The start button

[Simpo Two]

I'm sure this has been covered before, and I know 'glass' buttons are available at fantastic cost, but I think the start button on a 2007 DB9 looks cheap. It's a bit of clear plastic with what appears to be a home-made inkjet printout underneath.

A solid aluminium button with the wings logo and/or 'start' engraved on it would look 10x better. Has anyone done this?

[Simpo Two]

Seems everyone likes the standard plastic and inkjet one then! (or is it a contentious subject that started WW3 10 years ago that I'm not aware of?)

[oilit]

Mine is glass - i know because it has a chip in it :-(

A few years ago someone did make some solid metal keys - cant remember who or how successful they were. I thought the topic was on here?

[Simpo Two]

Not the key - on a pre-09 car that's already metal (!). Just the button.

[TheRainMaker]

Simpo Two said:

I'm sure this has been covered before, and I know 'glass' buttons are available at fantastic cost, but I think the start button on a 2007 DB9 looks cheap. It's a bit of clear plastic with what appears to be a home-made inkjet printout underneath.

A solid aluminium button with the wings logo and/or 'start' engraved on it would look 10x better. Has anyone done this?

Do you have a picture?

The start button in a 2007 Vantage looks great, would they fit?

[oilit]

Simpo Two said:

Not the key - on a pre-09 car that's already metal (!). Just the button.

Sorry obvs hadnt had my 2nd cup of wakey wakey and misread the question!

[Zuman]

I understand what Simpo Two is talking about. I replaced the original plastic PRND buttons with glass buttons when I had my '06 DB9 Volante's wood refinished back in 2016. There was not a glass Start button available so I had to stay with the original. As you can see, the precision and finish of the Neutral button is far superior.

Edited by Zuman on Saturday 16th July 19:46

[Phuketpaul]

I prefer the other glass buttons to the standard early start switch so i'm thinking of modifying the start switch to better fit in with the other glass switches

[Phuketpaul]

This is my first attempt at getting the start switch to match the rest of the glass buttons better, the spacing on the lettering needs quite a lot more work but I already prefer the black background and the light shining through to the old silvery background.

Edited by Phuketpaul on Tuesday 29th November 10:47

[pschlute]

I had original buttons on my 2005 DB9. I always thought the start button was glass ?

[Phuketpaul]

It is glass, but doesn't match the glass buttons on the newer/upgraded interiors

[Simpo Two]

Phuketpaul said:

This is my first attempt at getting the start switch to match the rest of the glass buttons better, the spacing on the lettering needs quite a lot more work but I already prefer the black background and the light shining through to the old silvery background.

It looks much better but I'd lose the drop shadow. You're probably trying to make it look engraved but I don't think it works (and it will match the other letters)

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 29th November 13:36

[Phuketpaul]

Simpo Two said:

It looks much better but I'd lose the drop shadow. You're probably trying to make it look engraved but I don't think it works (and it will match the other letters)

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 29th November 13:36

It's not a deliberate drop shadow, I have to use the original glass front, which is engraved, and then have a black background with the white lettering.

The white lettering needs to match up exactly to lose the drop shadow which is what I meant by "I need to do some work on the letter spacing" to make it lose the drop shadow effect and look like just the background and not engraved - i.e. match the other buttons

Edited by Phuketpaul on Tuesday 29th November 14:33

[Simpo Two]

Ah right, I wasn't aware they were etched. To me mine still looks like plastic with a bad inkjet print behind!

And one for the ladies: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225076659662?hash=item3...

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 29th November 21:10

[BGB autosport]

Rather than trying to align text with the printed and etched parts, could you pick out the etching on the back with white paint, then paint over the back in black?

Edited by BGB autosport on Wednesday 30th November 11:00

[Phuketpaul]

BGB autosport said:

Rather than trying to align text with the printed and etched parts, could you pick out the etching on the back with white paint, then paint over the back in black?

Edited by BGB autosport on Wednesday 30th November 11:00

That would work, except that the light would no longer shine through the lighting up the wording.