Pimping my Cobra with red interior lights...

I know, what the hell am I thinking, right?

But I did it just for the hell of it.

Thing is, can anyone tell me if my car is going to catch on fire? lol

The Ford interior lights have little wire rings that fit around some little metal prongs that hold the bulb in place. I didn't know this when I bought the replacement parts.

The replacement bulb has no little loops to hold the bulb in place, but rather just metal tips on each end of the bulb.

They don't really stay in place between the metal pieces that hold the bulb. So, I took a small screw driver and made a small hole in each end of the metal prongs so the metal tips on the bulb fit and stay in place.

It seems to work. No fires. Yet.

I'm not anticipating any problems, but when I went to start the car, it just went click click click. Seems the battery died. Or killed itself in protest. I tried to jump it and it couldn't be brought back to life. Funny that should happen today.

Thanks for listening.

Brad

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:57:05 GMT, "Brad and Karen"
> wrote:

>I know, what the hell am I thinking, right?
>
>But I did it just for the hell of it.
>
>Thing is, can anyone tell me if my car is going to catch on fire? lol
>
>The Ford interior lights have little wire rings that fit around some little metal prongs that hold the bulb in place. I didn't know this when I bought the replacement parts.
>
>The replacement bulb has no little loops to hold the bulb in place, but rather just metal tips on each end of the bulb.
>
>They don't really stay in place between the metal pieces that hold the bulb. So, I took a small screw driver and made a small hole in each end of the metal prongs so the metal tips on the bulb fit and stay in place.
>
>It seems to work. No fires. Yet.
>
>I'm not anticipating any problems, but when I went to start the car, it just went click click click. Seems the battery died. Or killed itself in protest. I tried to jump it and it couldn't be brought back to life. Funny that should happen today.
>
>Thanks for listening.
>
>Brad

Sounds like your car is trying to tell you something. Maybe it's
ashamed to be seen in public with those red lights. Afraid that next
you'll be cruising the gay red light districts. Or perhaps running an
illicit business out of your car. That it's afraid that on one of
those sleazy streets, a cops spot light will bring the attention of
the entire world. Remember! Cars have feelings, too. :0)

"Brad and Karen" > wrote in news:55ejk.140884
$gc5.107851@pd7urf2no:

> Thanks for listening.

I won't do it again if you don't format your newsreader properly. Set the
line length at 76, and stop trying to post HTML to Usenet.

"Spike" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:57:05 GMT, "Brad and Karen"
> > wrote:
>
>>I know, what the hell am I thinking, right?
>>
>>But I did it just for the hell of it.
>>
>>Thing is, can anyone tell me if my car is going to catch on fire? lol
>>
>>The Ford interior lights have little wire rings that fit around some
>>little metal prongs that hold the bulb in place. I didn't know this when I
>>bought the replacement parts.
>>
>>The replacement bulb has no little loops to hold the bulb in place, but
>>rather just metal tips on each end of the bulb.
>>
>>They don't really stay in place between the metal pieces that hold the
>>bulb. So, I took a small screw driver and made a small hole in each end of
>>the metal prongs so the metal tips on the bulb fit and stay in place.
>>
>>It seems to work. No fires. Yet.
>>
>>I'm not anticipating any problems, but when I went to start the car, it
>>just went click click click. Seems the battery died. Or killed itself in
>>protest. I tried to jump it and it couldn't be brought back to life. Funny
>>that should happen today.
>>
>>Thanks for listening.
>>
>>Brad
>
> Sounds like your car is trying to tell you something. Maybe it's
> ashamed to be seen in public with those red lights. Afraid that next
> you'll be cruising the gay red light districts. Or perhaps running an
> illicit business out of your car. That it's afraid that on one of
> those sleazy streets, a cops spot light will bring the attention of
> the entire world. Remember! Cars have feelings, too. :0)

I know. I was *honestly* tempted to put the original bulbs back in
today, just to see if it started. LOL.

Brad

On Jul 28, 2:57*am, "Brad and Karen" > wrote:
> I know, what the hell am I thinking, right?
>
> But I did it just for the hell of it.
>
> Thing is, can anyone tell me if my car is going to catch on fire? *lol
>
> The Ford interior lights have little wire rings that fit around some little metal prongs that hold the bulb in place. I didn't know this when I bought the replacement parts.
>
> The replacement bulb has no little loops to hold the bulb in place, but rather just metal tips on each end of the bulb.
>
> They don't really stay in place between the metal pieces that hold the bulb. So, I took a small screw driver and made a small hole in each end of the metal prongs so the metal tips on the bulb fit and stay in place. *
>
> It seems to work. No fires. Yet. *
>
> I'm not anticipating any problems, but when I went to start the car, it just went click click click. Seems the battery died. Or killed itself in protest. I tried to jump it and it couldn't be brought back to life. Funny that should happen today.
>
> Thanks for listening.
>
> Brad

Don't forget to hang a bullfighter painted on black velvet from the
mirror.

sorry, late to this thread:

isn't the theory of red light that it doesn't destroy your night
vision? I know that's the story Studebaker used when they went to red
gauge lights in '63.....supposedly what aircraft used, at least then.

my '64 Avanti had regular size gauge bulbs with red "filters" over
them: looked like little red condoms. Don't know if gays use red
condoms - I thought they were fond of green which was more a Plymouth
thing and there may be significance to that.

my later Avanti's reverted to regular gauge lighting......the 4
"courtesy lights" were normal. but when you drove at night the the
consoles were bathed in red light beamed down from a lamp under the
dash. I don't recall having to fight off solicitations from either
persuasion, although I may have misunderstood it whenever people asked
me what kind of ride it was.


btw: currently have an '06 Mustang and '06 Five Hundred: the 'stang
isn't driven much, but have to start it at least every 2 weeks or the
battery goes limp (electrics have been checked-out and supposedly OK).
The Five Hundred went dead once overnight with no explanation. Maybe
Fords tend to reject all those foreign parts........funny, the 'stang
keeps its radio presets, but have had to reprogram the windows,
time....and the tranny is ambivalent until it figures out how it hard
I'm going to ride it,.

On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 08:15:00 -0400, (Itsfrom Click)
wrote:

>
>sorry, late to this thread:
>
> isn't the theory of red light that it doesn't destroy your night
>vision? I know that's the story Studebaker used when they went to red
>gauge lights in '63.....supposedly what aircraft used, at least then.
>
> my '64 Avanti had regular size gauge bulbs with red "filters" over
>them: looked like little red condoms. Don't know if gays use red
>condoms - I thought they were fond of green which was more a Plymouth
>thing and there may be significance to that.
>
> my later Avanti's reverted to regular gauge lighting......the 4
>"courtesy lights" were normal. but when you drove at night the the
>consoles were bathed in red light beamed down from a lamp under the
>dash. I don't recall having to fight off solicitations from either
>persuasion, although I may have misunderstood it whenever people asked
>me what kind of ride it was.
>
>
>btw: currently have an '06 Mustang and '06 Five Hundred: the 'stang
>isn't driven much, but have to start it at least every 2 weeks or the
>battery goes limp (electrics have been checked-out and supposedly OK).
>The Five Hundred went dead once overnight with no explanation. Maybe
>Fords tend to reject all those foreign parts........funny, the 'stang
>keeps its radio presets, but have had to reprogram the windows,
>time....and the tranny is ambivalent until it figures out how it hard
>I'm going to ride it,.

Check out the instruments in an aircraft, like a jet fighter. Check
out what color filter a Navy Seal uses on his flashlight when he's
reading a map. Red. It's easier on the eyes at night. You can keep
your night vision. And, it doesn't register as easily with an opponent
scanning the area for you as a standard light source does. In the
pitch black, the light of a single candle can carry for miles.

On Tue, 5 Aug 2008 19:51:39 -0700 (PDT), Rich >
wrote:

>On Jul 28, 2:57*am, "Brad and Karen" > wrote:
>> I know, what the hell am I thinking, right?
>>
>> But I did it just for the hell of it.
>>
>> Thing is, can anyone tell me if my car is going to catch on fire? *lol
>>
>> The Ford interior lights have little wire rings that fit around some little metal prongs that hold the bulb in place. I didn't know this when I bought the replacement parts.
>>
>> The replacement bulb has no little loops to hold the bulb in place, but rather just metal tips on each end of the bulb.
>>
>> They don't really stay in place between the metal pieces that hold the bulb. So, I took a small screw driver and made a small hole in each end of the metal prongs so the metal tips on the bulb fit and stay in place. *
>>
>> It seems to work. No fires. Yet. *
>>
>> I'm not anticipating any problems, but when I went to start the car, it just went click click click. Seems the battery died. Or killed itself in protest. I tried to jump it and it couldn't be brought back to life. Funny that should happen today.
>>
>> Thanks for listening.
>>
>> Brad
>
>Don't forget to hang a bullfighter painted on black velvet from the
>mirror.
In Japan, the PI, etc, multi-colored Christmas tree lighs along with
a sort of lace with lace balls (dingle balls) every so many inches
around the windshield and back glass.

Spike wrote:
> On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 08:15:00 -0400, (Itsfrom Click)
> wrote:
>
>>
>> sorry, late to this thread:
>>
>> isn't the theory of red light that it doesn't destroy your night
>> vision? I know that's the story Studebaker used when they went to
>> red gauge lights in '63.....supposedly what aircraft used, at
>> least then.
>>
>> my '64 Avanti had regular size gauge bulbs with red "filters" over
>> them: looked like little red condoms. Don't know if gays use red
>> condoms - I thought they were fond of green which was more a
>> Plymouth thing and there may be significance to that.
>>
>> my later Avanti's reverted to regular gauge lighting......the 4
>> "courtesy lights" were normal. but when you drove at night the the
>> consoles were bathed in red light beamed down from a lamp under the
>> dash. I don't recall having to fight off solicitations from either
>> persuasion, although I may have misunderstood it whenever people
>> asked me what kind of ride it was.
>>
>>
>> btw: currently have an '06 Mustang and '06 Five Hundred: the
>> 'stang isn't driven much, but have to start it at least every 2
>> weeks or the battery goes limp (electrics have been checked-out
>> and supposedly OK). The Five Hundred went dead once overnight with
>> no explanation. Maybe Fords tend to reject all those foreign
>> parts........funny, the 'stang keeps its radio presets, but have
>> had to reprogram the windows, time....and the tranny is ambivalent
>> until it figures out how it hard I'm going to ride it,.
>
> Check out the instruments in an aircraft, like a jet fighter. Check
> out what color filter a Navy Seal uses on his flashlight when he's
> reading a map. Red. It's easier on the eyes at night. You can keep
> your night vision. And, it doesn't register as easily with an
> opponent scanning the area for you as a standard light source does.
> In the pitch black, the light of a single candle can carry for
> miles.

There is a chemical in the eyeball, visual purple (sic), that is
destroyed by exposure to full-spectrum light. It takes a while to
build back up, after an exposure, which you will notice as recovery of
night vision.* Red light doesn't affect the visual purple (as much) as
other wavelengths do. That's what I learned in school fifty-something
years ago. It may not longer be true.

Early in WWII navy ships were equipped with blue lights in areas
visible from off-ship, as someone who could make decisions decided
things looked pretty dark in blue light, so blue light would not be as
visible over the waters. Turns out blue light is among the wavelengths
most visible over distance. So, the bulb guy sold out of blue when
they were building ships, and sold out of red when they were refitted.
I learned that in school fifty-something years ago. It might be an
urban legend today, as well.

* Strange but true: the eye's curve of dark adaptation is nearly
identical to the curve of light intensity from full sun to full dark.
I learned that in school fifty years ago ...


--
Frank ess

Spike > wrote in
:

> Red. It's easier on the eyes at night.

Astronomers always use red light to read charts, etc. I remember covering
the flashlight with red tissue paper and a rubber band.

However, red is not all that good for seeing your gauges. I think Ford got
it right with their dim green lighting and flourescent orange needles.

Speaking of lighting, when I was a kid, one of my dad's friends had a 1940s
Chrysler. The speedometer lighting changed color according to the speed.
There were changes at 20, 35, 45, 55 and 65. Must have been done with a
sliding colorized plastic filter. I remember very well that the lights were
red over 65. Red = too fast, I guess.

I thought that was one of the coolest things ever. The color of the
lighting told you your speed range.