strong bad

Well hell...if it's legal in TX, it's legal anywhere.

strong bad

Another thing...would blue LEDs look all right? It's my favorite color (I've got a winning blue also). I know that the console is mainly red, though, so don't know if they will clash. What do you guys think?

My key chain from the dealer included the little 'bulls-eye' LED in red. I switched that out with an ultra bright blue. Starting small on the mods, then working my way up lol

mikeb

I think it would look ok
my 8 is red and I changed all the interior lights to red and added two footwell red lights but I put 2 hyper white bulbs where the reading lights are next to the sunglasses holder and it looks fine

I didn't use red there because you wouldn't be able to see anything

mdmaclean

I was looking at the mirror on the RX-8 and thought... the mirror (if you have homelink/autodimming) has power, and the auto-dimming comes on with the ignition.

What would be neat would be to build a LED or array of LEDs which would be powered of the connector on the mirror. That would allow it to easily be added to any RX-8. If the LEDs were in in front of the mirror, you would not even see the addition from the seats in the car.

My wife's G35 has the same mirror, and I could buy two and put one in each car.

brothervoodoo

Someone actually had that idea too but instead used it to power his radar detector.

Efini 8

cheesy

LightEmUp

Rice, where are your underbody neons?

mdmaclean

I am actually making a non-rice suggestion. My post was not clear, but I was looking for the LEDs to point down to provide gentle red light around the radio and shifter. That would provide a similar effect to what an earlier poster has photos of. My BMW which I traded in had this kind of interior lighting when driving, and it was quite pleasant.

If you pointed the LEDs forward, that would be rice.

Omicron

Dugless, I think it looks great. Very subtle, functional, nice clean install. I think I may do it myself, but with a twist: 2 red leds, and 2 blue or white. Red when you want low light, Blue/White when you want more. Oh, and a different switch, 2 way, lower profile.

Question for you though... can you see the LEDs when they're on from the front of the car, through the front windshield?

Also, can you take a closer pic of the lights when they're off, during the daytime?

Unser

Great ideas, here's my two pennies' worth:
I think the auto-dimming mirror comes on only when the lights are on, so the LEDs could run off that wire from the mirror, viola no switch needed !

Dugless

You can't see them from the front.

Outlaws eXtreme

Anyway we can have a SoCal OC meet so we can view these lights in person? Also if possible all the mods on mr Mikeb's car...

mikeb

lets do it

Outlaws eXtreme

Since it's going to rain pretty much this week.. and the next week most of us have work, want to all roll together up to the Auto Show on the 10th? :P RX-8 roll call!

BTW, I'm in Cerritos.

JeremyG

Dredging up an OLD post. My 04 that I bought in February has this "mod" done to it, in BLUE LEDs, but doesn't have an external switch. They turn on when you push the passenger side reading lights. I would also assume this made the install MUCH easier as I figure whoever did it just spliced into the switched wires for the existing lights.

It's a VERY nice looking install, for a while I thought it was stock until I saw other cars that didn't have them.