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Just wondering if anyone got to install the LED's in the dash...
If so, how did it come out? Got pics?

Peter L

This sounds interesting, I would deff. like to see someone's finished results. I was searching around and found this site, they got tons of different LED's if anyone's interested LED's

daly944

my dash is apart, i'm installing an aluminum interior, so i'll put in some blue led's tomorrow then put back in the insturment cluster
i'll post pics.

Type_LT

Can't wait to see how it turns out. My major project is repacking my cv-joints at the moment .

Tabor

I just wanted to note two things. I am sorry if they have already been mentioned in the thread, but I have not noticed them.

Type_LT: The 944 intruments are not back lit, they are illumitated from the front.

Perry: You can get extremly small surface mount LEDs. I mean like 1mm thick 4mm wide.

daly944

ok, i have reinstalled the guages, they are aluminum with black painted needles. I have also installed 3 blue led's from my local rice shop. I'll get some pics tonight and post em, its too light out to see the light.

Bob S. 1984 Silver

All Electronics has white diodes 5mm (T 1-3/4 size). If you buy less than 100, they are $2.75 each. These are ultra bright (1000 mcd); most leds are 500 mcd or less. They also have two color leds; red/green or yellow/green. If they have three leads, they can be wired independently. If they have two leads, reverse polarity changes the color. As for voltage, most of what has been said above is true. However, leds can be wired in series like Christmas lights. You can get a catalog by calling 1 800 826 5432 or www.allelectronics.com.

Just a satisfied customer, no affiliation

Bob S. (also contemplating brighte lights in the dash..Why do Porsches seem too have this problem and other cars don't?)

Red S2

I used the 9Xauto repair kit and it worked very well. It involves a set of silvered plastic mirror substrates you easily cut to fit. Paint the sides of the light tunnels with silver paint. Put on the super sticky tape over the mirrors or use super glue in the corners.

Replace all the bulbs.

My dash is so bright I use the low setting always at night.

Takes about 2 hours for the job, start to finish. If you have not removed the cluster, add another hour.

Red S2

Robby

I would love to see some pics of the finished products from any of you who change colors. I REALLY want mine to be either red or green- 2 color LED's would be really cool, assuming that means I could switch back and forth- I'm not sure how that would work(?). Anyway, if anyone comes up w/a simple way to make this stuff work, please let me know. I'm planning to change my steering wheel soon (remove bags) and would like to fix the lights at that time. I want to brighten them a little, but also, to have the option to completely darken them, w/out turning off the outside lights. Any input on any of this stuff would be VERY APPRECIATED!

Thanks,
Robby

daly944

well, i put in the new lights and aluminum guages, but i realized right when i was about to reinstall it all that my reflectors were completely gone. I'm gonna refinish that tomorrow then post pics. the guages look gorgeous.

Perry 951

Well, I got the LED's in the climate control box. That was no fun. I found a mess of 1mm White LED's and attached a 1K ohm resistor. I also needed a very long, skinny needle like head for my soldering iron. Since I still have no power harness, I cannot try it out, but I am sure it will look sweet.

Getting all the buttons apart without busting the tabs on the covers was a bit hard, but I managed to do it. If you do this, be sure to watch how the buttons come apart, where the springs and barbells fit in, and be sure to lube it up with some electrical grease.

That is all for now. Dash comes out next week. The hard part will be aiming the led's because of the light pattern that they create. I don't want shadows and such.

I will do a write up on it when I get it all done.

Martin

The brightest LED will still be dimmer than your old bulbs, also the light would be focoused and less spread, you would need to add more to equal the required output. LED's are usually only used to backlight liquid crystal displays. A better idea might be to use fibre optic cables, these can be purchased in a variety of diameters, they can all be fed from one remote light box that can be as bright and as hot as necessary, also colour changing by this method would be as simple as changing a filter or gel.

Perry 951

My white LED's are far brighter than the 3 watt bulbs in the car. The only problem will be the focus of the light on the gauges. It will take 2 led's per socket to get the coverage I want. The light spread on the 1mm led's are about 45 degrees, so 2 would be needed, one facing to the right, one to the left.

And it is not the brightness that I am going for, it is that nice clean white light, not the dull yellow. It will work, trust me.

Thaddeus

Will you be able to turn the brightness up and down with the LED's the way you could with bulbs? Seems to me they are either on or off, no in between, but I could be wrong.

Watching with interest, I like the idea of blue myself.

Thaddeus

Perry 951

No, you cannot change the brightness. On or off.