Black-Out Tail and Head Lamps (Pictures!)

i think it may look better, but it will definately cut down on the amount of light you get out of the headlights.

Also, i think you should go in and erase the license plate for public postings.

Also, have patience, grasshopper. You posted during/near the lunch hour for jsut about everyone in the states, while people are at work, etc... and 35 views is just a drop in the bucket of the PriusChat membership :-p

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Aug 10 2006, 11:16 AM) [snapback]300954[/snapback]</div>

LOL i would agree. Fortunately i'm more or less a camper on PC during the whole day and mostly at night. I haven't been actually posting alot but i TOTALLY appreciate the pictures. Alot of time sit hard to visualise this. Is this illegal in California? But the whole thing has the NIGHTRIDER sort of look. I've a Seaside Pearl (Blue to normal people) and i don't think i could smoke/paint my lights with any 'nice' effect. Eh, you mentioned actually painting the inside of the plastic facing right? Is there a special paint that i've never heard of? I don't see how paint would allow light through.

Well cheers!

 

If you're going to go that far you should get some racing discs and paint them black too.

 

:lol: i thought that car looked awful familiar...

funny enough we're thinking of doing a very light tint on the tails, but not the headlights.

there's no way to disassemble the taillight housing, unfortunately.

whenever we scrimp enough to do the tint (probably several months from now) i'll post pics.

and i don't really care about the license plate. no worries.

ack, back to work

 

^ LOL

i think it look quiet odd...

 

Yeah, after looking at it alot i still think you'll look like some bloated Night rider if you did that... Not nice IMHO. Cheers for the photoshop work though.

 

Maybe you can ask the driver who slams into the back of your car because they didn't see the brake lights.
Yep, there's a lawsuit just waiting to happen. <_<

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 11 2006, 04:01 AM) [snapback]301374[/snapback]</div>

well well, a little sour are we?

a very light tint like what we're considering will do very little to hinder light transmission, should still be visible from at least 300ft (legal limits) or i won't do it. i don't like the plasticky look of the tails- they stick out like a sore thumb on black. [edit: to clarify, the plastic sticks out. i know the brake lights should stick out]

and doing the background inside of the taillight assembly, should that be feasible, wouldn't do much to that effect either, i don't think.

 

I would be concerned about diminishing the candle power output of the light- if you are painting the reflector behind the bulb, flat balck I think it said, it is not going to reflect light as it was designed. I too think it could be recipe for a ticket or worst, a rear-ender. Just my thoughts.

 

So, why not go the full route and blackout the wheels

 

I would not want to invite tickets and/or lawsuits by modifying safety equipment to make it look "cool."

Check the box on those aftermarket lights and blackout kits. Most state, somewhere on the box, "for off road use only" or "for show use only." That is how they get away with selling these.

It is your responsibility to check the laws before you modify your vehicle's safety equipment such as your brake lights.

It is illegal to alter any vehicle lighting equipment in any way that reduces the light output in almost every state. Most states incorporate the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards into their state vehicle codes.

FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS, 49CFR571.108
S5.1.3 No additional lamp, reflective device or other motor vehicle equipment shall be installed that impairs the effectiveness of lighting equipment required by this standard.


From the California Vehicle Code, sec 24600 (e)
Taillamps shall be red in color and shall be plainly visible from all distances within 500 feet to the rear except that taillamps on vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1969, shall be plainly visible from all distances within 1,000 feet to the rear.


From the Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 28
28-933. Reflector and lamp visibility

A. A reflector on a vehicle referred to in section 28-929 shall be of such size and characteristics and so maintained as to be readily visible at nighttime from all distances within five hundred feet to fifty feet from the vehicle when directly in front of lawful upper beams of head lamps. Reflectors required to be mounted on the sides of the vehicle shall reflect the required color of light to the sides, and reflectors mounted on the rear shall reflect a red color to the rear.

B. Front and rear clearance lamps shall be capable of being seen and distinguished under normal atmospheric conditions at the times lights are required at a distance of five hundred feet from the front and rear, respectively, of the vehicle.

C. Side marker lamps shall be capable of being seen and distinguished under normal atmospheric conditions at the times lights are required at a distance of five hundred feet from the side of the vehicle on which mounted.


28-921. Applicability of equipment requirements

A. A person shall not:

1. Drive or move and the owner shall not knowingly cause or permit to be driven or moved on a highway a vehicle or combination of vehicles that:

a. Is in an unsafe condition that endangers a person.

b. Does not contain those parts or is not at all times equipped with lamps and other equipment in proper condition and adjustment as required in this article.

c. Is equipped in any manner in violation of this article.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoSpam @ Aug 12 2006, 12:05 AM) [snapback]302019[/snapback]</div>

NoSpam, Welcome to PriusChat.

And thank you for saying what I would have IF I could have overcome the lethargy caused by knowing posting such information would only be met with indifference and consternation from those who think it's cool to disable or modify safety features on their cars for vanity's sake, and in doing so, don't give a rat's nice person about placing others in greater risk.

Sour? Who, ME???

 

wisconsin law, and the criteria which any tint i consider will have to meet:

yes, i did inform myself of the law before considering doing anything to the taillights. and i do intend to follow the law- no indifference here.

 

This doesn't have to do with a Prius. But my daughter was out in CA and had a tint done on her Honda Civic windows and it was acceptable. It was to protect the leather interior from the sunlight. But when she moved back home out of the state of CA, it wouldn't pass inspection. She was told that she had to go to the Dept of Motor Vehicles and see what they had to say about it. They told her that she had to have the tint removed because it was too dark. :blink: They put some thingy a mug jig on the inside of the windows to see if they could read it. I think there were percentages for the front, the side, and the back. So in order to pass inspection the additional tint would have to be removed. Hubby was going to do it himself but it would be time consuming and wasn't sure if it would do the job completely to the satisfaction of the DMV. So he had it done professionally and they did costing per hour. Don't remember how much but all of us in the family decided that we were not going to mess with tinting windows or other such modifications on the car unless we are sure it was going to come back & bite us in the wallet or the butt! We'll wear sunglasses! B) Yes, once the tint was removed, the car pass inspection.