Bob,
You should be able to slide it in. I insalled my EL without removal of the sill plate - I just popped up the middle section and this gave enough clearance for installation including double stick tape on the back. You do need to work around the plastic rivet thing so you will need some trial & error for shaping - but a bit of cardboard works well enough for this. You should laminate anything you put on here... paper or EL.

I have had EL strips in the sills since ~2001 and have replaced mine twice now. First install I did no encapsulation - after <1 year both panels started to accumulate dead spots (no illimination) around the edges as water seeped in, Also I noticed after car washing sometimes the panels did not illumimate due to lots of water around the connectors shorting out the panel supply (accompanied by some water fizzling sounds - had me worried - BUT it has several hundred volts but at almost no amps).

I wrapped the second set in clear tape before installing - including the connections. Worked for just about 2 years then the same thing happened - turns out the tape just unstuck at the edges and was in quite poor shape overall - just disintegrating...

The last set I installed are still running - have now been in the longest and are fully encapsulated in relatively thick plastic lamination film - including about 1" across the wires that I flat soldered onto the panel tabs. I also superglued (liquid) around where the wires enter the lamnination - since the lamination doesn't seal so well up right against the wire & I didn't want it wicking moisture into the panel area. I also punched a hole for the rivet into the lamination for better location and sealed this with a little silicone.

The wire I use is super super thin PTFE coated - which makes routing under the sill panel & around the threshold & under the carpet very easy. It also allows the wire to run though the lamination machine with no harm.

I've tried several inverters, be aware that some don't really like 13.5V and get hot - in some cases very hot. Some inverters make a lot of noise (a high pitched whine) so test before you install - they are usually worse at high voltage so test with the car runing as well.

If either of these is a problem you may be able to solve with seried resistance in the inverter supply - probably in the 20-100 ohm range - you will have to experiment to find what works - it will make the panel a little dimmer - make sure it still runs at 12v when the car is off too... its a balancing act.

I think my install is good now - just some thoughts to consider if you are planning this route.

Photo below is laminated - prior to trimming & punching the rivet holt

Alan

 

Anytime I do a mod that does not F^&% up my car, I deem it postable material....

Hell there are some guys here that are afraid to change their own oil.....gotta help 'em with moral support and examples.....

 

I'm not quite there with posting pcs of every success with the car. I shot a ton of video of the TB/WP project, and it's still in the can waiting for editing time. The one that needs to have pics/video now is the motor mount/oil sump gasket project. Maybe someone in the L.A. area is going to do one soon and invite me to watch/advise/film? Mine is alreay done, and my garage floor is still recovering from the TB/WP marathon, so it's not likely we'll be doing one here until I get things back in order. Anyway, most of my "success" stories are really common maintenance tasks like the oil change. Anybody need pics or footage of doing an oil change?

 

Not to ask a stupid question and not that I think it matters.. just curious.... Is your strut tower brace on upside down? Mine is the other way around.. Maybe mine is upside down

 

That a good idea Alan - when I did mine I ordered some extra set of illu.... I think I'll folow your path

 

You know what ?? MAYBE...its always been like that since I've had it, so I just figured thats the way it went. It's certainly possible it might be upside-down. Maybe someone else that knows definitively will chime in and settle it...

 

The brace looks good to me - it even looks straight!

Alan

 

Cant wait to "host" another party can you Doc ??? I understand completely. I just made a terrible mess of my puny little garage doing mine...I can only imagine, what it must have been like at your place that fine Saturday afternoon, (Wait a minute...I meant SATURDAY...all day and night

 

Definately upsidedown, but I don't think it really matters. All the 928's I've ever seen have the braces raising up from their mounting point rather than going down.

 

Re the electrolume strips - I just used the shorter version. No need to trim 'em at all.

 

I got encouraged to take my sills off, good news is no rivets broke,
bad news is that two rivet-holes on the passenger side had corrosion around them
Oh the fun never stops!

 

Kolbjorn,

I would worry more about the cracks that make it appear that your chassis is breaking. I hope that is an illusion...

 

(Not meaning to hichjack the tread)! I see those seams on both sides. When inspecting closely it seems like a rough welded seam; connecting a front and a rear piece (sorry, if someone can explain it more properly that would be great!). The car has not been in an accident so it has to be original (the picture is taken from front side looking back):

 

I turned the engine strut brace over to the proper position...boy, is it ever easier to get the intake air tubes on and off with it on "rightside-up"...No performance difference though Runs great either way !!!

 

That's better.