Some great interior mod ideas

4747 Views 29 Replies 17 Participants Last post by 95poopscort, Jan 9, 2007

FDSmizer

Discussion Starter · Aug 13, 2002

The other day I was taking a look through my friend´s Toyota Celica, and he done some universal interior mods that I thought would be pretty cool in any car. He had a read overhead light, and red neons under the front two seats. I would love to add these to my car. I have map lights in my 95 LX. I am trying to think of a way to make the map lights red as well, but dim the amount of light that comes through slightly, so that they could remain on at night, while not becoming a distraction/annoyance to the driver and passanger. If any of you have any ideas of your own, please let me know. Thanks!

(P.S. This place by my house (Tech Auto Sound) will sell and install an automatic sun roof that is thin enough to fit in the space before my over head lights, for only $170 (US)

!!!!

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OverDrive

· #2 · Aug 13, 2002

I was thinking about doing the same thing exept my map lights blue, i doubt that they make that model of bulb in diffrent colors, so i was thinking one night , about some kinda transpernt paint, that gives a tint to the bulb itself, or the plastic round covers in the light lamp itself

FDSmizer

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 13, 2002

That´s a good idea....I´ve painted many car models, and if put on lightly, that modeling paint should be semi-transparent...hmmmm...I´ll try that out tomorow..I´ve gotta have a see through piece of plastic some place...If you can come up with a better idea, please let me know, as I am not sure AT ALL of what the result of my attempt will be

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FDSmizer

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 13, 2002

As a PS to the above, I JUST thought: what about that celaphane paper stuff (you know, the colored plastic wrap that everybody made crafts with in kindergarden)...I wonder if that wouldn´t be able to be used in the maps....you can get that in about every color imaginable, and from taking the molding around the lights off, it looks like that could be some how fitted and taped/glued really easily and still look very clean once done....what do you think? (PS, I want to paint the trim pieces in my car, what type of paint should I use?)

OverDrive

· #5 · Aug 13, 2002

hahhaha, escorts wraped up in Glad color wrap

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Juggernaut

· #6 · Aug 13, 2002

i´m goin green neons in mine, 2 2fts will be mounted just above the seatbelts on the left right sides. i hope they don´t get stolen or anything!

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Mibz

· #7 · Aug 13, 2002

My only worry about the plastic is melting. If the light will be running for long periods of time it´ll probably get hot. If that plastic melts it´ll make one helluva stink.

I know a lot of bulbs are sold in blue, yellow, green and red, not sure about bulbs that small though. We carry regular size, 60/100w bulbs and ones that are a bit bigger than christmas bulbs.

For the Canadians or people with low budgets, there´s blue packing tape you can buy for about 2 bucks a roll. Just stick some of that on the inside of the light cover, make it look pretty and you´re good to go. It´s great cause you can make some shapes and stuff in it. I used it for awhile then took it off once the Mibzcort became uninsured.

Wood

· #8 · Aug 13, 2002

Note to F.D. Smizer, if you are painting interior trim pieces and there are plastic of vinyl use Mar Hyde. It is readily available and comes in many colors.

When my son and I restored a ´86 Mustang GT Convertible (5.0L H.O., 5speed) for him we did the entire interior (not seats or carpet, but all the plastic pieces) in black, it was originally blue, we even did the tonneau which had been white. Stuff is great.

FDSmizer

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 13, 2002

Thanks! That saves me a LOT of trouble...I should be able to find that at any large hardware stoor correct (or is it car paint specifically)?

FDSmizer

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 13, 2002

A note on the paint for the map lights: I wonder if staind glass window paint wouldn´t work? If you painted the actuall lense peices and not the actuall bulb, it might work. It might also be too hot for it. I did find a web site that sells paint made for the perpose of painting light bulbs of up to 40W voltage...Tomorow I am going to visit local craft and hardware stores to find what I can with the paint. Wish me luck.

P.S. Here is that web site with the bulb paint:
Page Title

Wood

· #11 · Aug 14, 2002

Here in Canada I can get it at Auto Parts places or at Canadian Tire. In the States I would assume Wal Mart would carry it and certainly auto stores.

Juggernaut

· #12 · Aug 15, 2002

i´ve got my green neons in, but i can´t show you ppl due to lack of showcase!

maybe i´ll upload them and link the pic to the forums...

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99contour

· #13 · Aug 15, 2002

Hey, OK I dont own an escort, but I was checking out some cool sites for my roommate, She just purchased a 97 Escort.
But anyway celophane doesnt work that great becuase of the heat, and blue bulbs from places like walmart or pepboys are painted and wind up turning brown after about a week.
Now, what you do is go to Jewel or anyplace that sells school supplies and purchase a tranparent folder, the one I bought had a picture of a bird on the front, cut that to fir in the overhead light and leave it there, I actually used two layers becuase I like blue. It´s thicker than celephane so it won´t melt.
I´ve had it there for about a year now and it looks just as nice as the day I put it up there.

Juggernaut

· #14 · Aug 15, 2002

watch out, we have a genius on our hands...

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OverDrive

· #15 · Aug 16, 2002

i dont really like that idea, cuz the light wont be bright enough to shine threw em, and making it not have such a great effect, more like a dimmer darker color then you really wanted

rollin_lx

· #16 · Jan 23, 2003

Go to a local Wal-mart and go to the model car section and there is transparent paint there. I used a red, I am not sure of the other colors. I used this paint on the dome light and my blinkers on the rear of the car. Works great. G/L

J

siragan

· #17 · Jan 23, 2003

why not just use blue LEDs? I use leds in everything from computers to worklights. 100,000 hour runtime, no noise, no heat, super efficient...

You can get them for next to nothing. Just wire in a resistor in-line, hook them up to a 12V DC lead and you´re set. You can even stick them on a breadboard and wire up neat 555 timer circuits and go crazy with it...

I personally think that painting lights is a stupid idea. my opinion.

rascal

· #18 · Jan 23, 2003

I actually had red bulbs in my map lights for a long time but after awhile it got annoying. When ever I wanted to read something at night in there or my g/f wanted to, you could see some but not enough...it was a pain to see. It was cool though for spying on somebody b/c the red light wasn´t strong enough for them to see you but I was able to see a little bit. I took some pics. of a friend of mine´s g/f cheating on him. Man, did those pictures prove a point that night! :-D ;-)

91scortgtboy

· #19 · Jan 23, 2003

why don´t you just take a sharpie and do it lightly over it. that don´t wear off and it is transparent still if done lightly. Or if you can find it thay use this stuff kinda like celofane in stge shows and tv sets called gels that they put over the lights that is colored. Don´t heat up and last forever. You would just have to find aplace that sold it.

rascal

· #20 · Jan 23, 2003

The bulbs in mine lasted a long time...I just got tired of them. Never had a problem of them wearing out or anything. I actually have the same red bulbs in my license plate lights, which work really well. ;-)

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