#14346, "Finished LED conversion on gauge cluster"
Aiight, I don't have pics yet and I probably won't either. Here's what I did; I sanded the back of the faces (easy), scraped the orange off the needles and painted white (easy); drilled, soldered and fitted/trimmed LED's and resistors to sockets (hard as a bitch). Anyway after all was done and done, it looks cool except the fact that some areas of the gauges glow considerably brighter than others and it looks weird, almost too weird.
Here's my NEW idea, either 1-color the bulbs with blue sharpie (works, and lasts a long time, I've done it before), or 2- spray the back of the gauges with stained glass window paint and use stock bulbs; either way I think the LED's are going, they worked AWESOME behind A/C and other buttons but not gauges. Option 1- would be the easiest and the first I'll try, I don't wanna recalibrate my gauges and it takes alot longer to remove and reinstall the gauges than it does the lightbulbs. If 1 doesn't work then I'll try option 2 which would probably work better but it would take more work and right now I'm pissed because the LED way cost a nice chunk of cash and doesn't look all that hot. I'll probably reuse the LED for behind the vents and shit.
Anyway I'll try my 2 new ideas and take pics of that.
#14348, "RE: Finished LED conversion on gauge cluster" In response to Reply # 1
Mie is the exact same way. Painting the back of the gauges seems like a really good idea...but what kind of paint is blue and allows light to shine through it and where could I get it?
#14349, "RE: Finished LED conversion on gauge cluster" In response to Reply # 2
i am going to try sanding down the back of the gauges and then painting some Burple Kandy Paint (which is transparent blue) to make the numbers blue. But i want my needles red, how could i do that?
How do i take off the needles and re-calibrate them?
#14351, "RE: Finished LED conversion on gauge cluster" In response to Reply # 4
Aiight, I tried my 2 other ideas, neither worked any better than the LEDs. Right now I've got the back of the gauges color blue with a HUGE sharpie type thing, a clear blue plastic film cut to fit behind the gauge faces and light bulbs colored with stained glass window paint. Looks blueish purple, not blue enough though, I might go back to the LEDs. I tried with just the painted bulbs, it worked good but the color was turquoise and not blue. I might try painting them red with the same kinda paint but I'm afraid they will turn out pinkish.
See when I used the LEDs I used 2 LEDs I bought over a year ago, they may have been the 300mcd LEDs unlike the 2600mcd LEDs I just bought for the conversion. Yeah methinks I'm gonna go back to the LEDs, I'll probably take pics of the setup I got now and post 'em.
#14352, "RE: Finished LED conversion on gauge cluster" In response to Reply # 5
i am telling you if you had used fluorescent paint on the needles, it would have worked better. i did the same thing to mine and mine doesn't look like that. it shines in equal brightness all the way.
#14353, "RE: Finished LED conversion on gauge cluster" In response to Reply # 6
Aiight all the LEDs went back in and the custom gauge faces came out, right now it's just the blue LEDs and sanded faces so they are clear. It almost looks cool with the stock bulbs in there as a white readout but blue looks better. Anyway the pics a little dark, you can totally see the water temp and fuel and the speedo needle when riding in the car, I don't know why it came out so dark.
#14354, "RE: Finished LED conversion on gauge cluster" In response to Reply # 7
don't the reverse indiglo gauge covers have the same effect? I mean the dark center and blue #'s and such. I guess I am just looking for the easy way out.
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