LED Trunk Lighting
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LED Trunk Lighting
With the black lining and small opening, the trunk in my CLK550 cabriolet is always hard to see into. There is only one small light in the left corner, and there's often something blocking it. So, I went down to Advance Auto, and bought a few sets of flexible LED lighting. I wired them into the exiting light and...WOW! What a difference! I didn't take any before pics (just image a black photo with no light 
) but here are the afters:
) but here are the afters:
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Yep - I used a "vampire tap" on the wire for the existing light. There are ground terminals on either side of the trunk. The LED strips came with about 2 feet of wire each, so all I had to do was run one extra 12v+ lead across to the right side.
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@Andy: LOL! Yeah, I though about putting some pink and green flashing LEDs in the cabin foot wells, but after buying two cases of Mobile 1 oil for the next B service on the C and CLK, I ran out of money! :P
I know these are definitely "ricer" lights, but the way I have then in the trunk, they just illuminate it - you can't see them when standing and looking down into it - it's just nice, bright light. I had to get down on the floor to take those pics showing them. For you guys with coupes it's not as bad because your light is under the hat shelf, but in the cabriolet, that light is in the back left corner and any item in there is going to block it. And remember - I'm an old guy and my eyesight is going. Hell, a few weeks ago, I went to Costco and bought some wine and ended up leaving two bottles in the trunk. The way I drive, I'm lucky they didn't break back there and make the whole car smell like booze (just what I need - another reason for Bubba the cop to pull me over).
Oh, and to answer your question, about $10K - that's what we paid in 1990 for our new Civic sedan. It's too bad Honda doesn't still make those - that was one fun little car! Low to the ground, light and (for it's time and price) fairly quick. It wasn't my pick - it was my wife's (who has the most eclectic taste in cars) but it really turned out to be a great car.
I know these are definitely "ricer" lights, but the way I have then in the trunk, they just illuminate it - you can't see them when standing and looking down into it - it's just nice, bright light. I had to get down on the floor to take those pics showing them. For you guys with coupes it's not as bad because your light is under the hat shelf, but in the cabriolet, that light is in the back left corner and any item in there is going to block it. And remember - I'm an old guy and my eyesight is going. Hell, a few weeks ago, I went to Costco and bought some wine and ended up leaving two bottles in the trunk. The way I drive, I'm lucky they didn't break back there and make the whole car smell like booze (just what I need - another reason for Bubba the cop to pull me over).
Oh, and to answer your question, about $10K - that's what we paid in 1990 for our new Civic sedan. It's too bad Honda doesn't still make those - that was one fun little car! Low to the ground, light and (for it's time and price) fairly quick. It wasn't my pick - it was my wife's (who has the most eclectic taste in cars) but it really turned out to be a great car.
