Rebuilding tail lights ... Repaint inside buckets white or silver??

[dwall]

I got everything apart, clean, repaired, polished, screw bosses rebuilt & tinted lenses. Ready to reassemble. My question is: Paint the bucket reflective silver or bright white gloss. Because of the tinted/smoked lenses and conventional bulbs I want to make them as bright as possible. Has anybody compared the brightness of using white vs. silver in the reflector bucket?

 

[WillRideAgain]

I would definitely go with a silver or chrome spray paint. It is much more reflective

 

[Bruce Urie]

FLAT WHITE! From my own personal experience I painted the inside of my '69 Corvette taillight housings SILVER and it sucks.....does not have the brightness that the flat white paint shows.....I painted the housings in my Grand National flat white.....silver....just does not show reflective power. Trust me.

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[dwall]

Thanks Bruce - that's what I was looking for. Experience.

I found some hotrod/ratrodders online that did the same thing a few years ago when I first started this project car. Sheeesh its more that just a few years and a few bucks.... another story but the usual classic story. Anyway I have not been able to find those threads - shoulda noted them down but you know shoulda woulda coulda.... as I recall one thread I read actually had pictures ... side by side lighted comparisons with sample tail buckets painted two or three different ways. I think the winner there was bright white (aka refrigerator white!).

I think I'll go white. You think flat vs gloss is right - interesting.

If that isn't enough - next will be LED's
Thanks.
Bob

 

[Bruce Urie]

Glad to be of help.....the flat white worked very well.....then, when Scot W of GNSPerformance came out with the led lights for our Buicks, I HAD to have them.....put them in and it's awesome. If you go LEDs, talk with Scot at GNS....he'll set you up. Very helpful and honest guy. That's from experience also.

Let us know much you like the flat white....I'm sure you'll be happy.

Bruce '87 Grand National