neon lighting [Merged 5-7]

[timgeorgi]

Hey Guys. I'm installing a set of underbody neons for a friend on his 99 eclipse. I've looked all over the forum and havn't found any good installation pics. There are tons of pics with the lights on, but i'm really looking for pics that show how and where the tubes were mounted. Does anyone have a DIY for this installation? The car is stock, and has no bodykit. I've read that this makes it kind of difficult for the back, but i'm not sure why. Anyone have any pointers for this install??

Thanks!!

 

['96_Talon_TSi]

I had some, but took them off, and i have no pics.. but i will try to help as much as i can.

Things you need...
4 jackstands (or enough jacks and blocks or whatever to lift all 4 corners)
Cordless power drill and bits.
Bag of heavy duty zip ties
neons tubes
a couple hours of spare time.

First jack up all 4 corners.

get under the sideskirt of the car. You will see an edge where the skirt drops down. You can either attach the bulbs there of on the frame. I will tell you how to attach them onto the sideskirt.

Mock up the long side bulb by holding it where you want to put it. Drill one hole into the back of the sideskirt at the end of each bulb, then 2 more holes evenly spaced apart near the middle (use your brain and figure out where you should drill the holes it should be pretty obvious when youre under there). THat should get you both side tubes installed. I ran the wires up behind the wheel well guards. On the passenger side it came up underneath the battery tray, i passed it into the interior of the car there and let it sit. For the driver side wire i did the same, only it came up into the bay along the firewall by the steering boot. I cut an "X" shape into the boot and passed the wire in there.

For the front bulb, There should be some hard lines running along the corner of the bumper where it makes the transition from vertical to horizontal (you should understand when you get underneath thte car)I just ziptied the bulb onto that line, and ran the wire up right next to the alternator. I ran it towards the firewall along the hard lines that traverse down the driver side fender. (once again you will know what im talking about when you get in there). I passed it through the firewall where the driverside side tube went in.

The back bulb, well thats a different story. There are a few different ways to mount it, but they are all hard. I kinda stuffed mine up and above the gas tank. It didn't glow very well, but you could still see the color on the ground. I ran the wire up with the hatch drain tube, behind the trunk interior panel under the backseat, up the center console and behind the radio where I mounted the transformer.

I had the transformer mounted behind the radio (it just kinda sat there). I had it hardwired to the battery. It was a fairly easy install, but took about 3 hours because of running all the wires.

 

[timgeorgi]

thanks for the info...should make the install a lot easier!!

 

[cuttheduck]

I had some on too and took them off.

Theres no room on the front bumper itself and you dont want your tube lower then your car. i mounted the center of the light right onto the centermember and the sides were ziptied to the side of the bumper or something.

You dont want to put the sides right on the bottom of your sideskirt because you can see the tubes a mile away and looks horrible. You want to put them about 6 inches or so BEHIND the ledge you use to jack the car up and so on.

The rear would probaly be different on your car then mine. I just mounted it near the lower bumper.

I didnt want to run wires under the car all the way from the back to the front of the car and so on. So you can use the drainplugs in your car to run the wires though. Theres plugs right underneath the carpeting on the floor where the people in the backseat would set their feet. You can drill through the plastic plug and run the wire from both side lights to the brain of the unit inside the car. Same thing with the rear, theres a few plastic plugs right underneath your spare tire. Just run the wire from the light up into that well and all the way to the front using the side door sills and carpet to hide all wires. This way you have a total of like 6 inches of wire being exposed to the elements. Mine never had a problem after lots of fun in winters. You could get ground level with my car and still could never see the tubes unless you went under the car. Too bad I turned them on like twice.

 

[TurboBlue]

I jut need some fellow DSMer's opinions....i just installed my FMIC today, still have yet to fab up the piping, but i kind of want to put a red neon behind the FMIC to just give it a little more distinction. Its a small core and behind black mesh so i think an outlining red light would be cool.. Any opinons?

 

[TurBoGs-T]

I think any lights mods done correctly would look good. Alot of people will say it's the R word because it won't add power.

 

[Lunch_Box]

the word "rice" is over used. Do what you want if you think it will look good, and don't worry about what other people think about your car.

 

[dont need 8]

Just be careful when using red or blue lights on your car, it is illegal in most states and may cause you to get harrassed by the local police.

 

[SpYYder]

"Rice" is such a blanket term. People claim all the time that if it doesn't add speed, its rice. So seatbelts and trunklids are rice? Come on people.

Just do what you want, its your car. Personally i would suggest that you only be able to see the glow, rather than the neon bulb itself. It gives it a much better effect.

I like black-light neons... i will be adding those to my car. Colors really wouldn't work too well on a white/black/tan car..

 

[Eagle_Summit]

super95awd has it on his car. I think it looks VERY good, and im gonna do it to the 1g

 

[super95awd]

There's not a neon behind my FMIC to my knowledge . That pic that you are referring to just has crazy lighting.

 

[Eagle_Summit]

There's not a neon behind my FMIC to my knowledge . That pic that you are referring to just has crazy lighting.

really! ....well it still looks f- ing sweet

 

['96_Talon_TSi]

If you can hide the tube well, it should look real nice. However i would be weary of red lighitng in the front of the car.

 

[TurboBlue]

Yeah, the tube would most deffinately be hidden, i only want the glow. And i most likely wouldnt be driving with the light on, just for effect i guess, thanks for the input

 

[leakyfaucet]

"Rice" is such a blanket term. People claim all the time that if it doesn't add speed, its rice. So seatbelts and trunklids are rice? Come on people.

No, rice is used to describe something aftermarket on a car that serves no purpose other than an attempt to look or sound good.

 

[Defiant]

Yeah, the tube would most deffinately be hidden, i only want the glow. And i most likely wouldnt be driving with the light on, just for effect i guess,

Not a second time. You'll probably get impounded the first time they see it.

 

[Thomas91169]

only here in cali or any other state that has a "amber or white light only, and brake lights only" law. of course the cali law states that only white or amber can be shown in front of the vehicle, and only red brake lights and white reverse lights can be showing from the back. it never mentions anything about lights eminating from the underside of a vehicle. it also states that red or blue light coming out of the front is illegal/impersonating an emergency vehicle. also blue light is illegal if coming from the back. i printed out the california drivers code or whatever pertaining to the use of lights on a car and its in my glovebox.

if a cop ever gives me any shit about my undercars, i just whip it out. there is no light going outward in any direction, the leds are super hidden so you would have to be on a lift to see them. the only light that is shown is the afterproduct of a light that is legal because of where its mounted. how is the afterproduct(glow) of a light illegal?

ive had mine on while i was driving before on accident and they were set to red. i had 2 cops drive by and my freind was like dude youre crazy. i was like, why do you say that? he says "you know your lights are on right?" i was like "oh shit" and i turned them off cause i dont drive with them on, theyre just for when im parked.

 

[MrBentley]

No, rice is used to describe something aftermarket on a car that serves no purpose other than an attempt to look or sound good.

You really need to quit with the rice stuff cuse you can use that on almost anything with that definition.

The real dfinition is "Rice: the starchy seeds of an annual cereal grass (Oryza sativa) that are cooked and used for food; also : this cereal grass that occurs in southeastern Asia and is widely cultivated in warm climates for its seeds and by-products " If you put that on your car then say its rice but other than that, cut it out man.Okay enoguh of the jokes.

Lets just stop using rice all together cuse it was originally used to discriminate against asian tuners that didnt really tune anything. In TurboBlue's case.... he has moded for power and he just wants to spruse it up a bit. Neon dont hurt and if you belive that hes a "Ricer" for taht then you got a serious hater problem

PS. This wasnt meant to offend or be directed towards leaky alone..... this goes out to all the ppl who hate on folks who are trying to look nice. Oh and BTW, if you changed any part of your car to have more "style" then i guess your a rice boy/girl too

 

[dave99gst]

No, rice is used to describe something aftermarket on a car that serves no purpose other than an attempt to look or sound good.

i dont know about all that - thats saying tunned exhaust is rice - polished/painted ANYthing under the hood , window tint, hell a dsmtuners sticker is rice?

Id say Riced is best described as being 1 step above ghetto. for example putting the bolt stickers on your cars glass to make them look like lexan is rice. Duct taping your window in to keep it from falling out is Ghetto.
Tinting your windows ? not rice.. just nice

 

[Denji]

quote from the site owner at www.riceboypage.com

"The term "Rice-Boy" is meant to be a derogatory term. But not racially derogatory. Some people might say that regardless of what this disclaimer says, it makes Asians look bad. Well, I hate to break it to these people but asians are not the only people on this planet who eat rice. Everyone eats rice. White people eat rice. Black people eat rice. Native Americans? They eat rice. Europeans eat rice!! And, if you open your eyes, you might notice that a whole lot of the rice-boys out there aren't even asian! The "rice" really refers to their cars. It's not about their race, it's about their attitude!" --riceboy

im not saying that your wrong or anything...but it does make you wonder.

 

[Denji]

regardless, i wouldnt do it to my car. I'm going for more of a sleeper look. If you think it looks good on your car..its your car. Remember, your car is your style. I wouldnt drive around with that light on though if i were you.... i dont want to see you buying a large aluminum spoiler though! thats taking it a whole new level.

 

[sids]

I like the idea, i'm gonna do blue on my car, and we don;t got not stinkng lighting laws here

 

[InfamousEclipse]

mounted behind the core may actually look pretty pimp parked at night... as long as its not visable all up in the front... I'd actually really like to see that

 

[98spydert]

How about two little LEDs lighting it from the front? Seems easier than finding a spot for a neon "bar" back there?

 

[HighPsi92GST]

sounds like it would be pretty cool.