Painting center taillight [Merged 11-6]

[RotaryAE86]

is that your car in your avatar? if so why would you want to paint your red center piece red?

 

[VTRICCO]

I agee with rotary painting the aillight red on a red eclipse seems like a waste

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Because it looks very out of place without the ECLIPSE lettering on it and I've seen it look really nice on red cars before.

I'm doing it for the same reason anyone with a silver, black OR red car does it. Because I think it will flow nice with the car and give a nice finished feeling compared to the way it looks now.

Besides, I'm not a big fan of the Millenium Falcon look.

 

[B-Dog98]

Just had mine done this Wednesday at my uncle's body shop. He gave me the family discount = FREE!!. But he also had a candy apple red Explorer there he was working on and told me the paint for it cost $100 a pint!. He said alot of the red colors are some of the most expensive to mix and match. Mine is black so matching the paint wasnt an issue. I would look around some more because like said before in one of these similar threads, "Its such a small piece that they dont feel like wasting their time on it, thats why they charge so much to do it."

 

[Defiant]

Any decent automotive paint shop should be able to scope the paint and whip up a spray can of the matching color.

 

[4Motion4g63]

For the most part the "Pain for gain" isnt enough for them to want to do it at a Body shop.
If one turns you down or prices it high just go to another. Or do it yourself, Its small enough piece that if its messed up you cant have someone fix it or start over.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Thanks for the info/merging threads.
I hope they don't want hundreds of dollars for a spray can of matching paint.
What do you guys think the paint itself will go for?

Unfortunate that duplicolor or something doesnt have a matching paint already.

EDIT:

Ya its about $30CDN per can and once you've sprayed it give it a wetsand and a power polish and it'll look beautiful.

EDIT again:
http://www.paintscratch.com/
Looks like a great place to get obscure colors mixed up, guaranteed and shipped to you.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

My paint arrived today (really fast!) but it seems my plan has backfired.
The paint is great, just perfect. The problem is the car's paint isn't.
Damn red cars and their color fading. The color is a tad too vibrant, clearly the same color but still stands out like a sore thumb.

Any ideas?
I guess I could just go back to the shop and ask them to mix me up a can of paint that matches the vehicle currently but then thats well over $60 for paint. eug.
Oh well, just sharring my experiences. Wish my car was black!

 

[90talonfwd]

i got my paint from canadian tire, and did mine black, looks good, except i dont have the eagle sign, the idiot before me took it off

 

[B-Dog98]

Hey at least they didnt try to super glue it back on. Thats what happened to me, the previous owner decided to superglue some of the Eclipse letters on my taillight. Talk about a PITA trying to get the glue off. I still had a good size white area where the "E" was. It was the main reason I decided to paint mine to match the car, looks great. Had a few girls in my area who drive Eclipses ask me how I did it, hahaha.

 

[wret]

Yeah, chicks dig painted center tail lights.

You know what they say:
Big tail light cover, big... oh wait, that was something else.

 

[B-Dog98]

Hahaha yeah they were like where did you buy that from? I was like give me your number and we can work on your rear end, .

 

[VanIsleDSM]

I know it was a while ago.. but for the guy wanted to see what your center section would look like, here's mine.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[flashburn02]

^^
Wow that looks really nice! I must admit, I didn't think it would look good at all, but it does.

I'll tell you the idea I had, ever seen those neon rope lights? I wanted to remove the black "talon" and fill it in with the vibrant lit rope light.

 

[mitch26753]

First off, yes i have searched! Ok i was wandering if there is a actual middle tail light section sold for the eclipse? couldnt you get a paint matched piece oem? i see on here where alot of guys talk about just having it painted? but i thought you could actually buy a center piece perhaps made of fiberglass?

 

[talonalex92]

Yeah, almost everyone gets it painted or does it themselves. You can find the paint code either under the hood or your door jamb. Search. Search. Search.

 

[ctcare89]

You cannot buy one OEM from a dealer. Maybe you could have someone custom make it for you but that would be the same amount of work as painting it yourself.

 

[snowborder714]

Yes, the center tail light section is sold individually. No, you can't buy it OEM and paint matched.

As stated already, most people paint this piece themselves or just take it to your local auto paint place and they should be able to do it paint matched to your car. Shouldn't cost too much since it's small.

 

[mitch26753]

ok where can i buy this piece at?

 

[turbosax2]

MR162461

https://www.mitsubishiparts.com/oe_parts_catalog.html

$79.62

Edit: BTW, this part number is for a 2g. OP, please fill out your profile.

 

[mitch26753]

so that is the center piece? when it comes what does it look like? i am trying to figure out if you guys are just talking about painting the fake looking tail light piece or if there is a actual piece that comes that is meant to be painted?

 

[turbosax2]

so that is the center piece? when it comes what does it look like? i am trying to figure out if you guys are just talking about painting the fake looking tail light piece or if there is a actual piece that comes that is meant to be painted?

Yes, that is the center piece. When it comes it looks red, just like the one you have now. When people paint the center taillight piece, they actually paint the center taillight piece. There is no cover for it, or anything that is meant to be painted.

 

[germanlookk72]

theres no light there so paint away. looks really good when done to.

 

[mitch26753]

ok i am going to see what this cost at my buddy body shop dont figure it will be too much

 

[SuzukiRidr326]

what paint you you recomend to use to paint the center tail-light piece? automotive paint for plastic spray paint from like wal-mart?