I want to change my tail lights out, i found some on ebay (i know, i know)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-...1%7C240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-...1%7C240%3A1318

I like the LEDs and the way they light up etc.. i do not however like the inner housing design, so here's what i was thinking.. the smoked ones dont look dark enough to hide the inner housing because they appear to be chrome inners w a smoked lense. so, I thought if I buy the black inner housing ones, and then smoke the lense myself it would be dark enough that they wouldnt look like crap, but instead like smoked LED tails. or, buy the smoked ones, and cut them open and paint the inners flat black.

I also found the inner trunk lights in the same LED pattern to match and those i would be buying in clear and smoking to match...

remember, these will be on a red IS which will eventually have black inner headlights, fogs, smoked side markers, and black rims.. to state the obvious im going ALL red and black on this car with the exception of the exhaust tip (canister is black, im ****, i know) and the brake discs

honest opinions please! dont hold back criticism, it doesnt matter as i dont like the lights as they are myself, nor have i made any purchases yet.

 

i think the second link looks cleaner and less plasticky... honestly they both remind me of something that would be on honda civics but thats just me. maybe if i could see a bigger pic... see if you can find a pic of a real iS with these on it and post it up...

 

Ummmmm , i think you should keep looking.

 

my opinion...

buy the aftermarket light w/ smoke lense, crack it open.

take the stock lights, crack it open. Paint the stock housing, flat black/glossy black or whatever you want. I had always thought about using "nightshades" spray tint over chrome, I thought it might give off a black chrome look, but I never tried.

Take the aftermarket lense, and stock housing. Put em together.

From there, find the best LED towers or whatever you want to call them and throw them in.

I wouldn't spray the stock/clear lense with the spray tint. After many tries, it just never looks right.


Now put the aftermarket housing (paint the chrome of course) and stock lense together, sell as "custom" LOL - but sell em cheap

Remember, just my opinion

Chris

 

I say stay away from these. If anything get the dark chrome JDM tails. If you really want LED tails check out AAC (Advanced Automotive Concepts). You can buy their tails and they offer a few options on LED and Halos for tail lights.

Check the vendor forum to contact them.

 

 

well, my factory tails are black inside kinda like black chrome i guess, what i want is flat black and i prefer the LEDs over the stock bulbs, however im not currently looking to spend what AAC wants for theres. i would eventually like to get the halos, but i need to replace the passenger side light so i figured in the meantime for 100$ i could do these

 

i think the light itself looks bad, no matter what you do to the lens or housing.
if you must do it use black housing and really dark lens.
Best thing with these it to just mod your OEM ones.
open em up, repaint em flat black, insert led bulbs, smoke lens, reseal.

 

i cant mod my oem ones cause the passenger side needs replaced

 

is your factory one cracked or something??

 

the 2 posts that hold the light onto the car (in addition to the 2 screws) snapped off when i ran over something on the highway that tore off my splash guards and there for screwed up my front bumper, wheel well liners, rad support, and pulled the rear bumper down off 2 bolts nearest the back right wheel well... the bumper was pulled down at the wheel well edge, and so the back corner of the bumper went upwards and pressed the light up until those 2 posts snapped off

 

ill probably just buy an OEM passenger light for the time being, i just hate to fix my cars w factory parts, i always use breaking stuff as an excuse to upgrade

 

I agree with the others, get OEM ones and paint it flat black.

 

i completely agree with you, i once used a minor fender bender as an excuse to have my entire car stripped down, dings and dents removed, and then entirely repainted. completely unnecessary, but the opportunity was there.

get a replacement passenger light and mod those.
I have a spare set of tail lights Ive been planning on modding 4 the SC.
My first attempt at modding them I "over-cooked" one of them in the oven too long, so I got a replacement from Aliga for cheap.
replacement for my replacements... sounds funny doesn't it

 

....
stock is best!