BReif61

Has anyone successfully customized their gauge faces? I've been inspired by the Singer 911s to make the tach a contrasting color, but they do not seem to be available for sale.

So my idea was this:
1.) take tach face out of spare cluster
2.) use chemical stripper to remove original finish.
3.) have vinyl cut to act as masks
4.) paint base color (black?) for numbers, apply masks
5.) paint the contrasting color
6.) matte clear


Does anyone see a flaw in this plan? Or has tried it and failed?

Voith

Its a piece of sheet metal, you can do with it whatever you want just remember the zero point before getting the needle off.

BReif61

I'm sure I'm overthinking this. Like you said, it is just a piece of metal. Just thought I would see if anyone has tried and has a proven/better method for the numbering or could post results.

Jay Wellwood

Or send the gauges to Palo Alto (BTW - No affiliation or connection whatsoever, just passing this on).

We can help you with the color change of your instrument cluster. The cost to re-screen the background color will be $625.00 + shipping. This cost will cover the background color change only, and re-screening of the scales to a custom color. It does not include any changes to the layout of the font or scales. This would cost extra. The turn around time is about 3 to 4 weeks.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Hartmut Mees
info@paspeedo.com
Palo Alto Speedometer, Inc.
718 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301-2410
Tel: 1-650-323-0243
Fax: 1-650-323-4632
www.paspeedo.com

Humboldtgrin

I just used beauty rings. And led light upgrades.

mytrplseven

Here's mine using UV LED strip. A little blue painter's tape epoxied over the led's to tone down the light. The little flashes at the bottom are from the camera and don't show up in normal use.

BReif61

Where did you get these rings from?

Humboldtgrin

eBay. There are many type to chose from on eBay but this is what I chose.


Here are some other choices and there are many more.

Jay Wellwood

Considerably less than this source - but they are individual rings instead of connected as shown in the images above.

http://www.jageng.com/garage9/index.php?cPath=49_55

BReif61

Oh these are NICE. I bought a set off eBay previously but was sorely disappointed by them and didn't install them.

Humboldtgrin

Mine are the first image I posted with the inside car shot photo that cost a little more then the rest, they are individual rings. The others are connected or are of the back panel. Jay is talking about fixing your back panel and not making it generic like these glue on's I listed, I hope. His would look like $ and not ricer. I kept the stock backing because it was in great shape and installed the rings. It was cheap and tasteful upgrade IMO. Just to add the ones I got are aluminum and you have to bend the tab all around the inside of the bezel to make them stay. The smaller rings if I remember are a little loose but still work just fine.

Jay Wellwood

My thoughts on a color change is that you want to make sure that the color doesn't render the warning lights useless.

Jay Wellwood

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm looking at the individual rings as an upgrade in appearance to go with the rest of the interior makeover. The first pic looks really classy IMO. Did you order these from Jaeger/Garage 9?

Humboldtgrin

Off eBay.

BReif61

I would only be refinishing the actual gauge, not the black plastic bezel.