DB22

If a collision took out both of my tail lights AND it was an insurance claim then I would work with the repair facility to pay the difference to get the EU housing so that I could get the amber turn signals. Without the insurance involvement is too much money even though I am the biggest proponent of amber turn signals.

tenspeed

The average Audi owner doesn't know about forums. If they could save a few bucks on a older car repair, they might be tempted to do so.

On another forum I was on, guys would sell their stock parts to collision shops when adding body kits or upgrading. I live in deer country and have bought two bumper covers painted in my color. One was from eBay and the other was from a guy installing a body kit. Saved around $500 each time.

Mike_L

For the right price (read: cheap), I'd buy stock tails. Send them out for tinting and not have to worry about my car being down while the work is getting done.

DB22

How do you compensate for the reduced brightness of the tails created by the tinting?

Tucker74

Excessive braking.

Mike_L

I don't need to, because I have a tinter that knows how to do it right. The reduction is minimal, and they're still brighter than most cars on the road.

DB22

I hope you realize that this guy that "knows how to do it right" has defied the laws of physics and has snowed you. What happened to the 4% loss for each side of the tint (refraction) plus the light loss of the tint itself?
I'm sure that you have seen numerous cars with tinting and some even have had it done right but I'm also sure that you have noticed the decease in intensity.
If you think that tinted lights look better then you must increase the luminous output of the source of the light.

Mike_L

There is no "tint". Its black paint mixed into clear. The "tint" is created by minute spots of black suspended in the clear. Light gets through it just fine. I've been working with and used tinted lights for 15+ years and have never had a complaint about them. Theres no problem with light getting through or illuminating more than enough. This isn't the 90's anymore where people tint with Nightshadez spray.

One of the tinters I used in the past even did headlights, and they worked fine too.

DB22

I didn't like physics either but at least I graduated in it.

Mike_L

Whatever. Not like it really matters. When am I ever gonna need the max light output anyway? Even if it did reduce the output by a few percent, I couldn't care less. They're still brighter than the 75% of cars on the road with incandescent and halogen bulbs, so your argument is moot.