civic89si666

Here's a write up on how to make your ordinary white needles into any color you want. It doesnt have to be red. It can be gold, blue, yellow or even pink for those feminine type guys out there. Heres how i did it in steps.

<U>Things needed: </U>
-I used Testors model paint because its what i had with me and it covers plastic the best.
-1/2" Masking tape
-Paint brush
-Gauge cluster
-Pair of scissors


1. Get Cluster cover or "dome" off by removing the four screws. This will allow you to take out the gauge cluster to begin your gauge customization.




2. After the dome is off you can get to the 4 screws that hold the cluster on.
!!!Remember to unplug all of your wires and speedo cable from the back of the cluster!!!!


3. Take the couple screws out of the sides, bottom and top of lights for the cluster.




4. There are clips holding the plastic cover and plastic faceplate onto the gauges. After you pop the clips the front of the cluster should come off and and reveal the gauges and needles.



5. Move the heat and gas gauge needles into the middle of the gauge face. This will make it a lot easier to paint and mask these. Then mask them off like so.




6. Take the needles for the Speedo and the Tach off because this is the easiest way to do it. If you try to tape them like you would with the heat and gas gauges the tape will start to slide off which can cause one of your two needles to have paint where it shouldnt be.

7. Mask the speedo and tach needles with pieces of masking tape about the size of the tip of your finger. Dont need anything bigger it could cause serious issues later on.



8. Put the two needles you just masked off back onto the gauge face. This way its easier to paint because there will be something holding the needle straight up for when you paint. Then Mask off the surrounding parts of the gauge faces. This will keep the paint from getting on any area of the gauge face that you dont want it to be.

9. Pick your color out. Use a smaller headed brush like the one i have. Or for move detail you can go smaller. I picked red for my real cluster but for this write up im painting every needle a different color. Excuse the ricer white face under the plastic. This is from a recently bought project car.


10. After painting the needles let them sit and dry for a while. Then once they are dry carefully pull the masking tape off of the needles. Always pull away from the paint when removing the tape.


11. Put cluster cover back on. It the reverse of the removal. Put back into car and enjoy your freshly painted gauge cluster.

Heres mine for my car


Heres the one for the write up, it has gold, yellow, blue and silver needles

VtecSyndrome

Or you can just use a sharpie and avoid using any tape and avoid removing any needles at all. Sharpies come in every color as well and really respond well to the cluster lighting at night. I have done this to my gauges as well and it just works so much quicker, easier and smoother than paint

stemiched

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by VtecSyndrome &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Or you can just use a sharpie and avoid using any tape and avoid removing any needles at all. Sharpies come in every color as well and really respond well to the cluster lighting at night. I have done this to my gauges as well and it just works so much quicker, easier and smoother than paint </TD></TR></TABLE>

wtf... are you seriour about using sharpies.... that seams extreamely ghetto... sounds like something i would do though... sharpie fanatic here...

civic89si666

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by VtecSyndrome &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Or you can just use a sharpie and avoid using any tape and avoid removing any needles at all. Sharpies come in every color as well and really respond well to the cluster lighting at night. I have done this to my gauges as well and it just works so much quicker, easier and smoother than paint </TD></TR></TABLE>

whatever works man. I used paint because its what i had and i figured would last longer. But whatever works

mra4886

good write up non the less. good detail.

143MYVTECEF

Can we do a comparative picture of the paint Vs. the sharpie method?

gator88

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 143MYVTECEF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Can we do a comparative picture of the paint Vs. the sharpie method? </TD></TR></TABLE>

X2

DmcL

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civic89si666 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">or even pink for those feminine type guys out there.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

im sorry but.... lmao!!!!

paint works good. i did the needles in an 87 civic i had with red touch up paint. im thinking of making some clear needles tho maybe with LED's to light the needles.

low91rex

oh snap Im gonna do this later

kcjohnnyboy

looks clean

what color red is that you used?

civic89si666

it was just testors model car paint. Gloss red. Came out real nice. If i had a third gauge cluster id put a comparitive of the two methods. But my clusters stop at two. But ya came out real nice.

amthompson

nice write-up

661rex89si

im going to do this aswell screw paying a *** load for a jdm cluster or edm ill just personalize my own. nice write up thanks

Takumi665

how does it look lighten up?

jdm-em1

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Takumi665 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how does it look lighten up? </TD></TR></TABLE>

jdmpnoy89

iTrader: (1)

good write up

90crxdriver

I just finished mine. Looks great. I used testors gloss blue and free hand painted them(I have no tape at all) I'll take pics tomarrow after I install 3 4" long blue neon lights inside of it to make the white numbers blue (I hope).

VtecSyndrome

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by stemiched &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

wtf... are you seriour about using sharpies.... that seams extreamely ghetto... sounds like something i would do though... sharpie fanatic here...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well I agree that it may sound ghetto but believe me, I am VERY picky w/ what I consider good quality. I have colored many needles in the 10+ years I've been driving/customizing Hondas and if done correctly the sharpie method actually works great! I will post pics of mine soon, looks as good w/ 1/2 the headache.

dr_latino999

Interesting, I've done the painted bulbs to give the amber / red back lighting in the interior cluster / heater, but it never crossed my mind to paint the needles.

bebo408

thank you for your time and tutorial, im goiing to try this myself. Appreciate it

TallKyle

shapie FTW. not bashing but it took nearly 30 seconds to do.

For the lighting at night i took out like a plastic tint shield thing. The 2 top bulbs have it. They light up very well. I'll get a pic

thenick

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TallKyle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


shapie FTW. not bashing but it took nearly 30 seconds to do.

For the lighting at night i took out like a plastic tint shield thing. The 2 top bulbs have it. They light up very well. I'll get a pic</TD></TR></TABLE>

Kyle it'd be awesome if you got a pic. I got a question though; is it the camera or do your seats have green fabric?

TallKyle

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thenick &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Kyle it'd be awesome if you got a pic. I got a question though; is it the camera or do your seats have green fabric?</TD></TR></TABLE>

its the kids camera. I didn't take that pic




I just took that one. woot

civic89si666

it does look nice. but w.e works man right? as long as you get your colored needles and your cluster looks good, theres no point in argueing over it

STREETWERKZ

they all look neat.