Rear parcel shelf mod
Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:13 pm
Originally posted on PUK & LB 05/05/2010:
As most of you will already know, UK spec 5G Preludes have a high level rear brake light behind the rear window. However, if the car already has a high level brake light integrated into the rear spoiler, the rear window brake light will not be connected due to it being illegal to have two high level brake lights working simultaneously *. As it wasn't used, I removed it. However, this leaves 1 big hole and 2 smaller holes in the parcel shelf where the brake light unit was fitted. For years, I've had a piece of black felt in the big hole, cut from a random car's rear parcel shelf found at my local breakers yard. It filled the hole nicely, but looked slightly crap and kept on popping out.
I've finally sorted it by covering the whole rear parcel shelf with a black cotton sheet **. I removed the parcel shelf from the car, instructions of this can be read at - http://www.ntpog.org/mods/fifth-deck/fifth-deck.shtml. I left the original piece of felt in-situ but used duck tape underneath to hold it in place and also laid a thin piece of card (from a breakfast cereal box) over it to make it completely flat. I laid the black cotton sheet over the parcel shelf and cut around the edges and made holes for the speakers and rear seat lock hole. I left about a 1" overhang all round and secured it underneath with double sided tape. However, once the speaker grills / trims are refitted, it will be secure so the double sided tape isn't 100% necessary.
Here's the finished product:
The single fitted black bed sheet was purchased from Argos for £4.99, catalogue number 136/6396.
* It's since been pointed out that it may not be illegal to have two high level brake lights.
** After two years, it is no longer black! It now is quite beige and perfectly complements my car's ivory interior.
As most of you will already know, UK spec 5G Preludes have a high level rear brake light behind the rear window. However, if the car already has a high level brake light integrated into the rear spoiler, the rear window brake light will not be connected due to it being illegal to have two high level brake lights working simultaneously *. As it wasn't used, I removed it. However, this leaves 1 big hole and 2 smaller holes in the parcel shelf where the brake light unit was fitted. For years, I've had a piece of black felt in the big hole, cut from a random car's rear parcel shelf found at my local breakers yard. It filled the hole nicely, but looked slightly crap and kept on popping out.
I've finally sorted it by covering the whole rear parcel shelf with a black cotton sheet **. I removed the parcel shelf from the car, instructions of this can be read at - http://www.ntpog.org/mods/fifth-deck/fifth-deck.shtml. I left the original piece of felt in-situ but used duck tape underneath to hold it in place and also laid a thin piece of card (from a breakfast cereal box) over it to make it completely flat. I laid the black cotton sheet over the parcel shelf and cut around the edges and made holes for the speakers and rear seat lock hole. I left about a 1" overhang all round and secured it underneath with double sided tape. However, once the speaker grills / trims are refitted, it will be secure so the double sided tape isn't 100% necessary.
Here's the finished product:
The single fitted black bed sheet was purchased from Argos for £4.99, catalogue number 136/6396.
* It's since been pointed out that it may not be illegal to have two high level brake lights.
** After two years, it is no longer black! It now is quite beige and perfectly complements my car's ivory interior.
