Interview: Matt's Christmas Art Car, C9 LED Christmas Bulbs
Interview with Matt about his Christmas Blazer
Shellie: I've known Matt for several years now. When we first met he purchased traditional mini lights. He mentioned that he was putting them on his Blazer.
Matt: I was in Iraq in 2008 and 2011, serving in the US Army. For both tours the cars were stored at home.
Shellie: What made you start decorating your car? Fun? Technical challenge? Love Christmas?
Matt: I missed being able to decorate for Christmas while I was doing College. After I tried 2 sets for fun, I got hooked and kept making it bigger every year.
Shellie: How many lights do you have installed? (I guess I could count your orders but you have additions with the yard sculpture LOL)
Matt: Depending on whether I use the Truck or Blazer and the holiday, I range between 1200 – 4700 lights on the vehicle.
Shellie: Are they all LED? Did it all get easier when you went from incandescent to LED?
Matt: Yes, they are all LED. It definitely got easier when I switched to LED. They use less power and last longer.
Shellie: How are they attached to the outside of the car?
Matt: I use a combination of suction cups and zip ties.
Shellie: A suction cup on every light?
Matt: No, I use suction cups for the lights that are easy to reach. For the lights that are in hard-to-reach places, I use zip ties.
Shellie: How do you power them? Do you have an inverter?
Matt: I use a 2000W inverter to convert the 12V power from the car battery to 120V power for the lights.
Shellie: Have you upgraded the alternator? Do you have an extra battery? Or two, or three?
Matt: No, I haven't upgraded the alternator. I use two 6V deep cycle RV house batteries to power the lights.
Shellie: How did you connect in the wreath onto the front of the grill and run the power cord?
Matt: I use long zip ties to connect the wreath to the grill. I run the power cord through the grill and into the engine bay.
Shellie: How do you keep the deer from flying off?
Matt: The deer are anchored by zip ties and safety chains.
Shellie: How many parades do you participate in?
Matt: So far just one. The Christmas parade in Marysville, WA.
Shellie: Thanks, Matt for a wonderful interview. Merry Christmas. We look forward to this year's photos.
If you would like to try this at home, may we suggest.....
- Facet C9 LED Bulbs and 25 foot C9 cords
- Smooth C9 LED Bulbs
- Slow Change LED Bulbs
- G30 LED Bulbs and C7 (E12) cords
- Suction Cups
