Okay everyone, as you know I'm a fan of making everything look original if possible. While that is not always possible, it's still something I strive for. But in many cases, factory designed (especially for the older boats) is not only outdated and inferior, it just looks old.
In the next few posts, I will show you how to convert you factory light pockets into a very BRIGHT LED while still retaining the factory look, and even still using the factory dash buttons. These posts will be very beneficial to those of you with Saltares/Piratas or Sunsport/Marauders as they have lights underneath their cupholders.
The product we will be replacing them with is from Oznium. http://www.oznium.com/marine-led-light They are their marine grade floodlight. Many of you have seen these before. They are $18 a pop, but are very well built, and very bright! They also work perfectly for this application. The spotlights are an option as they fit as well, but the light spread is not as good.
TOOLS USED:
Phillips screwdriver -medium
Wire cutters
Drill
Roto-zip (or dremel with cutting tip) - A drill can be used with a steady hand and patience
Wire crimpers/strippers
Pencil
First, we take a look at the factory light bucket that you find along the floor. From what I remember of my Comp and Mariah, match with my Saltare. There should be 3 of these lights on the interior to light up the floor. Two at the rear seat facing forward, and one at the observers seat facing back or towards the engine.
These lights are held in by 4 screws. Remove the four screws. I recommend doing this by hand as many of us have old wood. Using a power screwdriver can damage the wood making it hard to get a good bite. They shouldn't be hard to remove.
Lift the seat up above the light you are working on. You should be able to see the wires from the light. There will be a black and red or blue and black wire set connected to the white wires of the light. You will not use any of the white wiring so clip the lights at the union on the black/red side. Once you clip the wiring, and the screws are removed you should be able to pull the light out from the front (light side). If stuck, gently push from the back, it really shouldn't take much at all to get them out.
Once it's out, this is what you should have:
As you can see on the back, there are the two wires. Cut them as closely as possible to the plastic housing as you can.