red guage cluster needles how to..

[HyperTek]

So I did this with a spare cluster using a Red Sharpie marker, is this right? I didnt want to do it to the cluster in my car just incase this red marker affects light quality. But it doesnt look like it would. It looks pretty cool on the stock black face s13 cluster with red needles. I just want to know if thats the same way others have done this before I do it to the one in my car.

[twitchy]

I used a sharpie marker for the tips of the needles and some accenting

its dark at first but after a week or so it fades and looks way better

I originally put blue lights behind the cluster but they turned white before too long..I might try green this time

see attachment...now all i need is the nismo 300 kph speedo and my instrument cluster will be perfect!

[HyperTek]

Yah I got red bulb condoms on mine so it shines red at night, just didnt know if with the red needle trick if I wont be able to see the needles at night.

I like how you did the 3k mark in red hehehe.

[Demik]

how about those "things" (the glow needle kits) from import intelligence.. how do u install those?

[twitchy]

i think youll be safe if coloring the whole needle, only use 2 coats of marker, max and give it a little time to wear off..that pic doesnt really do it justice but you can see right through it before long.

i did the 3kRPM mark to help me save gas.. its the economy redline!

[nightwalker]

hey guys, where did you get the red bulb condoms. I've been looking for some.

[HyperTek]

I got mine at a local Speedometer shop, ran by a bunch of old fart hot rod guys hehee. Made by VDO.

[nightwalker]

hahaha, I know exactly where one of those are around here. Thanks.

[twitchy]

"speedometer shop??"

[TheTimanator]

guage cluster is white by day and red by night! Red needles with a white numbers would look funny to me IMO. I got red bulbs from the rice isle at pep boys and got little red sleeves for the smaller bulbs at a local electronics surplus store.
Nightwalker you can get different color bulb sleeves at autozone or pepboys...cept there like $3 instead of $0.15.

[andrave]

you can use any kind of transparent paint, a light coat of fingernail polish, or (and this works good) taillight paint for model cars.

Also, as far as making the cluster red, the whole point of making the needles red would be so they contrast and are easier to see. if you make it all red... whats the point?

[citizen]

red light doesn't stimulate the rods in your eyes, other wavelangths stimulate both cones and rods. Rods are used for night vision, so when you look at red wavelangth light it doesn't mess it up. So its good to have red instrements because your eyes don't have to adjust to them during the night. that's the point.

[TheTimanator]

Originally Posted by citizen

red light doesn't stimulate the rods in your eyes, other wavelangths stimulate both cones and rods. Rods are used for night vision, so when you look at red wavelangth light it doesn't mess it up. So its good to have red instrements because your eyes don't have to adjust to them during the night. that's the point.

yeah, uh, what he said
To me the red needles would be a lot darker than the than the white so they would stand out less. But that's just me....

[twitchy]

and you cannot use LEDS in the cluster right...something about it not working properly. I think OLD S13 did something to that effect but its probably a total nightmare fab job

[MasterOFDrift]

you think it would hurt they eyes to compeltely make the instrument panel blue?

also how many bulbs are in the instrument panel!!??

[Grant]

3 bulbs (there is a 4th one on s13's i think.. but doesnt affect the cluster much).

[AlexAtPerformanceNissan]

BMW runs red gauge cluster lighting on pretty much all of their cars... so i'm pretty sure that there is nothing wrong with the fact that it's red on red.... But it does look kinda wierd to see a 240 with a cluster that stands out that much.... i always loved the IntelliGlow needles.....very sweet looking and also very klean.. ;-) Klean with a "K."

-Alex B.

[TheTimanator]

Originally Posted by AlexAtPerformanceNissan

BMW runs red gauge cluster lighting on pretty much all of their cars... so i'm pretty sure that there is nothing wrong with the fact that it's red on red.... But it does look kinda wierd to see a 240 with a cluster that stands out that much.... i always loved the IntelliGlow needles.....very sweet looking and also very klean.. ;-) Klean with a "K."

-Alex B.

http://www.importcarpartsplus.com/Needles.htm
and exspensive! I think that's overkill. I don't see how you can call that clean though, cept it uses factory needles. Reminds me of something I'd see in superstreet.....
Superstreet

[Kid Zelda]

TYYYPE XX OONNEEELLY

[citizen]

So uh kid zelda, do you operate a lumber mill in your car or something, cuz thats a lot of dust in there. as to making to panel blue, it won't matter much as long as its not too bright. Of course it still is best to have red.

[ALTRNTV]

on mine, i just used a red Sharpie on the tips of the needles, just like Twitchy, it looks cool, i'll post pics later

[nightwalker]

Thanks for the extra info guys. I pulled out a gazillion bulbs from other 240s at junkyards when I was DOHC guage cluster hunting. That, and the rest of the instrumentation in my car is amber. Just need to make the cluster match now.

[HyperTek]

I soo wanted the kouki guage cluster since its digital and its just rare, but the wiring harness is different on it.

Anyways, I think the kouki cluster lights up red too? and it has red needles.

[HyperTek]

almost forgot...

can you spot whats* red?? heheh

[cdlong]

kid zelda, how do those look at night? got any pics? and did you use a sharpie or something else?

or is that a stock jdm cluster?

[the head]

hyper tek how did you change the color of your clock

anyone know where on the net i can get those red bulb condoms for the gauge cluster i dont have any shops around here that carry VDO

[Ghettokracker71]

Yeah Hypertek how the ***** did you do that?

[amolao]

When I took my cluster apart to get vinyl overlays on it I painted the needles Safety orange (spray can), is the color use to paint things like around working areas, heavy equipment,etc. The cluster broke (tach needle broken ) but the needles came out great . They look like my toyota sequioa, black cluster and orange needles. When I get a new cluster thats the look I will go for but I would not take the needles off (too risky) I might just tape and paint, I think is looks way better than the Sharpie way. I will send pics later when I get home....

[matlock]

I also painted my needles red or colored them I should say and I made the "E" for my empty red, and the "H" for the Hot red, just thought it would be different, but I guess a bunch of people are doing it. I like the red clock too.

[Ricer240sx]

i got a Blue needle kit if u want it, i decided to replave the regular lights with Blue LED's so i doint need the needle kit any more!

i payed like $80 for, ill sell them for $50 shipped, i never used them!!