Topic: How to: Make a custom gauge install more difficult

[G8TR]

You guys just freakin' amaze me with some of the things that you do. I really like the Black Cat gauges and what you have done. Keep up the good info.  

[2kwk4u]

Very nice!  Looks great and I see you cut down the plastic under the "160".  The DIC does look much more red than the original - at least in the photos.
Heh. I had to break out the 'big guns' - my Canon DSLR - to get the lower-noise dark piccies

Yep, I trimmed away some plastic so the 1 would fully light in 160.  I shot this with my Nikon D50 (DSLR).  Maybe I'll try my polarizing filter and/or play with different ISO/f-stop/shutter speed combos.  Photography isn't my strong suit

[TomatoSoup]

I would really like it to be red to match my needles, and tie in with the rest of the dash.  I did hack the window out of my factory overlay, and I might wind up going with that if the orange gets on my nerves or isn't bright enough. 

I think Rubylith only comes in red, but I'll bet there's something similar out there in other colors.  I have some tinted 3-ring binder sheets in various shades that I could cut up and try.  I bought them for the blue, in an attempt to try and change the color of the HVAC knobs.  I didn't like the results, though, and went back to red.

Hey, sorry to resurrect this hoary old thread.  My anti reflective film method is not working so well (it bubbles-up in the heat). 

2kwk, do you have any of that rubylith film left that you could "donate to the cause"?  If so, I'd love to pick up a piece from you at the Mod Meet if possible and try your cut-out method.

[Critterman]

Scott, Just make sure you have enough for mine as well

[2kwk4u]

I have plenty.  Will bring it to the meet

[Arabas]

i would appreciate some help on the following. i want to change the lighting from yellow to white (red needles stay) on my gauges. do i have to tear apart the whole thing and pull out the needles, or is it just a procedure of
1. take the upper part off
2. unscrew the two screws and get the gauges out
3. change the led lamps
4. put everything back
???
what i m not comfortable ith, is tear apart the gauges, the needles, change the leds and put back the needles, gauges etc...
i can change the leds if it is a simple procedure but i can certainly use some step by step help here.

thx

[2kwk4u]

Unfortunately, Arabas, to get to the lighting in the gauge pod requires disassembling the gauge pod (as in removing the needles, etc)

[Arabas]

Thx 2kwk4u for your quick reply! i took off the top of the dash (the part above the gauges) yesterday and realised that with the help of your pics.
unfortunately i don't trust my skills to do that myself, so if you ever visit this part of this world, you will have to do some charity work
btw, the result you achieved is GREAT!
 

[2kwk4u]

Arabas, I'll make you a deal.  You buy me a ticket to Greece and I'll do the work for free.  Throw in a ticket for my wife, and I'll rotate your tires, too! 

[Arabas]

2kwk4u if we arrange it this way, then we have to rename this topic in "how to make a greek custom gauge install more more more more and insanely difficult" !!
 
thx for all the tips !

[TomatoSoup]

UPDATE:  I did the 2kwk "cut up your gauge-face DIC window" mod and used the rubylith filter he so kindly gave me at MMM7.  Unfortunately it didn't really work for me.  I found the matt surface was too matt and that and the darkness of the red filter (probably in conjunction with my presbyopia!) made it too difficult to see anything in the DIC with the roof down in daylight.

So, on through a series of trials, I've finally got it to a place where I'm happy!  Basically, I tried different versions of Roscolux theater lighting gels to try to match the white effect of the factory gauge filter.  First I tried #32 'Medium Salmon Pink' which looks the EXACT same color/tint as the factory window.  But when I glued it in, it actually showed as a slightly purple color display.  Didn't like that.  So then I tried #3308 'Tough Minusgreen', but despite the name it had virtually no effect and still showed green.  Then I bought a filter sample pack and found the best match for what I wanted was (believe it or not) #34 'Flesh Pink'!  I sandwiched this behind a strip of matt anti-glare screen protector (from some I got for my son's PSP) and it works!  Brighter than the factory display filter and is as close to white as I could find (just a very slight green tinge left).  You can buy these gels from a theater lighting supply shop (around $7) if there's one near you.  Or from B&H Photo online, around $11 shipped.  The filter samples are also available from B&H and each sample is just big enough for a single use.  So you could get one of these if you want to try different colors ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/45189-REG/Rosco_950SBLUX0103.html ).

Final result in bright sunshine (from behind):

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(The little black shelf above the display was an earlier attempt to shade the DIC from glare, but didn't really work, so ignore it )