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My Custom Interior and Exterior Lighting

The "EXPLORER" setup in truck is very clean look. To bad i don't need it because i have a 91. Nice work and the best thing is that you made it yourself.
 



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Thank you very much RU MAN. And since I made it, it was very cheap...free in fact, thanks to my friend in the sign shop (my best bud Jason made it happen)!! I'm in college too man, I know what it's like.
 






The man with the router>

I am Jason, the co-creator of the lights. I would like to thank you all for your responses. I was the man with the excess to all the acrylic aluminum and the computerized router to create it. It was my idea for the front light. Stephen and I collaborated to get what you finally see today. I would call that one the 3 generating because there was one other box design that failed and 2 other less flashy faces that we made. The Explorer light was Stephen’s idea and I helped make it work. It took about a whole week for designing each light and making them work. And we had a dam good time doing it. For all of you asking how we did it I am going to say TRIAL & ERROR. That was how this whole thing came about. I can’t remember how man different designs we went threw before we finally got it right. Bit it happened and it seems to be a success I am always trying to think of something else to light up in that Explorer because I can’t seem to find any place in my 87 Ranger to do a light. This just goes to show you that when you have a good idea all it takes is you and your best bud to make it work.
 






Very well said J.
 






from Stephen S.
I have thought about marketing both of the lights, but I'm not sure where to begin. I mean, anyone who owns a new Ford with a single DIN aftermarket stereo in that huge hole may be interested, but that's sort of a small population. With that said, do you think a company would a company be willing to try it??

Marketing 101 lesson here LOL. Don't think in terms of FORD only! Your thinking 'locally', think 'globally'...(from Bio-Dome) How many vehicles out there have that type dash that you can manufacture a plate for? Ask people who put aftermarket stereos in their vehicles if they would like a plain black plate or this'''' personalized "______"(insert logo-name-'whatever'...). I'd choose the logo-plate.

As far as someone who would buy the idea and make them if you didn't... as long as there is a profit to be made and a market, why not? Do the suspension lifts they make for Explorers fit a Dodge? Nope. At least your design could be made so that with a bit of trimming or redesigning, could fit a multitude of different vehicles. Just something to think about.. Good luck.
 






stephen, hey, been a while since I replied.. if you find a way to turn your instrument cluster lights and such white let me know, that sounds like a cool mod. hey, would yuou happen to know what kind of bulb our front door lights take? are they 194s? and if so.. how do you get them out? I bought some blue 194s a long time ago for like $2 and I'd like to see em used at least once :P
 






I have turned my instument cluster lights blue. would also like to do that to the lights around the radio and doors if possible.
 






Goober, you make a good point and it was well recieved. Thank you very much. I'll talk to Jason about it and see if his shop would be interested, cause I need the shop for the materials and the equipment. I think it would be cool if we just made them here instead of selling the idea to a company, but I don't know how well that would work out. Seeing the response I got on this thread, I'm definitely looking into it.

DarkFox, I think it would be a cool mod too, turning the dash lights white. I've read somewhere on the boards that the stock blue color is a film on the back of the gauge cluster, so the lights back there are regular clear bulbs. I've got some bulbs that are burnt out anyway, so when I take the dash apart to change them, if I have the guts, I may look and see what that film is all about and if it can be changed. I'll let you know when I get to it. I'm pretty busy with school and I hate not having the time to "explore" the possibilities of my truck.

As for the door panel lights, I'm not sure what they are off the top of my head, but 194 sticks out for some reason. Your owner's manual will tell you for sure. That's where I found it in the first place. On my 95, the lens cover has a little slot on the outward side and it pops off real easy with a small screwdriver. The light bulb itself is just sitting in a small socket in the molded plastic of the door panel. Be careful not to push to hard putting the bulb back in. My sockets had a tendency to slip through their holes and behind the door panel. It took a little patience playing with a coat hanger to get em back out.
 






Brian8, I see you have a 95, like me. Aren't your dash lights already blue?? What did you change?
 






k, yea, I know what you mean about school, I've got alittle of that myself, but my main problem right now is moola, I'm VERY short.. used it all up around christmas on mods.

about the owners manual, heh, I dunno if I should trust it for bulb numbers, after the H3 foglight mistake.

btw, I emailed piaa along time ago about that mistake, no comment from them yet, I'm getting aggrivated.. think they're being rude? or just very very VERY busy?
 






I feel the money crunch too. Being a mechanical engineering major leaves little time for fun, much less a job.
About the owners manual, I believe that the door panel bulb number is right. I'm about to go to class now, so I'll check mine on my way out to get that number for you.
PIAA may already know about the mistake and just didn't respond to your email. I too have tried emailing PIAA and have run into a lot of trouble with my messages not getting through. Finally, after many tries I got one through and received a reply very quickly. Maybe you shoud try again; it couldn't hurt.
 






Stephen S no mine were white.
 






yea, I guess they do.. but the next time I look at their catalog it'd better not say h3!! ;) I did manage to repalce those bulbs, they are 194s, had to pull them out with plyers, but they did come out, my fingers are too fat for those little bulbs I guess :P I'll take some pics of the blue door lights tonight, they may look corny
 






Brian8, I wonder how we wound up with the same model year and different color dash lights. Do you have an Explorer Sport or something?? I wonder why they are different. I have the blue and I want white, and you had the white and changed to blue. How about that??
 






Possibly the person who had my truck before me changed it or something. Odd though, I thought they were all white!
 






piaa replied!!!!

Your factory fog lights may be one of two styles, the H3 or the 899. We do not know why ford did this, probably for some situation with suppliers. If yours is a 899 then we do not have a bulb for you, although we are looking into making some, no decision has been made yet.

Thank you for your business
John Leitl
Technical Department
http://www.piaa.com

__________________________________________________________
I haven't seen ANYONE yet with h3s.. who are they kidding?
 






DarkFox, did you send them another message or did they finally reply to your first message. Like I said, I got a reply very quickly when I finally got the message through.
 






this was my first message. hey, does anyone know a url to georgia state laws? or happen to know any reguarding # of headlights? I have 3 sets.. and people flash me all the time.. if its legal, heh, screw them, but if its illegal I may need to make an adjustment
 






STEPHEN like everyone else on this post has said I sweat the License Plate Holder on the Explorer. I am also a fan of the interior light above the headunit. We both have the exact same car...1995 Green Explorer Sport with the same Pioneer headunit. Whoever said that you should market these two ideas was definitely right because I guarantee that most people (if they were smart) have upgraded away from their stock headunit. I have the exact same mounting kit that you have for your Pioneer and I don't have anything in that slot above the CD player. It is not very attractive and it could use some help. I think the slot on my car looks crappy and I think that they are right about marketing these two ideas. You could be a rich man!! Just my advice...but I LOVE THE LICENSE PLATE HOLDER! I AM JEALOUS! Thanks for the ideas though...
 



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Thank you very much Rydogg, I appreciate the compliments. I am still thinking of marketing them, just wondering how to go about doing it. Judging by the response I've gotten here, I think I'd have a few takers if I were to make some to sell.
 






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