TwoFaced

PVC...maybe eventually...if you're talking about the thickness they're going to startout with a 3 layer...like a posterboard thickness paper layer sandwiched between two overhead projector printout thickness layers. That's the beginning concept...I'm sure it will improve.

These would completely replace the original gauges...if you just had overlays and they weren't indiglo you wouldn't be able to get light through because the tick marks are the same but all the numbers aren't and the type-r logo and everything ya know?

Gauge accuracy You live and you learn. That will be kind of a trial and error thing. The speedo will be either driving next to somebody while a friend holds the wheel and just tackin' the speedo needle on (not too exact I know but it's what I got for now).

From what I've gathered on the tach...if you just set it at bottom center...and then bring it past the needle stop...put the needle stop in...it should be decently acc.

Gas...I guess just fill up before you put the gauges on and set the needle at the full mark. Temp...just take a pic of where it sits at normal op temp...and let the vehicle reach normal op temp and stick it back on at that spot and replace the plastic cover after it's all verified working?

TwoFaced

BTW...open to any suggestions on gauge calibration anyone has.

dem0nk1d

yeah i'm thinking about that right now.

what if you did something like overlays, with elwire on the backside of the cluster? This way the gauges would be back lit... you can add any colors as you want....

http://www.elbestbuy.com/

TwoFaced

That would make the overlays really thick though wouldn't it? Is there like some type of luminating paper similar to the underglow that you can cut to shape?

For mass production itd be worth looking into...for my own personal ones 1. I've already pulled the whole faces off so it wouldn't be too advantageous 2. I'm painting my needles yellow like the ctr clusters so I'd have to pull the needles anyways. I imagine I could paint them with still being mounted but it wouldn't be as clean and that'd be alot of taping off.

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

A few thoughts.

Note that none of the needles for the gauges do more than a 360-degree turn... most are much less. This, I think, can be used to your advantage. If you mark on the BASE (mount) where the needle points at rest, then theoretically you can re-mount the needle pointing in the same in the same direction, ie., lined up with your mark, and your gauge will be calibrated. My concern is that the mount would spin/turn in place after the needle is unmounted ... bad if it does a 360+degree turn from its resting point when the needle is off. You'd have to anchor it in place so it doesn't move when the needle is off.

Perhaps a paint pen or liquid paper pen would work to mark the spot on the base. A spare needle mounted on the base and anchored in place and/or a tiny set of locking vice-grips might work to keep the base mount from turning after you remove the gauge face and set the electricals aside.

8YourV8

Custom =/= fake, and custom is better than limited stock options. You, sir, are a cynical, narrow-minded, elitist clown.

EDIT

And from experience, it feels WAY better to build/create/fabricate something from scratch or from a template than to just click "Pay Now" and wait 3 days for something that takes 2 screws and a harness clip to put in. And also with the wrong mileage on it LOLOL

TwoFaced

@8YourV8 - thanks for the positive backup

@DeSchlong - I messed with the needles a bit before pulling them...the tach and speedo FROM WHAT IT SEEMS...and let me try to word this so I don't sound like a total moron...always rest at the bottom when the needle stops are pulled...so I'm guessing if I just put them at the bottom they should be decently close. It seems like the gauges don't push the needle to 20 mph per se. They just push it from "rest" (0 MPH) + X reading from VSS. I know that sounds dumb but it makes sense in my head. The needles have been off and the gauges have been moved around plenty so I might try your concept out on the next set if these don't calibrate closely or anything.

THANKS FOR THE INPUT EVERYBODY. I've been lagging and I should have had a product months ago but I have a family and the car hasn't been a major priority lately.

L.a.

did anyone ever finish these?

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Of course not. They never do. I have an Adobe Illustrator file from when this thread was active but I lost interest.

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

Re-calibrating all of the needles is a major hang up. Having them "close" isn't good enough or worth the trouble for most people. Just imagine having an inaccurate gas gauge or temp gauge.

Neat idea though, just too tough to execute.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

I was thinking more along the lines of silkscreened overlays.

wicked_gk

lol so u never driven a camaro? Inaccurate from the factory. Slightly off wouldnt bother me

It would be nice so see some progress soon. Hope this thread doesnt die :/

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

It WAS dead.

wicked_gk

that sucks. I actually thought it was going somewhere.

jbpnoman

No one had posted in this thread in 2 years. This thread was dead.

TwoFaced

So remember when this thread was thriving? Had a bunch of cool concepts?
Well sorry it took so long, divorce, deployment, school, work, all kinds of fun and not so fun stuff has gone on in the past year and a half.



Step 1: Printed at Fedex, black only on projector paper.

TwoFaced

Step 2: Printed the "color" layer out on my printer at home on photo paper.

TwoFaced

Step 3: Lined the layers up, used a big paperclip to hold it in place, and used 3M 77 Spray Adhesive to hold them together. Smashed it in a book between some sheets of wax paper and let it sit.

TwoFaced

Step 4: Cut out the basic shape with scissors, cut out some of the larger holes and details with a hobby knife, and for the speedo and tach needle stopes, along with the screw holes, I used a dremel with a small drill bit. This is after they've all been cut out and had the needle stops put in. As you can tell they curve. I'm going to use thicker photopaper next time, like posterboard thickness. They leveled out fine when they were in place but it still bothers me.

TwoFaced

Step 5: Re-installation of everything like normal.

My cluster is a little bit more than just the faces I made. It has a 19 inch oznium flexible LED strip behind them, and then some custom led small LED's I wired to make the integra needles I put on glow correctly.



The process isn't perfect but this is the first set that I've done and I'm pretty happy all things considered.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Not bad really. Much better than what I would have thought. DO you think they'll fade in direct sunlight?
Long time no see.

TwoFaced

Haha. Yeah, we will see. I live in Fl, so it'll get put to the test, that's for sure.

Yeah, I've been out for awhile. Still working on the car little by little but had a pretty busy personal and work life goin' on.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

I messed around with this a while back. Forgot I had this file. Color matched faces to paint codes.

TwoFaced

That's awesome!

I'm doing another set with black background and yellow letters shortly and changing the whole dash to amber LED. I just ordered all the neo wedges for climate control and an amber oznium flexstrip. Since I got this down decently I went to the u-pull yard and snatched a couple gauge clusters for about 20 a piece so I have a few to play with.

Next I'm gonna see about stripping the faded red color off the back of the teg needles and doing a true, darker red. They look great at night but are a little of in the day to me.

I'll be posting updates with every new cluster.

Aarron_M

Excellent work!