Jimmy Mac 1999 SC300
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,220
Likes: 14
From: IL
Car looks great. And your old white one is looking fantastic as well with that black accent on the bumper.
Are you keeping the 95-96 blacked out tails or putting on the 97+ ones?
Also, I see your wheels are for sale. What new wheels did you end up going with?
Are you keeping the 95-96 blacked out tails or putting on the 97+ ones?
Also, I see your wheels are for sale. What new wheels did you end up going with?
the blue one IS my old white one. The white sc400 in the pictures is a car I bought a year ago and sold to my painter. It used to be green but now it's Ultra white.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,220
Likes: 14
From: IL
Also, I'd consider putting on non-blacked out tails on your car. I think the 97+ ones would look great and the chrome trim would really pop with the color.
Yes, that's what I was referring to. I remember you mentioning that on your last thread about the black SC that you sold.
Also, I'd consider putting on non-blacked out tails on your car. I think the 97+ ones would look great and the chrome trim would really pop with the color.
Also, I'd consider putting on non-blacked out tails on your car. I think the 97+ ones would look great and the chrome trim would really pop with the color.
Don't get me wrong, I like new stuff too, but that's a waste of money. The only argument I can make for brand new taillights is if the reverse sections were not yellowed and pure white. But every new set of lights I've seen pictures of also looked yellow to me.
I may be wrong because I have not seen new lights in person, but on pics they all look yellow, used or new. I can correct any set of lights to look absolutely brand new to have not a single scratch, swirl mark, hologram, nothing. Good enough for me. A little yellow aint never hurt nobody.
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Jimmy, I would not worry about having crystal clear lenses one bit. We correct taillights on every single car that we work on. They usually swirl up and scratch VERY easily as no car company uses a hard protective coating on the lenses like they do on the front lights. So every car needs them to be polished, sometimes sanded then polished if they are scuffed or have deep scratches. It's a very simple and straight forward process if you know how to do it. Most brand new cars, after one dealer wash already have taillights that are completely swirled haha.
Obviously the yellow discolored reverse light sections inside the housing cannot be corrected, unless there's some way to take the lights apart and bleach those white sections in some solution (no knowledge how that would be done).
Typical before/after shot of our work on an E36 we did a few years back. Tailights comes out with the same results:
Before picture. Spot on the vehicle was "buffed" previously by another detailer, notice a bunch of haze and holograms everywhere very typical after a bodyshop/dealership/cheap detail shops puts a buffer on the paint:
After (test spot):
Another test spot on a jet black (Obsidian) IS350 that was in for a light one-stage polish (not paint correction):
Obviously the yellow discolored reverse light sections inside the housing cannot be corrected, unless there's some way to take the lights apart and bleach those white sections in some solution (no knowledge how that would be done).
Typical before/after shot of our work on an E36 we did a few years back. Tailights comes out with the same results:
Before picture. Spot on the vehicle was "buffed" previously by another detailer, notice a bunch of haze and holograms everywhere very typical after a bodyshop/dealership/cheap detail shops puts a buffer on the paint:
After (test spot):
Another test spot on a jet black (Obsidian) IS350 that was in for a light one-stage polish (not paint correction):
Those IS350 shots were a product demo using M205 mid-cut/finishing polish depending on what paint you use it on and with what pad/technique.
Notice in the after shot, Lexus black paint is so soft, M205 was too aggressive and still left DA haze. Although considerably better than the before half, it was not the correct product to use on Lexus paint. A finer polish was needed like 85rd for example.
Notice in the after shot, Lexus black paint is so soft, M205 was too aggressive and still left DA haze. Although considerably better than the before half, it was not the correct product to use on Lexus paint. A finer polish was needed like 85rd for example.
The vendor I got mine from has a pair for $377 shipped. They have 2 left right now. PM me if you're interested.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,220
Likes: 14
From: IL
IMO black and blue just never go well together.
You can also send out the taillights to Organized Garage (O.G.) Status in CA. They specialize in custom lighting and light restoration. The owner is here on the forums, and owns a nice clean VIP manual SC300
You can also send out the taillights to Organized Garage (O.G.) Status in CA. They specialize in custom lighting and light restoration. The owner is here on the forums, and owns a nice clean VIP manual SC300