DIY Neon Foot Well Install..(I need one)

I was going to do this, but then the neons were just too bulky, so I used LEDs instead. It was a snap. I ran wires from my ignition light by removing my steering column panelling. Now the lights come on only when my doors are open and the car isn't running. I could probably add a switch as well. Easiest mod I ever did. I hid the LEDs up under the center console. The light is a little focused, but that can be fixed by adding more LEDs or repositioning them. On the driver's side the light gets broken up by the pedals, so it looks less focused.

youve got an ae86 shiftboot?

can u post a pic of that? and i agree that the neon tubes are on the bulky side

DIY Neon Foot Well Install..(I need one)

Alrighty yea I don't know what the hell to do so gimmie some help fellow rolla ridaz! hahaha

like that?

heh, i got them in my footwells and headliner...the footwells are a pain cz the passenger side u have that hard plastic shit making it so u cant hide it, and the driver side is really nothing to attatch it to. i did it anywaz, and now the wires are comin loose...again

Hey Thanks I'll give it a shot when I get back from Canada in a week!

its a stock shift boot on the 98s

eww. that boot has to go.

Sorry, I wish I had a digicam, I could post up the wahoo then. Here's a basic DIY though for 98-02:

Remove lower half of steering column panel. There is 1 screw on the bottom, the other two are behind the steering wheel, you can access them by turning the steering wheel one way, then the other. Take off the panel. You will see 1 screw holding the plastic ring around your ignition that lights up. Remove this screw. Pop off the ring. You will need to tap into BOTH wires that goto this light. The reason being: the positive connection is constant, it is the ground that goes on and off with the ignition. I guess you could then just use the ground and then find an alternate positive connection, but they are both right there, so why bother. Run two wires down the inside of your lower dash to where your feet are. You are ready to reassemble your steering column and wire up your LEDs now, that simple. When you need to do the passengers side, just extend your wires, there is plenty of room to run wires behind that middle console. I used a very common trick (learned this from cable installers) attach the wires you want to run to the end of your measuring tape and then you have something stiff to push through to where you can see light. My LEDs in the foot wells come on when the key is turned from "on" to "off" and when the door is first opened and the key isn't turned to "on" yet. They fade to off after about 5 secs with no activity. Alternatively you could wire a switch into the negative wire to a ground source, and then turn the lights on and off on command. I don't feel this is necessary though. Some folks wire it to the dome light, so it comes on and off with door only, do it to suit yourself. I just found that my method was dead easy, simple and quick. You also can hide a tiny LED easier than a bulky neon. I just double side taped mine to the inside of my middle console, there are lots of flat surfaces there that open up to the foot wells. The lights shine from the center outwards as a result and since this is where the wiring is hidden it contains the whole process.

the shift boot will go as soon as i can find a blue boot that has a style ring, becasue most are elastic type and wont fit under the ring, the style ring screws it into the stock ring so it wont come out

Only the LE models will have the lighted ring around ignition. The wires for the dome light go up the A pilar near the driver (panel pops out and back in easily) If using L- E- D remember to use resistors and observe polarity. I would be careful not to draw too much current from this source as it is driven by the ECM. CW

ah, i didnt take my car apart to install the neons, and i just ran a wire right from the battery to a lil fuse box mounted on the firewall and then from there it goes into my door, spits into my 4 switches and then off the the various things: strobes (needs 2 power sources, 1 constant and 1 remote. constant came from battery and remote comes from fuse) then my interior neons, underbody neons and the LED washer lights i never use anymore. its pretty simple. if u wanna see what im talkin about just go to the 'show off ur rides' part and look for blue 98 rolla day and night pix

as for ur shift boot, mine looked the same way, just go onto ebay and get a leather boot. i have a TRD knob to go with it, but it came with the short throw shift kit

I have 6" neons under both sides of the dash. You cant even see them unless u get on the floor. I had the place I get all my audio stuff from install them for me b/c I couldnt get the switch to work. They didnt even drill ne holes cept for the lil switch which was just a really small hole. They did zip ties to hold the neons up. U can take the zip ties and zip them to the wires already under ur dash and they are perfect. U cant see the tubes but it lites up the floorboards.

I put lights under the driver and passenger side, it took me only about 5 mins to place them, the hard wiring and removal of the center console, and wiring and mounting of the switches was just time consuming, but not hard. I also put lights under the two front seats so there is lots of light, but they are well hidden. My only advice is to not use the neon kits they sell for cars (the interior one, not the underbody kits). Go to a computer modding website (www.directron.com is one) and look for the Cold Cathode Florecent light kits. They are thinner than neon lights, so a bit easier to mount, they will last longer, and they are put together much better. I used neon under the dash and cold cathode everywhere else, and there is no comparison, the CC was way better, and brighter.

P.S. pick somewhere other than the center console compartment to mount your switches... it was kind of a pain... Lemme know if you want pics.

if u buy the thin 9 in neon tubes, they are light and small enough to fit on your firewall. As for mounting I just screwed the tubes, using included screws, into the padding material on the firewall. The lights will stay attatched as long as nobody tugs on them. Works 4 me.

how would you put the cold cathode florecent lights on..wire it to the cig lighter?