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custom colour gauges
for this diy you will need:phillips head screwdriver (+), flat head screw driver (-), a container to place screws in, a stanley knife or surgical blade, printable transparency plastic, white adhesive plastic, a computer with a graphics package (ie. photoshop or corel draw), a scanner and a good colour printer .
everyone wants white gauges, but why would you want white gauges when you can have any colour gauges you like? the best thing is, they're only a fraction of the price of the white gauges from stores.
before starting this diy, disconnect your car's battery.
the first step is to remove the original gauges, and then scan them at 600x600dpi. to remove the gauges you have to first remove all the screws (they are all phillips (+) head) from the plastic console that surrounds the air conditioning controls, stereo and steering wheel. disconnect all the wires from the reverse side of the console. then gently pull it out on an angle, and it should just slip out.
once you have removed the console, you have to remove the plastic which surrounds the gauges, clock and centre air conditioning vents. to do this, remove all the screws (located on the underside of the dash) and then use your flat (-) head screwdriver to gently lever it out. to make the removal of this a lot easier, you can remove the plastic shroud around the steering column. dont forget to disconnect the clock.
once you have removed all the plastic bits, you then have to remove the gauge cluster. there should be a screw in each corner, and three electrical plugs on the back. remove the gauge faces from the cluster and whack them into the scanner. set your scan settings to 600x600dpi and 16bit colour or higher which will ensure the highest possible quality when you print your new gauges out.
edit the gauges to your liking with a graphics program of your choice (i.e. photoshop, paintshop pro or corel draw) when you are finished send a test print on plain paper to make sure they will print how you expected. if your printer has special settings for printing transparencies or high quality images, turn them all on to make sure you get the best possible print result.
personally i recommend a printer capable of 360dpi or higher with settings specific for printing on plastics and tansparencies. a general tip would be to not bother using a printer that you picked up at a bargain basement price, as it wont be worth it.
once printed, cut the gauges to the correct shape. cut all the holes required (for the odometer & needles etc.) using a stanley knife or surgical blade. screw down the gauges and enjoy the colours.
instructions for all! thanks goes out to the unknown author and website where these instructions were.
by the way, where it says to remove the screws here and there and take out the console and stuff, that is for another car, so you'll have to find your own way to get the gauges out on each of your respective cars.
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thanks!
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