TA hood light mod idea
TA hood light mod idea Ok so I've seen the mod where you install lights under the hood to light up the ram air openings on TA's with a WS6 style hood. What I wanted to do was basically that but I want the light to progressively get brighter as the engine rpm's got higher. The light would be amber in color to simulate the look of a fire under the hood but as the rpm's climb the light would get brighter and brighter, and then dim to almost nothing when at idle. This would obviousley look better on a black TA but I still think it would be somewhat original and cool looking on my white bird. So how do I make this work, what are your suggestions?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Smithville, TN
I'm not absoluutely sure about this, but i don't belive you will be able to make that work. The electronics of a car run off a dc battery with constant voltage and i think you would need an ac voltage source to accomplish this. We have some pilot lights at work that do just what you're wanting for our generators, but once again, that is an ac voltage source. I'll try to get my hands onsome prints from work and see if i can help you out. And if i'm completely wrong.....my bad. haha. By the way, where are you in tn?
You could probably do it and run off of a tach signal wire, and have a line level attenuator (sp?) to adjust the voltage and current to what you need. If my understanding is right, the tach works by a varying amount of voltage, and that would be your ideal signal source, your problem is just going to be figuring out a way to boost (or drop) the voltage to what you need.
I don't want to burst your bubble, but I think you'd end up WAY over your head unless you've got a lot of electronics experience. Also, I'd guess a lot of the cars with underhood lights use LED's, and variable LED's are $$$. For example, a flashlight with variable output LED's is typically $200 and up.
I don't want to burst your bubble, but I think you'd end up WAY over your head unless you've got a lot of electronics experience. Also, I'd guess a lot of the cars with underhood lights use LED's, and variable LED's are $$$. For example, a flashlight with variable output LED's is typically $200 and up.
Last edited by jimbo98z; Sep 26, 2009 at 12:03 AM.
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Smithville, TN
You could probably do it and run off of a tach signal wire, and have a line level attenuator (sp?) to adjust the voltage and current to what you need. If my understanding is right, the tach works by a varying amount of voltage, and that would be your ideal signal source, your problem is just going to be figuring out a way to boost (or drop) the voltage to what you need.
I don't want to burst your bubble, but I think you'd end up WAY over your head unless you've got a lot of electronics experience. Also, I'd guess a lot of the cars with underhood lights use LED's, and variable LED's are $$$. For example, a flashlight with variable output LED's is typically $200 and up.
I don't want to burst your bubble, but I think you'd end up WAY over your head unless you've got a lot of electronics experience. Also, I'd guess a lot of the cars with underhood lights use LED's, and variable LED's are $$$. For example, a flashlight with variable output LED's is typically $200 and up.
Thanks all for your input, sequential leds would probably be to slow for what I'd like to actually see happen.So far I think jimbo98z has the closest idea for what I need to do. I would be over my head since all I know how to do is splice wires but I've got a few spark chaser friends that might be able to help me out. If not I can always search around locally for the best car audio or car electrician and get more input. This mod is not a must do right now but eventually when I finish the paint scheme I have in mind I think it would tie in real nicely and I want something original also. The sound sensitive leds might work but it depends how fast the brighten and dim.
I am stationed at Ft. Campbell KY and live in Clarksville
Also registered on the TNfbody site as HookerZ28(TA)
By the way, where are you in tn?
Also registered on the TNfbody site as HookerZ28(TA)
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Smithville, TN
Oh ok. i think i've seen you over on that site. I actually bought my car from a M.P. up there. Like i said earlier though, i'll try to look at some electrical prints at work and then try to see what i can find out about our car's electrical and i might be able to come up with something for ya.
Cool, thanks for the help. If I'm able to get this to work I'll post up another thread on it with pics and a video. I looked into the sound activated leds and this might also work but I would have to use different lights to progressively light up brighter as the rpms got higher. Or maybe use a long strip of lights and have them come on sequentially starting at the back of the row closest to the firewall. This might give it the dim to bright sequence I'm looking for. Well more input if you all have any, thanks again everyone.
