This is the third car I have put underdash lights in for under $10, so I'll let everyone here in on how it's done.

Materials you need that I did not include in the price:

1. Solder iron (or gun, but irons are easier) and solder (SN63 is best, but any solder will work)
2. Some type of wire, speaker wire works well.
3. Some type of screw to mount the lights
4. Drill and drill bits to make the holes for the screws (not necessary, but it makes it easier.)

Materials included in the price:

1. 2 (or more, depending on where/what your specific application is) clearance lights. I bought these from walmart, I think for around 2.50 a piece. Call it 3.
2. some type of switch to control the lights. I also bought this at walmart. they have the lights and the switches in the automotive section. Cost Around $2. call it 3 again because I'm not sure of the exact price.

$9 in materials, unless you don't have a soldering iron. Irons and solder are relatively cheap, around $20 for a decent iron I believe, so if you don't have one, it's a good investment to get one. Once you get good with it you'll find yourself needing it more and more often. I even used one to fix the cable that controls my heater valve.

A 40 watt iron is my recommendation, if you do get one. but something like this would get the job done.

http://www.radioshack.com/sm-15-watt...i-2062728.html

And here is a picture of the clearance/marker light that I used.

 

Part II: starting the work.

The lights I used have a black wire coming from them that is the hot wire, and they have a metal tab that serves as the ground..when mounted to metal. This is the first part where the soldering iron comes in. All you need to do is bend up the little metal tab, and solder a wire to it. I use around 3 feet or so of speaker wire so I know for sure that I have enough length to make it. you can always cut off excess.


Bend up the tab:


and solder a wire to it.

If you don't have a soldering iron, it is possible to just wrap the wire around the metal and have it held in place by the screw, but a solder joint is more reliable.

Next you need to extend the hot lead. this is another place where the iron comes in. I just take more speaker wire, twist it together with the lead, heat it with the iron, and solder the wires together, and cover the bare wire with electrical tape.

Picture of the wires soldered together:

 

Part III:Moving on to the Car.

This is really easy work to do. You want to start by looking over the car, scoping out where you want the switch and where you want the lights. Keep in mind that the location of the lights will effect the passengers being able to see the light (it's best if the lights are hidden, obviously) and the passenger possibly hitting the light with their foot.

I decided to put my switch right under the left hand vent.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...g?t=1178584847

and the lights, I decided to mount right near the courtesy lights.


After you have planned out the locations for the lights and switch, it's time to remove the panels. I'm not going to go into depth with that, it's just a few bolts and they fall right off.

Now the drill comes into play. Place the light where you want it in the panel and drill where one of the screws will go, making sure not to drill too wide of a hole. Install the screw, and drill a hole for the second screw. Now take out the screw you put in and drill a hole large enough to route the wires through. Slide the wires under the light and threw the hole, and screw in the light.

the same basic concept applies for the switch, pick a spot, drill, mount.

 

Part IV: Routing the wires and wiring the lights/switch.

Wiring:this is relatively easy. Just run a wire to the fuse panel. there will be a few empty spaces on the fuse panel, some labeled "batt" and others labeled "IGN". the IGN is hot whenever the key is set to run, BATT is hot at all times. so if you want them to work anytime you want, hook the wire up into one of the "batt" spots, and up to th IGN spot if you only want power to the switch when the key is set to run.

the wire that goes to the fuse panel is run to the switch. Connect one of the poles of the switch to the wire that goes into the fuse panel. The hot leads from the lights will be wired to the other pole of the switch.

the ground wires can be connected to any solid ground, which are very plentiful. Ground the wire to the closest possible ground to each individual light. My passenger side light is grounded to the defroster relay, whatever you can find that is nearby.

As far as routing the wires, this is not hard at all. Just route them behind the kick panels, on the inside. The passenger side is a little more difficult, but the wire can be easily snaked behind the radio pod and will never be seen.
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Part V: Have fun, be original!

Other than putting it all back together, you're done!

You can also put lights just about anywhere else, be creative!

I put some in my vents.

 

the finished product!! It looks way better at night and in person, but here it is.

 

very nice! ill be doing this. ive been wanting to but havent got around to it. cool write up ill be using your method. really appreciate it man!

 

Nice write up! Love the vent lights...Im gonna do that now.
--This is how did mine...cost about $20 w/LED's, wire supplies, and lens housings.
I have the stock housings in my hush panels, but I did not like there location, so I got 2 "truck marker" lights that came w/red lens's and it came w/the 194 bulb and housing for $4 each!
-Found a good spot under the dash where they would be even on each side. Used my dremel (or if you have a hole saw) and cut a 1"1/4 hole in the panel to clear the marker housing and screwed it in place.
-Found out my fuse box does not have a hot all time slot (my circuit tester told me that, plus I used the plug and play meth...nothing!) So I tapped into a orange wire (the cig lighter since it was closest to my toggle switch)
-Ground went to a bolt on chassis (hush panel bolt seemed to work)
-For the toggle I drilled a hole w/my dremel (very careful) under the fog light/hatch release/defroster switches so it would illuminate my stereo & HAVC. I was going to tap into the dome ground, but I wanted these lights to be seperate.
-I did not solder, just used wire connecters/butts whatever you call em. Trust me, they aint coming off.
-used 5 star wedge 194 RED LED's from superbirightleds.com (very fast delivery)
-I did a comparison w/the standard bulb w/red lens vs. LED w/no lens and the LED won out no doubt!
-Btw, I have LED's in my map lights and dome light as well.

--see pix below for my results--

Pass side-

Driver side

Toggle switch (Illum RED)

My final result...


Just the floors lit up

close up

My fav pic..

 

Looks good! I really like where you put the switch, that was a great idea.

 

What's the idea behind illuminating your interior to epic proportions?

 

I'd suggest shrink tubing instead of electrical tape. The tape is a last resort. Shrink tubing can be bought at Wal Mart, in the same place as the switches and lights. All you need is a lighter then.

 

But that would bring the price to over $10!

Shrink tubing would work better, but I've personally never had problems with electrical tape.

The idea is that it's aesthetically pleasing. It's a matter of opinions. I personally, as well as many other people just think it's a cool thing to do. If you don't like it, I can respect that.

As for me, every time someone new is in my car at night and that switch gets flipped, they're in awe.

 

Every person I have showed this to in person have been like, "damn! I gotta do that to my car!". My neighbors kids call mine the "Darth Vader" car now.

 

Any problems with the popo, or can you not see the red outside of the car?

 

You can't really see them from outside, and as of now I have never been pulled over in my Trans Am.

 

Very good thread. Is it hard to wire it though?

 

Nope, pretty easy to do, just have to decide where to mount, what kind of lights, etc. If you have ever done even a little stereo work on a car (running wires, splicing, etc) this will be easy. And if you have never done it, it would be a good learning experience....just follow the instructions in this thread and if you run into probs, just ask here...

 

Okay, sounds good. Is there anyway I wouldn't have to drill holes in my interior though, like using double sided tape?

 

You could, just get under there and eyeball it, ideas will start popping in your head. Dbl sd tape will not hold up in heat, besides a few small holes will not be noticed depending on the style of light. Go to the auto parts store and start looking at light housings etc (marker lights, things like that). Could also fab up a metal bracket to mount the bulb and its housing to w/ 1 screw.....you could do this & that and so on....

 

I just dont want to drill holes in my car because I dont want to have to fix it if I decide I dont like them anymore.

 

Try the tape method, you never know it could work pretty good....just get some strong stuff! (then you'll have to deal w/the sticky mess if you dont like it....i.e. Goo Gone).

 

I used double sided tape to install the lights on my Grand Prix. It worked, but eventually they did fall down, and even so, it's necessary to drill a hole for the wires. I don't think you'd want exposed wired under the dash panels. If you have any doubts about wanting to keep the lights, you could just go to a junk yard and buy some panels, mount them on them and store the originals in the attic or something.

 

Few more....