15 replies to this topic

[skaterava]

Hi all, i was in Calais for the bank holiday and as we were relaxing by the seaside, i saw an old BMW 3 series drive past with blue under-car neon. This suddenly made me want neon for my Mini, but my respect for the classic nature of Minis kicked in , so instead i'm planning on fitting interior neon. What i want to know though, is where are good places to mount the tubes? somewhere that they'll be out of sight, but still provide good lighting to the footwells, preferably in the front and back.

On another note, has anyone actually fitted under-car neon to a Mini?

Thanks

[redhotminilewis]

I had the same idea a few months back and I was gunna put two tubes under rear passengers seats and one on each side under the dashboard rails. There out of way and would expect them to illuminate. Sufficiently. Or if you have door pockets maybe under then so they illuminate the inside when the door is closed and when you open them it would illuminate the floor outside when you get out. Just a few ideas.

[mini_mad69]

I made a thread about this a few months ago. Basicly you've sugested most places people have done it.

Try do something realy special if you going too do it.

[skaterava]

I was thinking of maybe getting music pulsating neon. Then buy a standard dashboard light swtich and wire it up to that, just so if I want to turn it off without turning off the ignition i can. If i ever get a subwoofer, i'll fit that in a perspex box in the boot, and fit some small 6" neon tubes that pulsate to the music too.

[skaterava]

Just had a look about and it seems no one has fitted under car neon to a classic mini. I know it ruins it, because it's something quite tacky on a classic car, but i'm surprised it's never been done.

[Brams96]

You could put them under the wheel arches which would light up the whole wheel arch area at night.
I used to have (in a different car) 2x12" subs mounted on 12mm perspex with the whole inside smoothed and painted white with 2 blue neons, it looked like the subs were floating when switched on, it was the dogs b**locks!!

[stormintrooper]

whats the legality of neon wheel arches?

[redhotminilewis]

Im pretty sure all exterior neons under or around the car is illegal although what the police dont know wont hurt you! thats if you can get away aswell if they do find out

but in the case of lights in the car i was taliking to a chap who had interior LED's he picked up at a mini show for £1 and in the dark they looked so good inside! he put them under the dashboard rails.

[dave21478]

The problem with underfloor neons is the the minis floor and sill shape dont leave anywhere out of the way to mount the tubes. Ideally the tubes should not be visible from the side, and just the glow they cast on the ground is what you see. Most modern cars have a recess behind the cills where tubes can be mounted, but this isnt possible on a mini. Plus, the low round clearance would likely have them crushed or ripped off at the first decent speed bump you encountered.

[dan_up850]

you could mount them in a bin? grundon perhaps?.....

[mini_mad69]

but in the case of lights in the car i was taliking to a chap who had interior LED's he picked up at a mini show for £1 and in the dark they looked so good inside! he put them under the dashboard rails.

Was that me? I put up a video of it somehwere.

The problem with underfloor neons is the the minis floor and sill shape dont leave anywhere out of the way to mount the tubes. Ideally the tubes should not be visible from the side, and just the glow they cast on the ground is what you see. Most modern cars have a recess behind the cills where tubes can be mounted, but this isnt possible on a mini. Plus, the low round clearance would likely have them crushed or ripped off at the first decent speed bump you encountered.

I completly agree. They work when you have a kit, or the sportspack sills. Although you can get thin stick on LED strips which are self adhesive. Stick these along the floor on a higher part eg above the ridges, and your onto a winner. Personally I don't like them on the exterior.

Although on the inside a dim glow can be tastefull. Hell the latest crop of german cars have them built in. I had some cheap blue/red leds in my footwells.



The thing you have too remember is that they create awfull glare across all of the windows and makes it very dangorous at night. I don't kow what this is like in other cars but in a mini it is terrible, I had some white LED bars used as courtesy lights and they were horrible while driving.

[miniroar]

I have a neon behind my front numberplate which is not visible but shines under the front of the car/engine with my angel eyes on at night at looks the biz, I have a zeemax kit so i'm looking to fit them in the back bumper aswell glowing through the mesh. I then have my amp for my sub mounted on the parcel shelf which I plan to cover with perspex and illuminate. In my old mini I made a custom dash where the whole passenger side was metal with biohazard symbols stamped out, I lit up behind this which looked like hell was behind my dash at night!! oohh yeah be creative!! A bonnet scoop neon is on my list aswell

[jplonie]

Just had a look about and it seems no one has fitted under car neon to a classic mini. I know it ruins it, because it's something quite tacky on a classic car, but i'm surprised it's never been done.

Take it you've never heard of the glow shows at mini events?? lol.

J

[skaterava]

Glow...shows? enlighten me.

Would mounting it just behind the grille look any good? so that the gaps in the grille glow blue at night the tube would probably melt though, being that close to the running engine

Edited by skaterava, 17 September 2009 - 05:51 PM.

[M44K TS]

i'm ashamed to admit at one stage i had 4 interior neons in my car, (i was 17 at the time and my tastes have changed!) I had 2 20" (i think) tubes on the inside of the door steps down by the sides of the seats and 2 small ones on the underside of the dash rails tucked at the back.

They only lasted 2 or 3 weeks before i realised how tacky they looked