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Work on lighting lift gate appliqué begins

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Huh...what are the chances?!!! Looks like a few of us early adopters for the S2000 are here....I still have my S2000 and have added another one in the mix alongside the Model S. I look forward to seeing what more you have cooking for the Tesla; is everything going to be available through the Ricks2K site (is the site still up)?

BTW, I'm wondering if you remember me. Aside from meeting at S2KDays01, you and I have had lunch a couple of times I had come into DC/Maryland area for business.

I do remember you but as I met so many of the early S2000 adapters and it was long ago things are a bit fuzzy (and it could also be my age:)). Sold my S2000 to a guy from Calgary who I think appreciated everything that had been done to it. He plans to use it as a track car (the custom roll bar figured into that). He flew out here and drove it all the way back across the continent in the dead of winter.

Hope we can meet again. Let me know the next time you get to town.

Anything I develop that's for purchase will be sold on this site in the Panjo market place. That way TMC, which makes all of this possible and is run on a shoestring, gets a share of any revenue. I think that's the right thing to do.

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This sounds interesting. What is the anticipated price?

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This sounds interesting. What is the anticipated price?

Very hard to know at this stage. But I would guess under $150, excluding the cost of a new appliqué, which with a swap system shouldn't enter into the picture.
 
I'm really liking this idea. BTW, have you looked at how Lexus does their illuminated door sill covers?
illuminated-Blue-Led-Door-Sill-Panel-Scuff-Kick-Step-Plate-for-LEXUS-LX470-CYGNUS-JDM.jpg


Would their solution work for the rear piece on our cars?
 
We have those el sills on our E350 cabrio. I like them, but they were about a $1000 as I recall and not worth that so I did not ante up for them on the range rover. They will even custom make you some if you want to really get robbed financially and do not think about what you are going to do at resale time!
other_us_l494_jdx_vplws0212.jpg
 
Rick

Glad to see you're moving so quickly on this!!!! It's going to be AWESOME!

Aaron

I think so. I had a long meeting yesterday with the guy I know who does makes this kind of stuff with a laser cutter. He told me there's a new red plexiglass that has small bits embedded that reflect light and diffuse the light without it having to be side lit. This may make it possible to light each of the letters with its own LEDs, which will make the fit problem on the back side much easier to deal with and the light much brighter.

I'm talking to Oznium to determine if they can make a PCB with an embedded digital switch/relay and resistors that will enable the red to shine brighter when the brakes are applied. This would be much better than a mechanical relay, which takes up too much space and makes a fairly loud clicking sound every time it's engaged.

I'm optimistic that we can come up with a really cool solution. But it will take some time and experimentation.
 
Rick.. you very well just might be my hero for all the work and all the mods you are inventing and doing. I have attached a photo pf when I had my back applique replaced due to the early condensation issue. When the ranger replaced it he said he has done about 6 of them, and about half the time he cracked them trying to get them off...
condensation.jpg
 
Rick.. you very well just might be my hero for all the work and all the mods you are inventing and doing. I have attached a photo pf when I had my back applique replaced due to the early condensation issue. When the ranger replaced it he said he has done about 6 of them, and about half the time he cracked them trying to get them off...

Thanks for the photo. The applique presents a number of challenges that may make lighting it very difficult.

Lighting the rear T won't difficult but the installation will be more difficult then the front T as the trim for the rear hatch will have to be removed.
 
Lighting the rear T won't difficult but the installation will be more difficult then the front T as the trim for the rear hatch will have to be removed.

I was thinking the rear lighted T would be simply pulling off the existing emblem drilling a hole for the wires fro the new lighted T (sealing it with silicon or something), re attaching it all, and then fish the wires down to the license plate lights and tap into that power source....