mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

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jimGTS
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by jimGTS »

Nothing wrong with green

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Nic
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by Nic »

This is how I'd do it.

Stick adhesive gel film on the back of each dial, green for the main dial and cut out red pieces for the red areas on the dial. Then use blank, unprinted, white EL panels (I think I sourced mine from the ebay seller below) behind the gel film. Then replace the standard speedo bulbs with white LED's. The EL panels will illuminate the dial faces and the white LED's will illuminate the needles red and odometer white.

This is mine with stainless dials but it should work the same with standard dials.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LETRONIX-Plas ... 58bade425e

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Nic
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Torero
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by Torero »

jimGTS wrote:Nothing wrong with green

I stand corrected that is very nice :thumleft:
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alan_uk
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by alan_uk »

How did you guys get the squares for the redline so perfect ?
shinny
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by shinny »

alan_uk wrote:How did you guys get the squares for the redline so perfect ?


A steady hand :thumleft:

(Oh... and a throw-away tachometer gauge face to use as a template)

Image

alan_uk wrote:have any of you guys changed your speedo bulbs to green led's or done the mod like shinny using the gel sheets and gone green


One of the guys on MR2OC had green dials. He used green LEDs before switching to the green gel and white LEDs. He was pretty chuffed when he made the switch because he could FINALLY see his speedo needles again!

As I've said til I'm blue in the face, only fit white or red bulbs into the speedo cluster. They are the only colours that will do even a half decent job of illuminating the red/orange speedo needles at night. I had blue LEDs in mine when I bought it and the needles were practically invisible! They were one of the first things I changed on the car because an invisible speedo needle is utterly useless!
alan_uk
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by alan_uk »

What would someone charge to do a set for me

I would pay for all the materials and would pay for a set to be cut ready for me :) plus postage

Please someone do me a set im begging
shinny
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by shinny »

If you pop round my flat with some green gel, I'll happily sort the rest for you (including LEDs)

IIRC you're not anywhere near me in Berkshire though :oops:
alan_uk
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by alan_uk »

thats correct lol what if i posted all the parts to you and paid return postage and gave you £25 for your troubles also :D
jimGTS
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by jimGTS »

its really isnt too difficult.
its trial and error with a torch for checking.

all you need to do is slide/tape the film between the unit and the top cover. you dont need to remove the needles or anything.

shine in a torch so you know its covering the numbers and anyway you go.

it is a little time consuming, so i cant imagine anyone is going to do it for you, is xmas after all!
alan_uk
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by alan_uk »

true

on the plus side i have a rev5 so was thinking of matching up the rev5 clocks to the gel

so everything that looks red during the day have light up red and the numbers which are white light up green if that makes sense

so therefor i wouldn't need to cut out the squares, good compromise:)
and would still look good i reckon
:thumleft:
shinny
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by shinny »

alan_uk wrote:true

on the plus side i have a rev5 so was thinking of matching up the rev5 clocks to the gel

so everything that looks red during the day have light up red and the numbers which are white light up green if that makes sense

so therefor i wouldn't need to cut out the squares, good compromise:)
and would still look good i reckon
:thumleft:


If you've got rev5 clocks you don't want to try colouring the red bits green,. It won't work for the same reason that green LEDs don't light up the red needles. If you filter out all but green light and then the dial face filters out all but red light, you're not left with much light of any colour. (The only reason you're left with some light is because the filtering isn't perfect)

+1 to Jim.. it's really not too tricky with a little patience.
jimGTS
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by jimGTS »

youd just need to tape in a bunch of number sized squares in and your sorted.

though could be an interesting colour combo, red and green!

the redline squares, your not actually cutting out sqaures, your cutting a comb shape, teeth like, to cover the white dashes (to turn them green).

this is the trickiest bit as the dashes are very thin.

but as your not doing this, you dot need to worry about it, it should be a quick job if just the numbers/symbols .
Torero
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by Torero »

jimGTS wrote:its really isnt too difficult.
its trial and error with a torch for checking.

all you need to do is slide/tape the film between the unit and the top cover. you dont need to remove the needles or anything.

shine in a torch so you know its covering the numbers and anyway you go.

it is a little time consuming, so i cant imagine anyone is going to do it for you, is xmas after all!

That's pretty much word for word how I did mine and in under 3 hours easily.
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alan_uk
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by alan_uk »

thanks for all the input guys :)

ill go for that ill just cut little squares for all the numbers on the speedo and rev counter and leave whats red, red

also ill do the white touches on the battery, temp and fuel gauges green too

my reason for the red/green theme is i would like to keep my clock red, heater dials and fog switches window switches green and have a mix of red/green on the speedo to match my pro sport green gauges that have red needles :D
alan_uk
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by alan_uk »

do you think that this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FULL-SHEET-48 ... 257245c8c8

would give a closer to the original green look to match the heater dials ?
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by Torero »

That looks fine Alan but 95% of it will be wasted, maybe contact the seller to see if you can get a smaller sheet. Something around the size of A4 is still more than enough.
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alan_uk
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by alan_uk »

Torero wrote:That looks fine Alan but 95% of it will be wasted, maybe contact the seller to see if you can get a smaller sheet. Something around the size of A4 is still more than enough.


good point :D
shinny
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by shinny »

If you're only doing highlights then one of these (or that size) should suffice:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAR-56-121-FE ... 0955695035

I'd suggest two of those if you're colouring a full cluster, although if you're careful you could probably still get away with one.

There are a plethora of different tints of lighting gel, so if that green doesn't suit, just find a different shade.

The other thing you might find with LED back lighting of the rev5 dials is the red becomes a little more pink. Others have corrected that with a bit of red gel to help the red truely be red :thumleft:
Torero
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Re: mk2 speedo dial mod green lights

Post by Torero »

shinny wrote:The other thing you might find with LED back lighting of the rev5 dials is the red becomes a little more pink. Others have corrected that with a bit of red gel to help the red truely be red :thumleft:
+ 1 :thumleft:

I've a few sheets of red left which should be sufficient to do a Rev 5 cluster, you can have them if need them. They're not self-adhesive BTW.
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