Just wanted to share an idea i had that made a reality. I went ahead and customized my chrome boot plinth on my 3.0 and wanted to share with you guys. I cut out the "Jaguar" and added an LED light strip in the back. So now my "jag" lights up when i turn on my headlights. Nice challenge, but well worth it!

 

I like this! Please share more about how you accomplished this?

 

I didn't take a lot of pix but will upload what i have. I'm not sure if you can do this if you have a 2.5 since the ones i've seen around here have the trunk button on the back part and not underneath the boot plinth. But what i did was remove the chrome part (do this very carefully cause i broke all the screws that hold it to the frame).
I also bought a detail hand saw ( like a mini rotozip at harbor freight only cost me $10! ) i went ahead and drilled into the letters carefully and then grinded out the lined area.
After all the letters were done, i bought an LED white light strip ($39.99) and gorilla glued it to the back.
i tapped into the licence plate light wire ( the right side light ) so when i turn on my headlights, it lights up.

 

Golf clap. Well played.

 

I thought about pinstriping the recessed letters with black varnish on my X-Type.
(I have the sports model with a color matching boot lid finisher.)

But this idea is simply AWESOME !!!

 

That has to be the nicest mod I have seen anyone come up with in quite a while. Nice imagination and nicely executed.

 

Looks really good.... well done Mate.

For the 2.5 model (centre boot switch) I wonder how fluorescent paint would
go - in lieu of the LED's

 

I think Alfadude said it best, and I totally concur.

It makes me want to grab my Dremel Tool grinder and run out to the Jag right now.

What I find most attractive about your mod is that it is so "seriously understated". The folks on the Jaguar Design Team could learn a bit from you there - especially after their major design misstep in using those gaudy LED lamps in the headlight surrounds of some recent models.

Now, if you could just get some tiny LED's into the eyes of the Leaper...

 

Jaw drops...I have a 2.5...so want to look at trying this...

 

'Robert De Niro looking pleased and nodding in a Scorsese film.'

 

retroreflective paint perhaps. To be fair boot/trunk plinths are not very pricey. could be worth the investment.

 

My other concern with it is water sealing...I suppose you could use some silicon before applying the leds to the back to make it water tight and use some waterproof sealed led's from the get go...

 

mad mike very well done. Thanks for the explanation.

I may be eye balling the wifes S Type this weekend as well!

 

The plinth style isn't dependent on engine size, the early models had the plinths with the green button in the middle while 2004> or so had the ones with less pointy ends and a hidden button. 2008> models have a wider plinth that spans the rear lights.

 

That IS dedication.
Graham

 

Well to answer the "?" About the water seal, the LED strip is for outdoor use and I just used the covers the came between the body and molding. I'm glad everyone liked it and I also posted a while back the side mirror LED mood. I put a strip of amber LED's behind the mirror so the turn signal glows behind the mirror.

 

Mike......+1 on all the superlatives already used in the posts above.

I'm loving it, a really cool mod and one that looks a million dollars.

Thanks for sharing

 

Here is a pic of what i also did with my side mirrors. Only lights up when i signal.

 

Very impressive work Mike!!

 

Thanks, I have been looking for that information!

I have an emergency boot opener with a lithium backup battery soon to be released that uses a (owner settable) sequence of button presses to open the boot/trunk in the event of a dead battery or keys locked in the trunk.

(Not trying to hijack this thread....please contact me or open another thread to discuss.)