Gen 3 Camry custom gauge cluster/dash

[Tony the Tiger]

Just thought I'd share my latest custom gauge cluster I did for the Camry...

I have a really good reason to do this! I need to see past 8000RPM, but the stock tachometer only reads up to 8000RPM and the needle itself has no room to keep going either

In one of my old videos for example, it was such a PITA to see where the hell my RPM's were during shifting...

You Tube

You Tube

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I managed to keep most of the warning indicators on the cluster as well... Turn signal indicators work, all the indicators that was originally on the tach is now transferred into the middle column. The ABS/Airbag/CEL/Tail indicators still work because I've kept the coolant temp and fuel level gauge, but I have a switch that can turn all those warning indicators on/off.






Here's a video I made to test out the gauges. The car is on the hoist, so that's why I could put the car in gear in case some of you are wondering.

During boot-up, the gauges sometime come on together, but sometimes they come on at different times like on the video. If I turn the key on really fast, they come on together... At least they always turns off together though... Maybe I should make a relay box for it so prevent this

You Tube

You Tube

Comments are welcomed

[Knailgun]

that is just plain beautiful.....great mod Tony

[pmesfun]

Sick!!!

[FLIP K1DD]

I just like hearing that backfire!...oh yeah and everything else. I envy you

[xpeed]

Damn man......just.....damn, that is pure sex. Your camry will become legendary in the future, you should work for TRD and redirect them to greatness like they were before.

[Eye8Pussies]

dayum....it's a good enough reason just because it looks so awesome anyway

[Creeps228]

Great job, but how much of a pain was it to get it to work?

[N/A Camry Sleeper]

Excellent work! That's simply awesome! I'm also in need of something that needs to indicate above 8000 RPM - but you took it to a higher plane - I would expect nothing less from you!

[Pandalizer]

that is so tits!

[SirThomas88]

Damn Tony. Looks cleeeeeaaaann. That's legit.

[Tony the Tiger]

Thanks for the compliments everyone

Originally Posted by Creeps228

Great job, but how much of a pain was it to get it to work?

It wasn't bad at all... Just lots of time spent on trimming, cutting, etc...

The rest of the back circuit paper was still intact, and all the connectors still plug in like factory except with two new 6-pin plugs/connectors that was wired in.

Only the stock tach and speedo was removed, and then I had to grind/carve out a pocket to fit these gauges in. These gauges are the absolute largest ones you can fit inside the cluster, both in diameter and in depth.

The Tach and Speedo are 3.75" (95mm) in diameter, and 2.5" in depth. I bought it from a seller on Ebay, but there are many other variations to the same gauges (i.e. Prosport, Racetech, etc..) Perhaps you can go with a deeper gauge, but only another 0.5" deeper and it would hit the cluster housing and not enough room to snap the clear plastic cover back on.

All the relocated warning indicators that were on the stock tach was cut out into small squares, and I hacked off the plastic housing that used to light them up. I replaced them with LED's, mounted and glue the entire housing into the center section of the cluster, and had them wired back to the stock harness accordingly. I used two 6-pin connectors so that the cluster is still fully removable in case I had to remove it.

The donor cluster was a 5-spd Camry cluster (4-cyl), so the center portion of the cluster was blank and did not have a cut out for the auto trans indicators (PRND2L). I used a step drill and drilled out clean holes to give it a flawless look. The backing for the the tach and speedo was thin plastic, trimmed and fitted to cover up any gaps, then painted flat black to match. The thin plastic was sourced from packaging material... Same thin plastic when you buy MSD products, etc.. just trimmed and painted. The gauges themselves were glued on, the black OEM trim piece locks the gauges in place.

For the fuel and temperature gauge, it was a tight fit and the needles had to be trimmed on the back side (the side that protrudes beside the speedo and tach). Or else, the needles would hit the gauge body and won't move up to a certain point.

It took me one full work day to get it finished, and another 3 hours just sitting in the car admiring it

I have a bad habit of not taking pictures, but if there are any specific questions, I'll answer them. Once i am in the "groove" during work, I don't pick up phones, I don't talk to anyone and I just keep working...LOL So no photos in this case, but I will remember to take some pics of the back side of the cluster the next time I remove it

[SirThomas88]

" It took me one full work day to get it finished"

Whaaaaaaaaaaaatt

[Tony the Tiger]

Some daytime pics





Engine start button :

[RichieRichJP]

Although if I were to do a gauge upgrade, I would do an optitronic.
However, being that I like to keep near stock looks or conservative modifications, this pulls it off almost perfectly. Great job

[Tony the Tiger]

I would really want an active LCD screen, just like the R35 GTR so I can house all my sensor inputs and data...

But I am saving my plans for a Motec/Racepak/AIM dash for another car... The Camry is strictly a street car and it has to look like one.

I am just glad I can see past 8000RPM and up to 300km/h that's for sure... I hate pulling out my logs from the AEM just to see how fast I went on my past pull. By the end of 4th gear, my buddies would ask "how fast was that?" Err.. It was something like 220 km/h...

Five minutes later on the same drive, "how fast was that last pull"".. Err.. sometihng like 220 km/h again... Then I would get home, and tell my buddy we just went 280 km/h after checking my logs...

"yay, that's cool"...

It sure takes the fun out of it.