Intrumental Panel

[noelabc]

Anyone tried or custom-build their instrumental panel on their Festivs? Please give me some pointers. Coz im afraid to pull off the panel itself, i'm thinking that there maybe parts that will fall off which will cause miscalibration on the gauges. Thanks! :wink:

[Gro Harlem]

Simon & DJ (xpnsyd) had some templates drawn up for some custom gauge faces. Other than that I don't know of any custom gauge clusters besides Tim Deronne's race festiva w/all kinds of different gauges mounted inside.

[noelabc]

I've downloaded the templates already and edited some portion that will suite my style and i had some difficulties converting the units from MPH to KPH. I'll try to print it on a glossy photo paper. :wink:

[SimonTuffGuy]

I'm in the process of looking into some custom gauges on my car. I'm thinking either Autometer or Stuart Warner gauges and convert EVERYTHING. I'm just deciding how I want the overall look to be and I'll go from there.

Other than that, the templates that DJ made are the way to go if you can get it to work right. It's made to be printed on a transparency paper several different times, but I never got to that point of where it worked for me.

Simon

[Silv3rBull3t]

So your saying that those templates on a normal home printer w/ transparency paper can make them? Do you have to go over them a few times before the color is the way you want it? -Kyle

[noelabc]

transparency paper?

I tried printing it in a glossy bond paper and it looks good, using an epson stylus printer. I will just overlap the printout with the original panel and make some cutouts for the signal, beam etc...so the lights will come out. At least the gauge will look better. I haven't opened the panel yet but if i can change the backlight(green) much better or i'll just add regular LEDs that can be purchased on an electronic shop.

[HappyMom]

Cluster template

The down loadable cluster templates state it's for the white numbered clusters not the orange one. Is there a reason? I'm guessing the orange is back lit and if I add a template I will need to add lights somewhere.

Like noelabc, I wold also like to have kph as the main scale. Maybe he"ll be nice enough to e-mail is template to me after it's done

[noelabc]

Re: Cluster template

The down loadable cluster templates state it's for the white numbered clusters not the orange one. Is there a reason? I'm guessing the orange is back lit and if I add a template I will need to add lights somewhere.

Like noelabc, I wold also like to have kph as the main scale. Maybe he"ll be nice enough to e-mail is template to me after it's done

Yep. I'll send it to you when every thing is done. My problem is, will it still give me precise reading for my speed. :lol:

I'm not sure if our panels are lighted by back lights like Indiglow used for Honda, if you try to look closely on your panel, there are rectangular holes at the top which acts like spotlights. So it means that the lights are not actually coming from the back, the panel are lighted in front. I'm not sure but as long as i have my free time, I'll open it up and start my project.

[jeffdjeffd]

This is the dash I built for the Corvair, but most of the guages just dropped in and needed wired. The speedo cable was calibrated with an adapter. I won't even tell you how much I spent, because I'll cry again.

[SimonTuffGuy]

:lol:

Nice dash Jeff. That's ALMOST what I'm looking for, except my gauges will have needles instead of being digital. And I've got another idea for my dash setup...

Simon

[noelabc]

is it possible to add a digital tachometer without removing the analog?

[jeffdjeffd]

thanks

Thanks Simon - it was copied almost completely from another guy who had autometer analogs in his. His looks sweet, too. I just thought it would be cool to go all digital, and I got a good start on the Dakota's on the WAY cheap, so I had to do it!
jeff

[IAMAZEME]

Jeff,I'm jealous!I've got a '65 Corvair Monza(66k) and a '92 Festiva GL(120k).I'll try not to get off the topic here though.I work at a vinyl graphics shop and I've actually been messing around with doing a template and cutting it out of vinyl to put over the instrument panel.It's all computerized so it will be an exact fit.I did a test cut and it works well.Now I want to customize it with some tribal type cutouts.I will post pictures as soon as they are ready.

[CalPencil]

Digital and Analogue

Someone asked earlier about Digital and Analogue and the same time. I would be interested in that if I knew how to do it.

How could this be possible?

Any ideas?

If you know of any parts online. Please post a link, we're all curious.

[jeffdjeffd]

If you are installing aftermarket gages, it would make no difference digital or analog, they mostly wire/mount up the same.

The only thing I don't like about digital gages is that they can be VERY hard to read in the day time, esp. when the sun is hitting them just right.

search for Dakota Digital for digital gages, autometer for analog if you want the best. Browse on Summit or JC Whitney for some less expensive alternatives.
jeff