Subtle Interior mods

I always leave my cubby open because I have my defi control unit in there and I like to show it off. It had always bothered me that there is an amber light in there and it doesnt go with all the other white and red lights. So, today I bought some LED's and a sodlering iron and went to work. You can just pull out the cubby, unplud the power to the light(which is in a litlle brown caseing) and pull streight up on the brown piece and this opens up. Inside there is a little chip with the LED attached. I desodlered the amber Led and sodlered in the new red one, the longer stem on the LED must goin the hole closest to the smaller cylender thing on the "chip". I really know nothing about this stuff and this was my first time sodlering. It all took some trial and error, but I learned a few things about wireing etc, which I was very unconfident with. I used some extra LED's and made a wire tester which was my practice. I also replaced the amber LED in the glove box with a red one also. To access this one you just pull the inside of the owners booklet holder streight out and pull the brown peice streight up. It is the same deal as the cubby one. The lights are a darker shade of red than the rest but I suppose it matches better than the amber. I think I may order some brighter white LED's for the dome lights. I dunno if thats considered rice or not? I will post some night pics of the cubby soon, just didn't have time today.

 

And well the second thought was reworking the plastic around my 5EAT shifter. I guess I really resent the fact that my car is AT, but whatever im just glad to have an LGT. I kinda wanted to delete all the PRND letters of the peice of plastic around the shifter. I was thinking of fitting in a sheet of Carbon fiber in here instead of the regular plastic and removing it entirely. I have never worked with CF, how easy is a thick sheet (about the thickness of the stock piece of plastic) to cut? Also how hard would it be to cut out the shift pattern? I like to work with my dremel but could I use this on the CF to dremel out the shift pattern? I also have never removed that specifc peice of the trim how hard is it, could I mount a peice of CF there if I shaped it right? Perhaps another possibility would be to putt a sheet of CF over that existing peice of plastic but I want real CF there not sticker, and I am worried that anything thick enough to cover up the P R N D spots wouldent really sit flush. Well, I know I would have to do some trial and error and testing on my own which will be the fun of it, but those who have worked with CF speak up... Thanks.

 

 

-Nick

I like that idea- you could even use a sticker under where the letters go- isn't there a plastic covering anyway? That way you wouldn't have to worry about the texture of the cf not being there.

Cool stuff, brother Nick! I'd love to see the difference that makes in "interior coherence" in-person.

 

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The only thing I've done is to simply slip a red (deep/dark red) covering over my main dome light (sedan w/factory moonroof). Not for looks, per se, but rather so that I have a low-output light that won't ruin my natural night-vision before I get into the car every time!

 

I'm actually going to do the sill/entry lighting, too. I'm still going to keep the map-reading lights "white," so that it won't impact my wife's map-reading.

 

When I do finally get gauges for the cubby, I'm going to simply remove that particular illumination so it won't "backlight" where I don't need it.

Folia Tec makes fake and real carbon fiber sheet to add to interior or exterior parts. i've used their "fake" carbon fiber sheet on another car to cover some center console trim, and it works well. the real stuff involves resin and sealer, so its going to be permanent. don't know what's involved in working with it, or how difficult it is.

 

the fake stuff is easy - trim with a razor blade, apply (heat with a hair dryer or heat gun to mold around "3D" surfaces.)

 

example of the "real" carbon sheet:

http://shop.carnoisseur.com/shop/products/ExtStyling/Graphics/3502785001/image

The faux-CF truly isn't all that bad - it has pretty darned decent looks from anything but a true close-up examination.

 

Close-in, though (i.e. less than 3 ft.), it's definitely not ideal, as it easily will reveal its nature (both the faux "weave" as well as lack of true optical depth).

 

The faux-CF laminate is very easy to work with, especially if you are experienced with vinyls.

 

Real CF is a pain the neck, super-dust-creating fiend if you start grinding/cutting/etc. with it! Let's just leave it at this: that my one of my favorite custom knifemakers, Neil Blackwood, has forever sworn never to make any more full-CF knives again! Be sure to wear a proper respirator (or at least a mask!) and eye-protection!

Hmm, I took a look today and it would be difficult to entirely replace the plastic surround of the shifter witha sheet of CF. But putting a thin one over it would be good, like a 1mm peice or somthing. Since it is interior and I am very close to it I would like to use real CF. How about teh sheets from fastwrx.com, are those real CF? I wouldnt mind dust, just so long as I can dremel it it would be fine because I dont know how else I would be able to make the opening for the shift pattern.

I've worked with carbon fiber quite a bit and making a custom shift gate wouldn't be that hard. The downside would be how you would make the open area look good. Here is what I'm thinking you are talking about. I made one for my Integra out of carbon fiber and it worked out fairly well. I ended up sewing the shift boot under the plate so I didn't have to contend with a hole. It was a beast to fabricate though. I wouldn't suggest that as your first project with carbon fiber.

Well this is for a 5EAT which would make it a lot easier. There is no hole to deal with there is already the plastic piece there. It seems like its possible, I guess Ill order a sheet. Just dunno where has anyone used the stuff from fastwrx.com?

ah, well if it is for an automatic then it should be easy. Well.... easierER anyway.

The faux-CF truly isn't all that bad - it has pretty darned decent looks from anything but a true close-up examination.

 

it works good enough as Subaru factory equipment - the wife's WRX came with the optional faux carbon fiber interior trim.

 

 

her interior is hard to damage.

i like the idea with the LED's. can't wait to see some pics of how it looks. guess i never thought about changing them out.

I just want lighting in the footwell area for when I turn on the dome light.

jedi:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4413&highlight=interior+lighting+ideas

 

Dome light ideas as well as your particular "want" (i.e. footwell lighting), are discussed in-detail.

 

 

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Hum...... Nah, forget electrical lighting - let's just all go with really big tubes of Tritium!

jedi:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4413&highlight=interior+lighting+ideas

 

Dome light ideas as well as your particular "want" (i.e. footwell lighting), are discussed in-detail.

 

 

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Hum...... Nah, forget electrical lighting - let's just all go with really big tubes of Tritium!

Thanks mang! I did the one with that puts the domes on all at the same time anbd love it. I do plan on the LED in the dome as well for ambient lighting, and maybe the neon in the footwell if it doesn't look too ricey.

Glad to be of-service.

Took some more crappy pics, gives an idea but its so subtle that you kinda have to be there. Matches the other lights well though.

 

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/7758/img08174gb.jpg

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/4480/img08081km.jpg

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/6780/img08078vm.jpg

I tried to do that with some leds picked up at radioshack is there anything specific you used? I am using a similar size led to the amber one, but it is not lighting up?? any ideas

You talking about the cubby and glovebox light? Well if so you need to unsolder the led from that wierd chip piece and solder the new one in there. If it is not working take the LED out and flip itso the prongs are each on a different side as the current only flows one way I belive. What I did was un solder the led than plug the chip back in and stick the new LED in there until it lit up, than just keep in mind which side went where than solder it in. If that doesnt work its possible that you messed it up or things got too hot when soldering... but I dont think so cuz I messed up at one point and it was still fine.

Thanks man i think you got it right for me