Veil airbrushed onto my M3 headlights

[SteveW25561]

I just airbrushed the Veil on my headlights (2009 BMW M3). I think it looks pretty good, a subtle smoke tint. Came on nice and even and used only a tiny amount of paint. Up very close it does look a somewhat speckled like dust or dirt but I didn't want a really heavy coat to change the light output or darken the look that much.

Honestly I'm not sure if its dark enough for laser protection but according to the site the finish can be anywhere from barely noticeable to very dark and still work.

I chose not to sand the lights as I wasn't convinced I'd keep the Veil and I didn't want to mar the factory lights. I wiped them with household ammonia followed by rubbing alcohol and let it dry. The Veil was used straight out of the can, and the whole application took a tiny amount of paint (definitely quite a bit less than 10% of the whole can).

I used a cheap airbrush from eBay (~$20) but the included can of compressed air made for a difficult application (this is my first time with any airbrush). As air comes out, the can gets cold (I knew this), but with the can cold, air pressure drops and no paint comes out. I tried warming the can in warm water but this caused it to sputter out liquid propellant until the temp equalized, then it quickly turned cold. Eventually I got the hang of just warming the bottom intermittently, but in the end, the can ran out of air. By this time, only a very faint, nearly invisible layer of Veil was on the lights.

I ended up buying a small air compressor at Michaels ($300 - 50% off coupon=$150 -- if you google for coupons they are readily available, or sign up at the Michaels webpage and they send you a coupon for 50% off any item). It made all the difference: paint went on smoothly, easily seen and very even. I did several (?6, not sure) very light layers and there is a definitely visible tint to the lights now.

I think I'll keep it for future applications given how easy it was to use. I figured the cans of compressed air sell for around $20 each and mine ran out on the first application - plus it made a very piddly spray and didn't go on as even as I'd like. With the compressor it felt like a real tool, and the job was done in less than 15 minutes.

This completes my speed countermeasures (Veil, Laser Interceptor, matte black kidney grills, V1, Cheetah GPS redlight alert + Cheetah wireless radar interface). I chose not to cover my license plate or Veil it directly as I'd like to avoid a plate alteration/interference ticket.

I've attached a few pictures, with closeups of the headlights at a macro setting so you can see the texturing better. I think the tint is visible but subtle if somewhat speckled on very close inspection.

Comments/feedback? Do you think it will be enough? Should I make it a darker/thicker application?

[Stealth Stalker]

Veil on a black car looks badarse. The next time should look even better with you starting off with the compressor to begin with. I doubt you'll need to do it any darker or worry about the plate with that set-up.

[TSi+WRX]

Looks great!

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VEIL-Guy - Has the formulation for G4 changed again?

RE: "color" question....

Questions about veil - Escort Radar Forum



Thanks in-advance for any advice.

[focalcivic]

Veil on a black car looks badarse. The next time should look even better with you starting off with the compressor to begin with. I doubt you'll need to do it any darker or worry about the plate with that set-up.

But even with the coupon the compressor was $150 plus the veil, starts to turn expensive.

[SteveW25561]

I hear you on the expense.

I just looked on ebay and there are other airbrush compressors for much cheaper, $65-70 including the airbrush! In fact I'll be ordering one and returningthe Michaels one back (the ebay ones have regulators and moisture traps, which the Michaels one doesn't).

Also, if you could see how very little Veil I used, the cost per application is also much lower. I'd bet with the airbrush I could get more than 10 applications, possibly even 15-18 since I used only a few cc's of Veil (I didn't measure but I'd guess its less than 10 cc's of liquid (the airbrush bottle holds 22cc and its more than 3/4 full).

Of course this is assuming my application was sufficient, but based on comments it looks OK.

[whiterabbit05]

For $150 you can get a 4 gallon compressor from Craftsmen and also use it to air your tires and use a nail gun or impact wrench and for airbrushing. Compressors made just for airbrushes are expensive because they are compact and quiet.

Moisture trap is also a very good idea to keep the lines clean.

So you didn't have to thin the Veil to get it to spray through the airbrush?

[SteveW25561]

The Veil went straight on without any thinning whatsoever.

I was careful to clean the airbrush out with ammonia right afterward.

[swarga]

I already have a compressor; what kind of air brush is best for applying Veil, and how much should I expect to pay?

[SteveW25561]

I bought an el-cheapo brush from ebay.

You can see exactly what I bought if you search for this term:
AIRBRUSH KIT Air Brush HOBBY PAINT SPRAYER w Canned Air

If I were to do it again, I'd get a kit including a compressor and not use the compressed air. This seller also sells an airbrush with a compressor for $70.

If you already have a compressor, just buy the airbrush on its own.

The kit I bought cost $23 USD.

Michaels also has similar cheap brush kits for around $30 as well.

[whiterabbit05]

I'd get the starter airbrush by Paasche for about $25 if you don't intend on using an airbrush again anytime soon. You can find one at any Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.

If you want to get into model kits and other custom paint jobs, look into an Iwata Eclipse. Pricey though, around $150.

It'd be nice if Veil came in an aerosol can. Would be a great option for those who want to spray it on and not want to deal with getting an airbrush. Something to consider Veil!!!