michaeljclark Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I fully expect to be mocked and banished for ever, but I shall ask anyway. Do any of my fellow 7 owners have interior lighting in their 7's that they will own up to 😬 I've been thinking about it and was considering running a fused connection via a spare spade on the ingnition, to a switch of some sort and then to a LED strip light of some sort mounted on or rear the dash. Or I could run it via the transmission tunnel straight to the battery - exactly how tricky is this ? I read a lot of "just ran the cable down via the transmission tunnel to the engine bay" - it it really just a matter of popping the front of the car or axle stands /ramps and having a "ferret"?) P.S Would some old 13amp mains flex be OK? (Hides under desk at such a suggestion) Mike  07 Plated RoadSport SV 150 in Red with Black nose band and stripe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumster Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Michael, I bought one of these in black and a velcro disc. The hook folds away into the back of the torch, I placed a carefully cut-away velcro disc on the back of the torch (enabling hook to still be used) and stuck some velcro on the front bulkhead above the tunnel. This is where it lives most of the time, but as it's only stuck on with velcro then I have a handy torch complete with magnet and a hook when I need one.  A bit Heath Robinson but for ease and a few quid it does me fine  Chris Alston C7CAT Supersprint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul jacobs Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Well, I may be a soft Sevener now, 'cause I've done just that. I've situated an interior light behind the dash on the passenger side, so that it is out of sight, but easy to switch on/off, and it not only illuminates the passenger seat and footwell, but will act as a map reading light too, [though not too bright, better than nothing]. I took a connection off something live behind the dash, via an in line fuse, and put it through the switch and earthed the other side to something metal. I can't remember the exact contacts as I did it over 5 years ago. Probably best to use auto wire, but I can't see why 13a mains wire wouldn't do the trick, although a bit stiff and thick.   Paul J.  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboylaw Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thin wall automotive cable or trailer cable is much better.  Do you want this on a switch so you can turn it off etc? It would not be very difficult to do if you have any skill in electrics. take a feed from a fused supply that is switched by the ignition and run to a switch, then to the +Ve feed on the light strip then earth the -ve of the strip. Make sure the strip does NOT require a current limited supply (I.E an in-series resistor).    Jonathan ========================= My Flickr Gallery 92 Supersprint, Ford LSD LA, RK AX Crossflow. Stealth model (Matt Black and Ali), rebuild completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljclark Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Yes the idea was to be able to switch it on/off as needed  Chris I have something similar, but fancied something a bit more "flash" I guess Paul don't suppose you've got any pics? Jonathan, fair enough, I'll look at "proper" cable - just that I have about 5 meters of mains cable knocking about following some "work" on my HiFi system. I must say I wondered about some LED reverse lights or these on each side of the car, hooked up to a switch where by I could have drivers or driver+passenger lights on as needed Mike 07 Plated RoadSport SV 150 in Red with Black nose band and stripe Edited by - michaeljclark on 13 Jan 2011 17:54:33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Whitley Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought something like these and stuck one under the dash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 during my semi rebuild 2 years ago I went for a acewell dash and a naked carbon dash. I moved the switches to a little console under the dash on the tranny tunnel to keep them out of sight and weather.  I also mounted 2 red leds on the underside of the dash to illuminate the footwells -I always loose gloves, wallets, harness buckles etc down the footwells after I have parked up at night... I wired the leds to only illuminate on side lights  here is my Duratec R .... C7 TOP Taffia joint AO with Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageyH Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Dave, Did you fit any underneath the car as well?  Only dead fish go with the flow....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljclark Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Dave - I hadn't considered some red ones for the foot wells - interesting idea. Can anyone confirm if running cable from the dash to the engine bay via the tunnel top is as easy as its made out to be  Mike 07 Plated RoadSport SV 150 in Red with Black nose band and stripe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative IanW Posted January 13, 2011 Area Representative Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hi Mike, I installed a strip of LEDs from Maplin (white) under the lip of the dash. Fitted a switch on the dash from a 12V feed behind the dash to control them. Looks like this.   Regards, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnty Lyons Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I have a std Rally Flexi light mounted under dash on passenger side. Very useful for map and pace note reading especially on Touring holidays where a group of se7ens can be arriving latish at hotel. Incidentally also have socket for Pottie in there as well. Needed it coming into Frisco late one night finding our way down to Hotel on Fisherman's Wharf 😬 On early se7ens tours we used to provide detailed pace notes with explicit Tulip Diagrammes But they proved far to time consuming for org team to produce so are out of favour now Still have lots of beautifully bound mementoes to look back on.  Old enough to know better Senile enough not to care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted January 13, 2011 Leadership Team Share Posted January 13, 2011 I used a couple of these from Vehicle Wiring Products and fitted them to the inside side panels just above the knee area. Do it properly and buy 1mm thin-wall cable from Polevolt using the common colour coding to keep it all professional I took the feed from the ignition switch and fitted a dedicated switch on the dash. It's not soft, it's for those of us who actually use our cars in the dark 😬 They're so effective I'm thinking of adding a couple in the boot area on the same circuit. Stu. Edited by - sforshaw on 13 Jan 2011 20:18:15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Dave Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Ian W - very neat job  David Smitheram, Wiltshire (South) Joint AR, 07718 368173. 1600 supersport race car www.racelife.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljclark Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks everyone 😬 I have some food for thought! Mike Edited by - michaeljclark on 13 Jan 2011 20:57:27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeandlizzy Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I have installed electroluminescent panels under the dash. They weigh nothing (like a few pieces of paper put together) and make a nice looking light... geeky, but perfectly suited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin J Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Dave - I hadn't considered some red ones for the foot wells - interesting idea. Caterham Ghia 😳 Looking forward to the next (less icy) Sunday blat Michael  Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljclark Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Ooh a GHIA - Anyone got any spare badges?? 😬 Sure am Martin - just as long as it's not the weekend of the 20th Feb - wedding planning going on. Mike 07 Plated RoadSport SV 150 in Red with Black nose band and stripe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Golf Juliet Tango Posted January 13, 2011 Area Representative Share Posted January 13, 2011 I plan to put courtesy lights in the footwells when I put the cockpit back together on the 21. Yes they will illuminate the footwells, yes they will be operated conventionally by the doors andhave a switch (probably on the steering column. I got the parts from CBS - these.  Democratic dissent is not disloyalty, it is a positive civic duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hi Mike, I'm happy to own up to it. I got a £20 Halfords voucher once and bought two small blue neon tubes. I put them in the Pug 306 foot wells, wired up to turn on when you open the door (courtesy light?). Looked the dog's danglies. It was so chavvy in its brilliance 😬 A couple of these bad boys and the jobs a good'un 😬 😬 😬 John _________________________ myothercarsa2cv Bugsy: '82 2cv6 😬 Talloulah '08 1.6K Classic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 One of the guys at the leics / notts meet (John) has rigged up a lamp with a plug that fits into his 12v outlet socket - no good if you need light and satnav at the same time 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazerBrain Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Can anyone confirm if running cable from the dash to the engine bay via the tunnel top is as easy as its made out to be  Mike - I don't recall it being difficult. If the cable is relatively stiff you can push it through the grommet at the front of the tunnel top making sure it heads towards the front of the car, then from the engine bay reach your hand above the gearbox and pull it through. No jacking of the car is needed. Make sure you secure the cable so it doesn't wander around - cable tie it to part of the loom perhaps. I did try self adhesive cable tie bases, but they don't tend to stay stuck for very long. 😔 cheers, Darren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljclark Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 John 😬 excellent, believe me if the 7 had door switches....... I had thought about such rigging something up, but I'll thinking small steps to begin with. I'll admit to having Neon lighting in a Gaming PC Rig many moons ago. Darren thanks for the info I shall have a look tomorrow 07 Plated RoadSport SV 150 in Red with Black nose band and stripe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljclark Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Well I ventured forth into Maplin and purchased a 1m length of their LED flexible strip lighing and a soldering iron With only one burnt finder (1st time I've used a soldering iron in 15 years), I've got this far: 7 with lighting  At the moment it's wired to come one with the instrument lighting - via the connectors for the instrument lighting on the side light switch (if you look hard it's not in the dash - it's just a "bodge" at the moment), but I want to get an individual switch (maybe one of these from Car Builder Solutions, so that I can switch it off if it's not needed. There is a small matter of cutting into a carbon fibre dash 😳 The cable is running between a large "gap" I found between the dash and the side of the scuttle, with the SVA rubber strip attached to the scuttle it's neatly hidden away and you can't see it - the SVA strip also keeps the LED's in place (the strip has double sided tape that I could use but am not using at the moment). It's quite bright - the blackberry photo doesn't do it justice - But I must say that (as long as it doesn't blow the car up) I'm jolly impressed with myself!!!! Mike 07 Plated RoadSport SV 150 in Red with Black nose band and stripe Edited by - michaeljclark on 15 Jan 2011 23:42:39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 PIMP  John _________________________ myothercarsa2cv Bugsy: '82 2cv6 😬 Talloulah '08 1.6K Classic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I put a 1" dia white LED lamp in a rubber grommet into the triangular under dash trims each side, complete with a small rocker switch alongside them - that way there is no cutting of the dash. And if you remove them for any reason, you'd have to be really looking to see the holes. I saved cutting the dash for the switches for the heated seats and the power switch for the Autocom, complete with red warning LED to remind me to turn it off. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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