Felix the Cat Sign Goes LED, Pissing Off Neon Enthusiasts

The owners of the 1958 Felix the Cat sign above Felix Chevrolet near USC recently switched out its lighting from neon to LED, and some neon preservationists are not pleased. According to a petition, "The cold, thin light of LEDs is a pale imitation of the beautiful natural gas glow of neon--the neon which made this sign historic, unique and beloved by Angelenoes." The affiliated Fix Felix blog adds that "Not only are the stripes of LEDs too perfect-looking and the colors and thickness incorrect, but less than two months after the LEDs were installed, individual diodes are already burning out." The general manager of the dealership told LA Weekly that "Redoing the sign was part of a multimillion dollar upgrade of the dealership ... with more than $100,000 going to the sign alone." Contractors said it would be impossible to upgrade the neon and that LEDs would cut the cost on the sign's $3,000 monthly maintenance bill. The dealership says they've had mostly positive feedback besides this petition.
· Fix Felix the Cat, L.A.'s most beloved (formerly) neon sign [Blogspot]