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multi color led gauge lights

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Old 12-07-2007, 10:50 PM
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multi color led gauge lights

so im planning on building a slick gauge light setup. ill have new faces made, by the screen print place by my work. and i will use about 6 different color leds in little groups/pods. 2-4 of each color depending on intensity of the specific color. ill try to balance them to each other so one color isnt way brighter. it will be switched using a rotary switch, most likely from a guitar.

i will be making this for a 92 toyota pickup with sr5 gauges. the 6 gauge one. it will work for all 89-95 6 gauges, and i can make it so it works on the 3 gauge as well. im thinking of making them for sale as a prewired kit that you just have to splice into the power lead that feeds your stock gauge lights, and mount the switch.

basically, it would be the instant choice of purple, red, green, blue, orange, yellow, white, maybe uv (black light) and a few combos that would make other colors. like green and blue would make a different tint. i plan on ordering my leds and switches in about a week, just thought id put the idea out there so i know if i should make a few sets. ill post my costs when i get it worked out a bit better.

and if nobody has ever taken the cluster apart, some vehicles have a steel/plastic face that is painted, with the numbers/letters printed onto it. the light shines from behind it, and comes around to the front. these style wouldnt need custom gauge faces. other kinds (like an 89-95 toyota) have a clear plastic backer with a thin face that is black printed onto clear, with a green film on the inside of the clear letters/numbers to Help add to the stock color. those style could possibly scrap the tint liner off from the inside of the stock faces, or have new ones made fairly easy. i will look into that, since i want to change a few features on my faces anyways. i will also be painting the needles silver on mine. thank you for bothering to read all this. haha. peace.

Last edited by standardbyker88; 12-07-2007 at 10:52 PM.
Old 12-08-2007, 06:18 AM
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keep us posted and take pics... im an electronics dude and would loves me some blue gauges i even have a spare 4runner with gauges i can rip out set up then install!
Old 12-08-2007, 11:18 AM
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yeah, i have my 92 base cluster and a 91 sr5 (mech speedo) that i will make sure it works on all of. blue would be easy, just get some blue 194s in either standard or led replacement and swap them for the stockers. but then again, the corners use those tiny ones (73s?). but that and removing the film on the faces should be easy enough.
Old 12-08-2007, 11:19 AM
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if you got a 2nd gen theres a really good writeup on those indiglo guages. they look really nice. im planning on doing that.. sometime.
Old 12-08-2007, 11:35 AM
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its nice, i got mine awhile back now and they are able to change from green to blue and i put some UV LEDs in some other places, worked out nicely! can't wait to see pics!
Old 12-08-2007, 11:50 AM
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I'd by a 3 gauge one
Old 12-08-2007, 01:58 PM
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im not a fan of the el glow style. i like how the factory is a reverse glow, only the numbers glow. and im just adding color options. ill have new faces printed up, with a few changes. no "unleaded fuel only", no "RPM x1000", no metric km/h, might change it to a 120 or 150 speedo and recalibrate it, change the position marks on the 4 side gauges to just 4 lines, maybe change the symbols for the side ones. minor stuff. then have black printed onto clear plastic and swap them out. and repaint all my needles. i could possibly make those part of the kit too, but ill have to figure out a cost from the shop first. the leds and switches are cheap.
Old 12-08-2007, 02:09 PM
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I think it would be cool to use a more classy font.
Old 12-08-2007, 07:21 PM
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Are you trying to make your truck faster by changing your speedo from 120 to 150?

Anyone have pictures of their finished dashes?
Old 12-08-2007, 07:21 PM
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PS If only it were that easy...
Old 12-08-2007, 11:43 PM
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well, it can hit 110 as is. i just want it for the subtle mod. see how many people even notice its not 110. and 110 is an odd number. 120 or 150 are more typical. and i might mess with font, and the color change of the tach redline will be a bit different.
Old 12-09-2007, 03:24 PM
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anybody else interested?
Old 12-09-2007, 04:54 PM
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I'd be interested I have a few ideas myself but I'd need KMs as the primary on the speedo. I'd want to loose the green for a nice blue tone and dress up the face a bit with a set of gold naval aviator style wings (or something similar)... maybe switch the black background for a dark navy blue also...
Old 12-09-2007, 04:57 PM
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well, i can make a different set of faces for you if you wanted. sort of a navy theme and font? and the km wouldnt be a big deal. thats easy. do you want the mph at all?
Old 12-09-2007, 04:59 PM
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ill scan my extra faces in and start reworking them as soon as i get access to a flatbed scanner.
Old 12-09-2007, 04:59 PM
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scratch that, i can use a high res photo. im good. start working on those now.
Old 12-09-2007, 06:46 PM
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so here is a render of the speedo without the metric system or unleaded fuel warning. hows it looks? any changes needed? the 90 seems a hair too close to the dash but seems good otherwise. ill probably try a printout of it and size it against the original face.



if it looks good, ill start on the others. that was a pain.
Old 12-10-2007, 06:44 AM
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Yeah I'd still need the MPH too... I'll try to do up a sketch of what I had in mind and e:mail it to you...thanks

FWIW the 90 looks sort of ok maybe a hair to close, the 70 looks more out of position (a little too low in comparison to the 50) to me but that could be just the screen...

BTW any idea on cost yet?
Old 12-10-2007, 05:35 PM
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email is standardbyker88@yahoo.com send me whatever you got. i can import pics into the 3d modeling program i use and work from there.
Old 12-11-2007, 07:01 AM
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Thanks I'll shoot you something soon...
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