BMW Guage needles into 3gee cluster

[oldschool3g]

I Picked up these needles from a bmw at the yard yesterday and decided to try and custom fit them into the 3gee cluster, ive always liked the way some nissan and newer cars needles light up with an led under them. heres a few pics of the progress..they will be red when done but the blue led was just to test how they would look. what do you guys think;)

Bmw on top stock on bottom
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0554.jpg
LED!
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0542.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0535.jpg
Removed part of the center with nail polish for the led to shine thru.
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0551.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0547.jpg

[Civic Accord Honda]

That looks awesome! cant wait to see it completed

[2oodoor]

Good work! I like the blue prototype though

[import racer]

Looks great man,I wanted to do something like this but didn't know how.Can you do a how to.

[2ndGenGuy]

That looks awesome! I totally want that. :)

[Buzo]

Cool! Brilliant idea!

[lostforawhile]

bmw info ?

[Rendon LX-i]

I was temping to do that i might have to reconsider this. Subcribed lol

[Dr_Snooz]

Very cool!

[2oodoor]

I wonder how that looks on these indiglo guages.http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/ac359/SiRooz/Accord%20looking%20West/Picture004web.jpg

[Hazwan]

This is awesome! I always wanted to do the same, keep us updated!

[oldschool3g]

Thanks guys. they don't directly fit into the pins, the holes are a bit bigger than stock, but ill figure something out;)

[lostforawhile]

Thanks guys. they don't directly fit into the pins, the holes are a bit bigger than stock, but ill figure something out;)

what are they from? I could fix the pin problem easy,how did you mark the location of the gauge needles on the stock gauges before removal?

[lostforawhile]

if you were to use and RPM switch and a second set of LEDS or even a red/green one you could make the tach needle turn red at redline

[oldschool3g]

what are they from? I could fix the pin problem easy,how did you mark the location of the gauge needles on the stock gauges before removal?
I just took the stock ones off the 3gee and kinda set it in the pin loosely the length of them all is pretty exact to stock:)

[oldschool3g]

Bored at work=progress lol

scanned stock faces
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/img009.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/img012.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/img008.jpg

Then this..:).
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0556.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0555.jpg

Its nothing fancy..i want to stay close to the stock design as possible:)

[King Peetis]

Beautiful! Keep up the posts!!! I want to do something just like it...

[oldschool3g]

Beautiful! Keep up the posts!!! I want to do something just like it... Will do:). Im still not sure what the best material to use for the guage faces, because i still want to have that flat non glossy stock look. So far im thinking flat vinyl, transparent projector paper since i can print that at home. Ill try and do both and see what works out best.

[2oodoor]

:thumbup: fantastic

[Doward]

What model/year BMW were those from?

BTW, what would a guy need to do to get a copy of those PSDs? :)

[Buzo]

Will do:). Im still not sure what the best material to use for the guage faces, because i still want to have that flat non glossy stock look. So far im thinking flat vinyl, transparent projector paper since i can print that at home. Ill try and do both and see what works out best.

Just an idea, find one of those serigraph places where they make logos on T-shirs. They can make a "screen" out of your scanned images and then transfer the image using vinyl tint to any surface you want. I assume you would use a piece of plexiglass or something trans-lucid.

[oldschool3g]

What model/year BMW were those from?

BTW, what would a guy need to do to get a copy of those PSDs? :)
Im not sure on the model it was pretty smashed up. i just know it was an old model.


Just an idea, find one of those serigraph places where they make logos on T-shirs. They can make a "screen" out of your scanned images and then transfer the image using vinyl tint to any surface you want. I assume you would use a piece of plexiglass or something trans-lucid.
That's one of the things i was thinking about. do you know if vinyls come in a satin or flat finish?

[oldschool3g]

Printed out a test piece to see if the size was right. I made the numbers and marks black and the background blank to save ink since it was only a test copy, looks pretty good though reversed too:). soon i will get them printed at kinko's on transparent paper and ill go from there.
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0562.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0563.jpg

[mykwikcoupe]

Not sure about kinkos but vynol print shops usually have a cad type cutter as well. Maybe you can get them to program in the cuts so its perfectly round and possibly cut the numbers out as well so you can apply to any shade plexi background. Just a thought. i remember when Paul was making these years ago. I still have a few sets of the bad quailty prints as print tech was so poor back then.

[ShyBoyCA6]

I have integra needles in mine and look similar to the design like if you could out a light under it.

[oldschool3g]

Not sure about kinkos but vynol print shops usually have a cad type cutter as well. Maybe you can get them to program in the cuts so its perfectly round and possibly cut the numbers out as well so you can apply to any shade plexi background. Just a thought. i remember when Paul was making these years ago. I still have a few sets of the bad quailty prints as print tech was so poor back then.
Not a bad idea man ill look into this..thanks:)


I have integra needles in mine and look similar to the design like if you could out a light under it.
I didnt look at any integra needles because they were all gutted out as always lol. However, i did pull out some needle from a legend that looked similar to the integras i belive..but once i took one out and looked under them i knew they wouldnt work because they didnt have that clear plastic under that projects the light to the needle.

[POS carb]

I tried that once with Mitsubishi needles, the balance was wrong so the gauges were way off, keep an eye on that.
Otherwise, those look really nice

[2ndGenGuy]

How hard are those needles to get back in the right place? I remember pulling a set out once, and it was a nightmare to try to put them back in. Couldn't tell how to line them back up. And with the wiring to the LED, is the LED inside of the needle? So does the wiring have to follow the needle around when it rotates? I really wanna see this done, and see how you did it! I would love to do this!

[oldschool3g]

How hard are those needles to get back in the right place? I remember pulling a set out once, and it was a nightmare to try to put them back in. Couldn't tell how to line them back up. And with the wiring to the LED, is the LED inside of the needle? So does the wiring have to follow the needle around when it rotates? I really wanna see this done, and see how you id it! I would love to do this!
Im not sure if our needles need to be recalebrated when there removed and put back in like in other cars. Ill figure it out. The needles don't have an LED in then, i will have to make some sort of custom circuit board with about 3 small SMD LEDS and resistor and figure out how to mount them. Ive got a few ideas and ill post a few sketches when i finish up

[oldschool3g]

No more blinding warning boxes!:). i don't know if anyone has ever done this to a 3gee but i noticed my girlfriends scion had warning icons that are actual ICONS, so after being jelous im like ME WANT! so here it is;)
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0580.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0577.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0578.jpg
http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii564/Oldschool3g/Guage%20cluster%20Mod/IMG_0582.jpg

[A18A]

sweet stuff going on here :D

[2ndGenGuy]

Those are pretty cool!

[ShyBoyCA6]

I would like some icon :)

[obd0driver]

Have u thought about just vinyl raping it?

[Hazwan]

Have u thought about just vinyl raping it?

That would be illegal :dunno:

[Mellexx]

Have u thought about just vinyl raping it?


That would be illegal :dunno:

hey you stole my reply! :burn:


But great ideas going on here! I like the little icon mod as well. I'll definitely be using these ideas in the future!

[obd0driver]

hey you stole my reply! :burn:


But great ideas going on here! I like the little icon mod as well. I'll definitely be using these ideas in the future!

I meant the gauge faces and bezel. lol

[Mellexx]

Nah. I got what you meant! we were just poking fun at it sounding like you were suggesting to rape it with vinyl instead of wrap :P

[oldschool3g]

Well no i dont think i would ever want to get into "raping" vinyl lol. Sounds very illegal lol. But yes i have thought of wraping it in vinyl and might try it..i think they would just have to be printed reveresed to be able to stick them on from behind.

[obd0driver]

Lol auto text got me... And u must talk about rapeing people a lot for the to be the first thing to pop up

[import racer]

Hey man what program did you use to make the icons.

[obdriver6]

:O I see you found a way to keep yourself busy! Can I haz! ;)

[silentjay123]

yeah thats badass