The Little Things

The road trips and daily driving I plan to do in this car requires the interior to be comfortable as well as attractive, so It’s a must to do some upgrades.  One of the must-haves is proper illumination at night, so the amber bulbs have to go, every single one of them. I started by removing the instrument cluster and replacing the main 3 bulbs with LEDs. I found out that dropping the steering column is the best way to allow easy removal of the plastic trim. Following the cluster were all the other buttons as well as the glove box, dome and map light bulbs.

Bulb locator: https://www.superbrightleds.com/vehicle/

LED Cluster Kit can be purchased here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/272815248354

After a bit of research, I found a seller that has the LED bulbs for most of the buttons. They are “plug and play” here is his seller’s page: http://www.ebay.com/usr/dwnshft2drft?

Here is also a write-up on the S13 climate controller: S13 HVAC/climate control and dash switch light bulb replacement.

The following is his video demonstrating the process with an S14 defogger switch. Be careful not to lose or damage the springs.

The stock rear view mirror was replaced with a Gentex auto dimming mirror with a compass, very simple in style and features. Once it’s set, it never has to be adjusted for nighttime driving due to the auto dimming feature that activates as soon as it detects any glare.

The original plastic gas pedal was removed and replaced with a Nismo gas pedal commonly found on the 350Z and G35.

For those that like to stay on top of their heel-toe technique, you may want to go with the 380RS pedal

Fabric samples for the door panels, glove box and console armrest. I didn’t consider the seats when ordering the fabric, but it turnout to match. The fabric chosen is fade, water, and mildew resistant, but not very flexible. I’m not completely satisfied with it and will most likely recover them again.

Without going over the top, these little details changed the entire ambience of the interior, making it a bit more satisfying.

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