I have been lucky enough to get my hands on some Illuminated sills.

 

Unfortunately they're not in the greatest of conditions, So I was hoping to try and clean them up a bit. If anybody has done this before, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

With them been aluminium i'm not expecting them to be as easy as the exhaust. They are quite scuffed So I figured I'm gunna have to be gentle with some fine wet n dry to bring the scratches out as best as I can. It also appears they've got some sort of lacquer on them. So does that mean I'll have to rub that all off, then after I've got all the scratches out and polished them I'll have to re lacquer them?

 

As for the illumination, They didn't work before they were removed, so I figured the inverter or the el strip was ****ed, But I'd want them to glow red anyway. So am I right in thinking I could just get a similar style of El strip I used on the rear center panel, and then hide the inverter somewhere and wire them into the door switch?

 

I'm not too worried about the wiring just yet, I've got to get them looking smooth and shiny first.

 

Anyway here's some pictures.

 

 

im the same as you I have an original set. removed the logos but they are similar to yours ideally I want to put them back in but unsure how to get them good again

Got mine back from the polishers today, I had them done with other stuff so I am gauging these cost me about a tenner for the pair.

 

He told me they were lacquered, many of the scratches have come out, here and there I have some dents or imperfections but I am left with a wonderful mirror finish - extremely happy.

 

Also, I dabbed a bit of black paint on the underside and in places on the 300ZX logos and these are now more than acceptable to be put back, much rather this option than butchering out to fit my non original ones.

 

I like those Andy - nice work mate:thumbup:

Very nice. Can you not get those dents beaten out? A silversmith (for example) would have the right sort of tools

to work on a soft material this.

Very nice. Can you not get those dents beaten out? A silversmith (for example) would have the right sort of tools

to work on a soft material this.

 

Could well look into that but I inherited them in the scratched condition so I am very pleased at where I'm at with them for now.

 

I will red illuminate them and re fit as I have a lot going on at the minute, it will only take 30 mins tops one day to again remove them to take to someone, so not a big issue :thumbup:.

Firstly today I put a EL light under both the logos. I noticed on one there was a little pin prick of an hole bothering me, what had happened was the mirror backing on the underside of the 300ZX had come off, without any messing I decided to take this mirror finish off.

 

These Altia sills were always a very subtle illumination, maybe too subtle IMO and it had to be completely dark for the colour to be seen.

 

This is showing in process one with mirror removed with emery cloth and then wire wool, nothing fancy used here and as done no harm.

 

 

Now with a light under each, the mirror was clearly stopping all the light from getting through, this is in my well lit garage, both mirror backings were consequently taken off on both. You want at this point take the opportunity to dab some black paint on the underside of some damaged areas to improve the appearance.

 

 

The EL strips were then attached, firstly with some hot glue and then some dollops of silicone. These were longer sheets that I cut down and then some black insulation put on the severed edge.

 

 

This is what they look like when off, the redness of the sheet can be seen.

 

 

And then lit up, again under my bright flourescent lights :thumbup:.

 

They look Spot on, I may well have to do the same. Have you tried fitting the sills with the el strip in the position it's in? my overhang looks about the same but wasn't sure if it would fit ok, and wasn't sure about cutting the strips length ways.

I still have all these edge rubber pieces that finish them off, I have looked after them with my life !!!

 

 

Then again down each side, of course they sit on these when fit, I applied a little hot glue every few inch or so :yes:.

 

They fit no bother in the car Steve, passenger side and in daylight :wink:.

 

 

Then of course drivers, couldn't be much more happy with these and I chose well with red as I was contemplating going for blue.

 

Picture doesn't really do these justice as they're very nice :yes:.

 

They do look nice. as far as the wiring goes, is it an :asshole: running a cable to the door switch? and where did you take the voltage from?

 

I have an idea of putting my footwell led's also off the door switch, am IU right in thinking I could also run them from my existing switch too, like an either or type of circuit due to it been the neutral that's switched?

I took the 12v to run the inverter for the sills direct from the courtesy light relay, which is behind the passenger seat on my SWB, believe its behind your rear pass seat on a LWB.

 

Took power from the same for my foot well blue lights, both then turn off when I manually push home the door switch.

I took the 12v to run the inverter for the sills direct from the courtesy light relay, which is behind the passenger seat on my SWB, believe its behind your rear pass seat on a LWB.

 

Took power from the same for my foot well blue lights, both then turn off when I manually push home the door switch.

 

I'll have to get the seat out and have a look, I was hoping to have the footwell's on with the door closed too though.

I'll have to get the seat out and have a look, I was hoping to have the footwell's on with the door closed too though.

 

You don't need to take a seat out there is enough space when you pull lover rear quartee panlen just one side

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Picture doesn't really do these justice as they're very nice :yes:.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]77095[/ATTACH]

 

Space ship :)

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=321160495658 you can use them for edges :)

A quick thread resurrection...........

 

Mogsy gave me his altias to sort, he paid the grand sum of £20 for them - just wait until he gets my bill the lucky swine !!

 

One was bizarrely in primer but this original green el sheet worked, the other sadly no, the original inverter would not work either.

 

 

There is a plastic blob in each corner, you need to flatten these off and then they can be teased apart, gently though.

 

 

You'll end with this...

 

 

And these are the original sheets, i'll be putting red ones in, further down the line.

 

Moving on now to the tops, to remove the primer i used 120 grit sand paper, where there were slight defects i went a bit lower with a 60 and then rubbed that again with the 120.

 

I used some wire wool also but i have both now at the same condition after the 120 paper, the pic below shows the one on the left sanded and the one on the right yet to do.

 

 

Just for a little trial on the one nearest the camera, i put some metal polish on and these are getting there already, looks like a brushed finish atm.

 

What i shall now do is go through the papers and then apply the polish which will give them a darker look, sure Mogsy is looking at these pleased as punch :cool3:.

 

 

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They look superb mate! Didn't think they'd look that good, especially for £20! Plus ur charge of course, another £20 ;-)

Stunning. Look ace Andy/Mogsy. How good they come up with a little tlc, nice one :-) for a score, man what a great deal.

Show the red when it's done. Thanks for making me want to spend more! :lol:

Several hours spent at the sink, already i was at 120 grit, went through the papers 240, 400, 600, 1000, 1500, 2000 and then 2500.

 

The picture below is at 600, it's only when you get to 1000 grit does it start to feel 'glass' like.

 

 

After drying them off i rubbed them on a denim wheel attached to my bench clamped drill.....

 

 

Turned out very well, i was going to use some metal polish but i'm going to leave like this.....optional then for the owner.

 

 

On the back of the 300ZX logo i attached some red acrylic, the type you find in a file. The reason for this the EL sheets can appear a touch pink, this reddens the appearance up very very well, you can see on this pic i have cut down one of the pegs.

 

 

And the reason for that is the EL sheets contact points are not central like on the original ones used, cutting a bit off here and losing a part of the peg means these will sit nicely without being proud or obstructed.

 

Very nice Andy! I do wish I could find a pair of Altia sills.

This is the supply wiring, i have attached 12v to the inverter, this will connect at the courtesy light relay which is behind the l/h seat in a shorty, behind the l/h rear seat in a LWB.

 

The cream plug at the bottom is the original, the other end to this i have attached a plug, so should a different invertor be required at some stage it wont be any bother to swap out, most if not all these type of EL products come with these plugs fyi.

 

 

Next we have something i have done nothing to, 3 plugs, one that comes from the invertor and two out - these two reaching or getting very near to both sills.

 

 

Bit boring i know but we'll get back to the finished sills very soon, these are the two short looms that will connect at the EL sheet to the larger loom you have just seen above. You may notice i have soldered on black plugs again, making installation/repairs/replacement/cleaning straight forward.

 

Great work.....as usual :thumbup1:

These are now all done, i am going to leave these but with the inevitable fitting finger marks, etc, i will recommend a little peek is applied, they'll come up at treat.....

 

 

There is a rubber seal that runs their entire length, you can see it on them now.....although there are some missing from the ends, i am sure this can be sorted with some black silicone tubing slit down.....

 

 

Just darkened my garage a little, when off these are not red fyi, they look kind of mirror like - hope you like ;)........