Last year I came up with the idea of creating a set of speedo gauge faces that are modeled and lit exactly like the JDM white face cluster, but still read in MPH and register mileage on the odometer. I made a post about it asking for any feedback or interest.

https://honda-tech.com/forums/showth...earch+feedback

I am here to report that the prototype is now finished. It is the ultimate hybrid of USDM, JDM, and UKDM design. SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE PICS. Who made these for me? That is classified. How much did these cost me? That is also classified.

Look VERY closely at the pics. You will notice that the redline is set at 8500K RPM. The speedo reads in miles per hour and tops off at 145mph like the UKDM gauge cluster. The fuel/temp gauge has the USDM "cruise control" indicator and a custom "VTEC" indicator light wired from the VTEC ECU signal. The needles are the red lit needles from a donor JDM Vti cluster. I am using three clear #24(small) bulbs on top and three clear #74 (large) bulbs on the bottom.

The housing, the bezel, the lens, and the mechanical internals are still from my original USDM cluster. What is most important is that not only do these read in mph for use on US roadways, but legal mileage remains intact........................the mileage in the pics is my original mileage.

Needle calibration is super easy as long as you have access to a digital timing light to set the RPM with engine at normal operating temp and idle is steady. Setting the speedo needle is based off the RPM's. Setting the temp needle is based on when the fan kicks on. Setting the fuel needle is based on a full tank of gas.

HERE IS A STANDARD JDM GUAGE CLUSTER IN KILOMETERS PER HOUR AND 8200K REDLINE


HERE IS MY PROTOTYPE "ONE OFF" GUAGE CLUSTER

 

pretty sick. id go for a set if they were available

 

I'd also like more info. I've got an S2K cluster, but if I go back to stock, this is cool.

 

Looks nice. Good job. I wonder how much you could charge for that service if you could turn them around quickly? Maybe offer calibration as part of the deal.

 

that is awesome i wouldnt mind one..

 

I'd buy a set of the gauge faces if you made them available at a reasonable price. I would imagine that some people would want tachs with a 8k redline for their GSR swaps. There are cheap gauge faces on eBay (gay reverse glow), but they only go up to a 7200rpm redline.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I don't like the red glow and I think white faces would look good with a white light like the USDM already have, but maybe blue needles. I'm not bashing your gauges, they look nice, I just felt like expressing interest in just gauge faces, or at least options if they possibly did become available.

 

Even though these are "knock offs", the goal of these was to make them look 100% authentic like Honda could have made them based on the actual USDM and JDM designs.

Since this is the JDM look, that means red needles, amber lighting, white faces, etc.

The "red glow" you are referring to is really amber and matches the JDM amber color perfectly. Your computer monitor color settings may need adjustment.

 

So all this is is a gauge face correct? Or are you selling speedometers as a whole?

 

Where do i buy mine lol???

 

In the 92-95 Civic world, whether JDM or USDM...........................

JDM EG6 and EG9 clusters with white face and red needles go for anywhere from $150-$250 depending on market or seller circumstances. JDM EG4 (Vti) clusters with black face and red needles go for $80-$150.

The only other JDM option is the Spoon cluster which is supposedly the gold standard. Those are super rare and fetch hundreds.

So if I were to market these gauge faces so people would have the exact same cluster I have, here is how it would break down....................

1) Ex/Si cluster. If you already have one, you are set. If you need one, then these are about $100.00

2) JDM red lit needles. These would have to come from a donor JDM cluster. The only parts you need from the donor JDM cluster are the needles and the clear plastic lenses that fit behind the gauge faces. The cheapest donor JDM cluster is the Vti cluster. I do not know how to source just the needles and clear plastic lenses as these are JDM pieces and probably cannot be bought separate from an entire cluster. If you do not want the lit JDM needles due to the cost of the JDM cluster or no desire to have those needles, but still want the red needle look, then this can be done with red paint on the needles. The lighting of the needles would be from the front like the USDM Ex/Si cluster, but not nearly as effective as the JDM style.

3) My gauge face designs. As of right now, the cost would be high. Expect about $175.00 for the set. The more interest there is, the more can be made and the price could go down.

4) I can provide a detailed set of instructions as to how to install these gauge faces, the red needles, and how to calibrate them. If people are willing to have this done for them, they could ship all the parts to me and I could build the cluster for you. I would charge a flat fee of $175.00 including shipping. This includes the fabrication of the bulb and socket for the VTEC indicator light with instructions how to wire it to a ground and the VTEC ECU signal. Expect a 5 day turnaround time. You would need to make sure that the cluster(s) you send are the correct one(s) and that the cluster you want built is working properly. I would send the rebuilt cluster back to you and all you would have to do calibrate the needles. Again I would provide detailed instructions how to do this.

5) If a buyer wants a custom redline / max RPM, then we could talk about that on a case by case basis. The cost would be higher than $175.00. For most, an 8500K redline would be more than sufficient.

So in summary.............

If you already have an Ex/Si cluster:

1) These guages without red lit needles would be about $175.00 if you do it all yourself.

2) If you want the JDM red lit needles, add the price of a used JDM cluster..............$80-$250

3) The build service would be $175.00 shipped back to you.

4) Custom gauge face options would be available upon request and would be extra.

These services are not launched yet. I am looking for customer feedback at this time.

I am standing by for input...................

 

Nice, but i would get the SIR cluster and do the k to m conversion for mpg.

EDIT: I really mean MPH

 

Some thoughts.

A. The design and execution are excellent. I saw the original post and thought it was a good idea. I like the marriage of the best of all the features from all different markets. Clearly, you have an eye for detail and a vision for how they should be engineered. Great initiative.

B. Arguably, "to make them look 100% authentic like Honda could have made them based on the actual USDM and JDM designs", you should also have Km/h along the inner circle of the speedometer. This is how the USDM ones are designed, without exception. If Honda had designed such a JDM-styled cluster for the USDM market there is no way they would have left off Km/h.

C. Should you have left off the "UNLEADED FUEL ONLY" label? Pretty useless, yes I know, but this, too, would have appeared on any USDM cluster.

 

nice I like this alot. I have a JDM Ej1 cluster in my coupe what would if cost to just change the gauge faces to MPH?

 

The faces alone would be $175.00. You will run into a problem with the JDM internals as they are calibrated differently and have different marking spacing. The base cluster that these would work on is a USDM Ex/Si cluster.

 

These look really good man.

 

I appreciate your thoughts.

The thing that made me do this was the constant bombardment of images on the internet and in the magazines of those who just swap in a JDM cluster and call it a day. What is the motivation of those who swap in a JDM cluster???

1. It is made tyte JDM yo..............
2. People want the higher redline
3. People like the looks of the white faces, amber lighting, and red lit needles over the boring black faces with blue lighting.

I designed these gauge faces for all three reasons, but wanted the internal functionality to meet US specs, have the whole cluster look OEM, and to retain legal mileage. All the aftermarket indiglo faces and overlays were just too ricey.

In order to be successful, the looks had to be based on the JDM cluster which would mean the omission of dual mph and kmh markings, and the omission of unleaded fuel markings. In the US, who actually uses the kmh markings anyway? Also leaded gas went away a long time ago. Do new cars nowadays have unleaded markings on the speedo clusters???

 

this is a bit much more then what i would personally spend on this. i know your hard work costs but to me other mods are better spent. i would spend 100-125 for this. but it does look hot keep up the good work.

Subscribed.. waiting for price to go down

 

i like it id probably spend the money on it however there is alot of stuff my car needs before i can start worrying about this kind of stuff.

 

if im spendin 250-300 ima prolly just do the S2K cluster swap, but this **** is definitely sick... how does the vtec light work..?? seperate wire/connection tapped into the cluster/plug somehow..??

 

The VTEC light is easy. It is a standard plug and bulb like all the others on the back of the cluster except it has two hard wires coming off the base of the socket. One wire will be grounded nearby. The other wire splices into the VTEC signal wire near the ECU.

 

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