Your Ride: GM Pictures & Videos Post pictures, sounds, and VIDEOS of Your GM Vehicle. We want to see 'em! (Any picture or video files must be posted on a server somewhere to be linked here). Also post pics of Regional or National meets.

My Latest and Greatest Appearance Mod

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-15-2011, 11:30 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Posts like a Northstar
Thread Starter
 
YoungGunLs1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
YoungGunLs1 is on a distinguished road
Cool My Latest and Greatest Appearance Mod

Well not sure if it'* my "Greatest" Appearance mod, as I have many that I have done that have really made my car unique..but anyways...

Today I was in the process of removing my Halo'* from my fog lights as a cement wall ran into me the other day and broke one of them. Since I now have nothing cool and unique on the front of my car to make it stand out at night until they get here I decided to make some changes.

I took the license plate cover off and drilled holes along the letters in the way so that it looks similar to the honeycomb grill on the car. Since I already had the letters painted black, you really don't even see the holes in the light as the holes make the letters black since it is just darkness behind them. I went ahead touched up the parts that I didn't drill with black paint again to make everything look nice.

I had some led strips laying around that I had used when I did the lights over my license plate. I decided to wire a couple of them to the fog lights so that I can run them with the switch (I have no bulbs in my fogs anymore since I have done the halos instead). I then put the strips behind the plate cover directly behind the drilled out letters. It looked OK, but you could see the single LED'* shinning through and it made it basically unreadable.

This is the kind of lights I used, so you can imagine how it looked seeing the bright individual led'* behind some letters..a mess:

Name:  P2150038.jpg
Views: 149
Size:  49.3 KB

I then moved the strips so that one was above the letters and one below. It looked really good since you could read the letters now, however it just wasn't bright enough, especially when I had the headlights on and shinning right at me.

I tried to think of how to fix this and when I was sitting in my car looking at my dash/gauges all lit up I thought..."hey, there are bulbs directly behind here and you can't see them individually because there is a transparent coating over the letters/numbers that evenly transmits the light"

So I figured all I needed was some transparent material to put over the back of the letters. I knew then what I needed to do. I went inside and got a wax paper baking sheet (things you put on your pans when baking things) and cut a piece to put over the letters. I put the cover back on and here are the results:









And the biggest thing was now it was bright enough so that you can see it with the headlights shinning in your face too.

Name:  P2150032.jpg
Views: 146
Size:  30.7 KB

Name:  P2150035.jpg
Views: 151
Size:  31.0 KB

It looks really cool in person and the wife thought it was cool. I think it was definitely a worthwhile modification. I need to drill out a couple of the holes in the "P" to let some more light in as you can see it looks almost like a D right now. Once I get new halos put in and I drill out the holes I will take more pictures, it should look better yet I think.

Let me know your thoughts
Old 02-15-2011, 11:54 PM
  #2  
-- SITE DONATOR --
True Car Nut
 
ymmot04's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 4,638
Received 6 Likes on 5 Posts
ymmot04 is a glorious beacon of lightymmot04 is a glorious beacon of lightymmot04 is a glorious beacon of lightymmot04 is a glorious beacon of lightymmot04 is a glorious beacon of lightymmot04 is a glorious beacon of light
Default

I like it! Almost seems like the light just doesn't quite make it to the bottom of the P on Pontiac. I wonder if the extra hole will fix that or just make it more apparent.
Old 02-16-2011, 12:00 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
True Car Nut
 
Buick96's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,344
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Buick96 is on a distinguished road
Default

that is sexy
Old 02-16-2011, 03:51 AM
  #4  
Senior Member
Posts like a Northstar
 
Nobotada84's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Nobotada84 is on a distinguished road
Default

NICE bro!
Old 02-16-2011, 04:08 AM
  #5  
Senior Member
True Car Nut
 
radomirthegreat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 4,606
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
radomirthegreat is on a distinguished road
Default

It looks great! That'* a fantastic idea.
Old 02-16-2011, 07:03 AM
  #6  
Retired Senior Admin

Expert Gearhead
 
Danthurs's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sheboygan Wisconsin
Posts: 29,661
Likes: 0
Received 29 Likes on 25 Posts
Danthurs is a name known to allDanthurs is a name known to allDanthurs is a name known to allDanthurs is a name known to allDanthurs is a name known to allDanthurs is a name known to all
Default

Love it, but why does the last LED on the P look different.
Old 02-16-2011, 07:49 AM
  #7  
Senior Member
True Car Nut
 
Jonpro03's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Danville, Illinois
Posts: 2,469
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Jonpro03 is on a distinguished road
Default

Very cool.
Old 02-16-2011, 09:43 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
Posts like a Northstar
Thread Starter
 
YoungGunLs1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
YoungGunLs1 is on a distinguished road
Default

The P looks the way it does because I have to drill the hole out better. I might have to adjust the LED Strips behind the letters a bit so it is down lower and towards that corner. It was getting late and I needed to quit for the night, but I will most likely mess around with it some tonight again.
Old 02-16-2011, 09:44 AM
  #9  
Senior Member

True Car Nut
 
sseidriver97's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Portage mi
Posts: 7,124
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
sseidriver97 is on a distinguished road
Default

Looks good man thats a sweet idea
Old 02-16-2011, 10:34 AM
  #10  
BANNED
True Car Nut
 
MouSe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Usa
Posts: 5,989
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
MouSe is on a distinguished road
Default

How much to make my cover look like that?



Quick Reply: My Latest and Greatest Appearance Mod



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:30 PM.