I'm gonna do this project tonight, ill post step by step pictures as well as before and after pics.

 

will you post the scanned image of your stock cluster on here so others can have the file?

 

I did it to my guage cluster.. now pay very close attention.

You do not, I REPEAT do not.. want to remove the needles. That was my mistake, and i payed for it with several hours of messing with the needles to get them back in the right spot.

First step:
Take this image, and photoshop it to make it look however you want, be sure not to resize or you will mess it up.


Second step:
Remove your gauge cluster, remove all trim around it until you get to just the black faces and the white plastic around them. Do not, I REPEAT do NOT remove the needles. Remove the RPM and Speedo pins that hold the needles at 0 when stopped/off...

Third step:
With your printout of the cluster, cut each one out.. make sure to cut all holes. Make each hole that a RPM/Speed/Fuel/Temp needle goes through large enough that the needle doesn't rub up against paper.

Fourth step:
With the sharpest x-acto blade you have, make a clean neat cut from each RPM/Speed/Fuel/Temp needle to the closest side of the gauge. THis way you can simply slip the paper around the needle, instead of going through it...

Fifth step:
Remove each screw one at a time and poke a hole through your overlay replace the screw going through the overlay, this will hold them in place. Dont forget to put back in the RPM/Speedo pins.

Sixth step:
Remove all bulbs that backlight the guage cluster dont forget the top two that provide overlight.

Seventh step:
With your 6" Neon Black light tube (check advance autoparts - $20) drill two holes in the top large black trim piece that overhangs the cluster. attack the tube to this. run the wire out the side.

Eighth step:
Replace all trim, making sure everything is snug and secure

Ninth step:
Plug back in the guage cluster, plug in the neon tube, rescrew all the trim back in place. Check and make sure the paper doesn't rub up against a needle causing it to not move.

Tenth step:
Post pictures of your completed cluster here in the forum so everyone else will feel motivated to do this




Good luck, and have fun! :cheers:

 

nice dude.. just all around nice...


i altered the spedo to match my red hatchback... but im not going to use the black light, but instead the stock dask lights... but.. if i understands your methods correctly, that means i will have to remove the stock gauge face, by removing the needles? ahh... trial and error i gues?

 

dude that is so sick and clean. awesome

 

dude you are the ghetto-mod KING! brilliant! i'm gonna put porn all up in my guage cluster! w00t!

 

No, dont remove the needles.. i cant stress this enough, dont remove the needles. simply make a slit in the paper and pull the paper around the needles. thats all it takes... after about 4-5 o'clock (CST) ill make some custom guages for people...

 

also, if you have a differn't year cluster, you can prop the faces up on the scanner (with the needles still attached)... I found that you can use k'nex (the little orange piece that connects two k'nex).. just need some MAD photoshop skills. You have to edit out the needle, edit out the k'nex, then brighten the picture and then change all the colors. But like i said, and I cant stress enough...

Never ever ever ever ever remove the needles... i cant stress that enough guys.. I was just about to give up and buy some autometer gauges...

 

thanks for the pic!! and for the tip about the needles! i'm gonna play around with this mod

 

hehe.... good thing you told me not to remove needles then
but... do i still have to cut out the numbers? or is the light bright enough to shine through even if they might not match up perfectly :doh: