Supplies:

10mm socket or open end wrench
masking tape
Testors 1629 Ruby Red Metal Flake spray can
rubbing alcohol and paper towls
a good painting area

All of you have seen a picture of an E30 with tail lights that have a red turn signal section instead of the stock amber color. Many people agree that this gives the rear of an E30 more of a clean, European-type style. All-red E30 tail lights (these include red reverse light sections) are available for purchase at around US$300, and while the upgrade looks very nice, most people can't justify spending $300 on such a subtle modification. Luckily, there is a do-it-yourself solution to this dilemma. Most people opt to painting the amber turn signal with red model paint, and this article will explain the process of doing this.

The first thing you will need to do is purchase the correct paint. The paint I choose to use is Testors 1629 Ruby Red Metal Flake. It's a transparent color that matches the color of E30 tail lights almost perfectly. The reason I said that it's the paint I choose is because some people have used and recommend different types of red "tint" sprays. The Testors paint is by far the most common, and works flawlessly, and thus is highly recommended. The paint is available at virtually any Hobby Shop. If the Hobby Shop you go to sells Testors paint but doesn't have Ruby Red Metal Flake on the shelves, ask them to order a can or two for you. If you can't find the paint ANYWHERE, try some online shops.

All-red tail lights The next thing you need to do is remove and mask your tail lights. The tail lights are easily removed by first unscrewing the big black hand screw on the tail light backings, then gently pulling that assembly off. Next, you will need to remove the six 10mm bolts holding the lights on. The lights should then pop off freely, but if they haven't been removed in a long time, they might be somewhat stuck to the seals. Just give them a good tap from the inside.

To mask the lights, you basically need to cover everything except the amber portion of the lights. Unless you want the job to look ghetto, you will also have to carefully mask the little black plastic strip that runs along the edge of the tail lights. The next thing you should do is clean the amber lense with some rubbing alcohol so the paint bonds sufficiently. It's not really necessary to sand the lense... tail lights aren't subject to much abuse and it's very unlikely that the paint would ever chip.

All-red tail lights Now you are ready to spray away. Be sure to follow the same rules as if you were painting any other object... follow the guidelines on the proper weather conditions, spray in an open environment, etc. To coat the lights, you are going to want you use just one heavy, even coat. I have tried both using multiple light coats and using one heavy coat, and the one heavy coat came out much shinier and the paint was a much better color. You will want to paint the lense enough so that the amber is completely covered and the red is solid and even, but not so much that the paint runs. If the paint does happen to run, remove it all before it dries and start over.

After the paint is applied, find a safe spot to leave the lights to dry. You don't want pet hair and bugs getting stuck to the paint. After the paint is completely dried (overnight is preferable), go ahead and unmask the lights. Be careful on the lines that actually meet the paint, if you pull up on the tape too fast/hard, you run the risk of pulling some paint up with it. The lights should look good and be all set for reinstallation now. Be careful when reinstalling the light bulb tray, as it's easy to smash the bulbs against the tail lights or break a bulb out of its base if you don't line it up correctly.