First I'm going to say I've searched around, and I can't find anything good answer. If there is already a thread, please give me the link!

I'm interested in doing something to get a nice glow from under the front seats. No where else, just the front seats. Would I be better off with a neon tube or just a couple leds? Would this even be possible, due to the fact the seats move and there will be wires?

If anyone has done this, or any other interior glow projects, I would love some input on how you did it, and what you used.

Thank you!!


Update - I just finished wiring up the lights. I went with the cold cathodes from Oznium.com. Needed two kits, one for each seat. Once it gets dark I'll take some pictures and post them up.
Well, here they are.




Not my legs or feet!! These would be the legs of the GUY who helped me instal them!

 

i would assume its def. possible if you set it up so that there is some extra wire allowing you to move the seat w/o a problem.

 

I have them in my car, I have them above your feet on the front seats basically under the dash, and attached to the underside of the back seats. Pretty easy to do, neon tubes are probably your best bet. There is a metal rod on the very back of the seat I attached mine too. I havent had any problems with wires while moving my seats. Any extra slack I had I twist tied to the underside of the seats.
If you want them more centered you may be able to get smaller sized ones and stick them into the metal grate under the seat and have them sit like that. Most of the ones you can buy just plug into a ciggarette lighter, I hard wired mine to my car to turn on and off with it.

 

use what halo told you and then there is a "how-to install led's cupholders" that could show you how to hardwire them and put them on a switch if you like.

 

Thanks everyone! I read the cupholder mod, and I think I could wire something up if I decide to go with led's. They seem to be the cheeper option and might be a bit cleaner install since I could make a switch instead of the cigarette lighter. Hmm... I'm kinda excited now to try this. First mod FTW!

 

I did it with LEDs and it's super easy to do. I took a piece of styrene plastic and velcrowed it to the floor under the seat. Then I mounted the LEDs to it that way I don't have to worry about the LEDs moving with the seat because they are stationary.

It's easy and a 10 minute job at most.

 

Use a neon license plate frame.

 

http://www.oznium.com/cathode-kit

get 1 or 2 of these kits ...there brighter then neons

 

On my old car (1994 Integra LS), I had blue neons under the dash, and smaller, 9 inch tubes under the seats. I just stapled them to the carpet on the bump on the floor, and ran the wires under the center console. It worked alright. Not quite sure if that'd work on a Cobalt or not.

 

Well, I just ordered one kit of these lights (2 lights total). http://www.oznium.com/cathode-kit

Purple! woo. And I talked with my car guys, and they can help me wire it into my car so I can just have a switch to turn it on and off. Except I want to put that switch in the little part where the trunk button is hidden. Should be fun.

 

good move, you wont regret ordering from phil at oznium .. just so you know.the two cathodes from the kit attach to a transformer (black box) via two white wires, you cannot extend those or you will loose alot of brightness, if they work at all

 

Yea. Good choice with Oznium.com . They have good things for really good prices. Plus, Phil (Owner) is a really good guy and lets you know how things are going the entire way through the order. Plus, really quick shipping.



EDIT:
VVVVV Beat me to it...LOL VVVVVVV

 

That's fine... I can put the box under the seat or even put it in under the part where the ebrake is... But can I extend the wire running from the box to wherever I'm going to tie it into the power if I need to??

 

sure can theres the power wire(red) and ground(black) that go into the box, then on the other side two sets of dual white wires give the power to the cathodes, the white ones are the ones that cant be extended

 

The box is really tiny, its not hard to hide. When you see it... It will have two wires that you can make longer and such (Ground and Power), but then you will have to plug in the lights (specialty connector). These ones you cannot extend, so... In essence, the box has to be within X (however long the white connector wire is) amount of feet of the Lights.
Hopefully that makes sense

Battery----------------------Tube
(Extendable) >Box< (Not Extendable)
Ground----------------------Tube

EDIT: Beat me to it again... Lol

 

Awesome. Now I just need to figure out how to get into the panels and whatnot to run the wires over to by the trunk button so I can hide the switch.

 

I'm super excited. I ordered the lights on Friday and they were in my mailbox on Monday. Sweet. I went with the lowest shipping costs, and it said 7-10 buisness days. More like 2. Awesome service, and if I ever need more I'll go back to them.

I'm going to install the lights tomorrow. I was reading some more, and I'm just going to do the fuse tap to get them power. Seems to be the simpliest way, and it won't cause any damage for when I go to trade it in. Now the only hard part will be getting the switch hooked up in the little drawer with the trunk button. Anyone have some advice for this??

 

I have used these in my computer case before and they are really nice. If I get these for my car, where would I have to run the wire from? I'd have to find somewhere in the front of the car and run the wire under to the seats?

 

a few companes sell the bendable LED tubes which might work well ..this way you can position them where you want under the seats instead of having to deal with large 10 inch tubes

 

hmm i might order from that site now also

 

Get a $5 cold cathode kit for lighting a computer.

Its like $5, most come with 2 long lights and they are already 12v.

 

has anyone used these cathodes for undercar lighting??

 

thats what i posted a link to, its like $6 there

and for using them as underbodys, you would need a bunch...its possable, on the site i posted they say you can seal the connections off with a silicone and it will be waterproof, but they will probably break under the car as there not the toughest things in the world

usually people use them inside the car, or under the hood/grill

btw any pics yet withnith?

 

Nope... Grrr. My friends that were going to help me had something come up. So it's going to be a couple days again till we can get them in. Oh well. So as soon as we can we will get them in. We looked, and putting the switch into the trunk pop will be super easy once we do it. That was my biggest concern. So as soon as I get them in I'll put up the pics.

 

if i want light underdash and under seat. what should i order? like two 4" tubes for underseat and two 12" tubes for underdash? or four 4" tubes?