Considering a new trunk light circuit

[TX82FIAT]

Folks, looking to see if anyone has done this already. Seems like it would be a very easy mod. I was in an autopart store and saw a simple trunk light assembly for $8. The ground appears to be the back plate of the assembly unless you modify with a rubber piece that comes with the kit. Seems like it would be real easy to run a fused circuit to the battery with a switch so you have an always hot trunk light circuit that will work when the car is on or off. The unit is about three times the size of the original but should give off three times the light given the size of the 12 volt bulb and mount up in the same location as stock.

I'm thinking about swinging by the store tonight on my way home and picking this thing up. Thoughts??

[JEEPER]

If you want the extra light, why not look for an LED. The trunk is so small I don't think I've opened mine more than once a year to connect my trickle charger.

[vandor]

I'd put in a switch so it comes on automatically when the trunk is opened. Early Spiders had such a switch, but the circuit was only live when the lights were on.
On later Spiders the trunk light is always on when the lights are on.

[baltobernie]

I was in an autopart store and saw a simple trunk light assembly for $8. Seems like it would be real easy to run a fused circuit to the battery with a switch so you have an always hot trunk light circuit that will work when the car is on or off.

Is this it?





This works fine in my Spider. When I re-wired my car, I did what you proposed, circuit-wise, but used the factory switch (upper left on photo 1). This nice thing about this particular lamp is that you can continue to use it's On-Off switch to manually defeat the lamp when the lid is open for extended periods of time.

If you want the extra light, why not look for an LED.

Another good idea. I used this ...



... on our modern daily drivers. Twenty bucks at Wally World; runs directly on 12VDC. The trunk lamps on modern cars must be designed by people who never use their vehicles at night. Two self-adhesive strips really turn the black cavern into usefulness. A great feature of the LED are dedicated positive and negative leads. Modern cars don't ground the negative lead of the trunk lamp, but power the lamp from some unknown circuit, probably on a timer.

[TX82FIAT]

Used a panel from and RV $4 and a light from Autozone for $8. Hope the picture works. for some reason my e-mail needs tobe open for the picture to display. I'll work through the issue.