I did the same on the front except I removed the headlight bulbs and buckets inside and did all those pieces separately. I used the same method of cleaning and masking only using slightly wider pinstriping tape. (That stuff comes in a whole bunch of widths.) It's even more important to use the etching paint on the front due to debris always trying to sandblast the stuff while you drive.
Bear in mind, this method is NOT for the restorer types and as a result, you'll only leave the fronts of the chrome teeth, chrome; rather than the sides of the teeth as well. I came up with this idea when I was toying with the idea of blacking out the entire thing, but was afraid that I wouldn't be able to go back if I didn't like it. If you do like it, you can just leave the tape on and it will stay black, provided you use black tape. People have asked me how did I get just the fronts of the teeth to be chrome???
Have Fun with this one!! It's very time consuming but worth it in the long run.
Mark
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I pretty much did mine the same way as Local Hero did - - though I didn't use etching paint (and so, will probably get to do 'em again in a few years! *grrrrrrr*), and instead of using the tape on the front edge, I just dipped my fingertip in vaseline and slid it along the chrome edge, then painted 'em, and then wiped off the vaseline/paint after they dried (hey, it works...)
Not sure which would be more labor-intensive
: or how the vaseline would fare if etching paint was used...but I've found that vaseline is a restorer's friend in such matters...not to mention...ummm...no...'nuff said
Not sure which would be more labor-intensive
: or how the vaseline would fare if etching paint was used...but I've found that vaseline is a restorer's friend in such matters...not to mention...ummm...no...'nuff said
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Hey, SSCC uses vaseline too!!! wow...EVERYONE loves that stuff!!!
Thanks for the info guys. That vaseline trick reminded me that on the ship we would cover the name plate on machinery with grease and than spray the machine down with epoxy paint than wipe it off when it was dry so you could still see the name plate data
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Yeah Salty, I use the "vaseline trick" (no, the OTHER one ) quite a bit around the garage - I restored, polished, and painted an old brass fire extinguisher and even "painted" some vaseline on the label in a couple parts just to keep the brass paint-free.
I actually use it quite a bit - I think I used it also when repainting some stuff on the dash (oh yeah, on the front dash padding edge before I repainted 'em).
I think I've become a vaseline-a-holic in restoration work *L*
) quite a bit around the garage - I restored, polished, and painted an old brass fire extinguisher and even "painted" some vaseline on the label in a couple parts just to keep the brass paint-free.I actually use it quite a bit - I think I used it also when repainting some stuff on the dash (oh yeah, on the front dash padding edge before I repainted 'em).
I think I've become a vaseline-a-holic in restoration work *L*
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