gauge cluster lighting

[Ktorres1]

I want to change the green gauge cluster lighting as well as all the green lighting inside the car my question is has anyone dome this and if perhaps the dealership would be willing to do this for me ? my color choice would be blue. I think the green looks old!

[Ktorres1]

bump.........

[LANDY]

Mercuryed has some threads about the light blue led interior and cluster light.
Search button is you friend.

[fastblackmerc]

I want to change the green gauge cluster lighting as well as all the green lighting inside the car my question is has anyone dome this and if perhaps the dealership would be willing to do this for me ? my color choice would be blue. I think the green looks old!

Pm sent...

[Zim Hosein]

I want to change the green gauge cluster lighting as well as all the green lighting inside the car my question is has anyone dome this and if perhaps the dealership would be willing to do this for me ? my color choice would be blue. I think the green looks old!

What about red? Just a suggestion Ktorres1. :)

[Ktorres1]

Got your pm fastblackmerc well discuss tommorow. I like the new mustang look blue and will search for pics.

[Ktorres1]

Anybody Got pics if the cluster or interior in blue led's i couldnt fine any in search.

[mercuryed]

i did my in white LED with red neddles and help a friend do his in blue but the neddle didnt show up that well with the blue lighting but it can be done heres what mine come out like http://youtu.be/V5g7wG8YPf4

[Ktorres1]

Ive seen yours Id like to see the one in blue if you could post any pics or video would be great.

[ctrlraven]

I followed suit of mercuryed and went with white (Love it!). I didn't go as far as he did with adding single leds behind the gauge needles which down the road I will. I also went white on the lower gauges and the shift indicator.

I can see why the needles wouldn't show up well with the blue lighting. Mercuryed, did you add a single red led behind the needles by chance on the blue gauge cluster?

[Ktorres1]

just talk to fastblackmerc about a possible upcoming kit for this and im all in cant wait.

[napolitano]

I went with blue before along with the blue in my aeroforce gauge and shifter. It didn't work out to good. The light wasn't evenly distributed, there are six bulbs in your instrument cluster so I ended up going with the 6k white in two style bulbs to get the maximum light distribution. A lot of test and trial but now it looks perfect.

[CWright]

I went with blue before along with the blue in my aeroforce gauge and shifter. It didn't work out to good. The light wasn't evenly distributed, there are six bulbs in your instrument cluster so I ended up going with the 6k white in two style bulbs to get the maximum light distribution. A lot of test and trial but now it looks perfect.

When you get a minute Levi, can you post some picts. FBM is getting ahold of mine in Sept sometime. I'd like to see how yours turned out.

Thanks man!

[ctrlraven]

As a reminder to anyone who wants to change color. You will need to remove the gauge faces themselves and sand or scrape off the green filter coating on the back side of them.

[mercuryed]

i tried to include single red led behide the needle but it didnt look rite and it over powered the blue leds so it didnt work so we didnt stick with the blue and want all white

[ctrlraven]

I love my all white, its super bright and clean looking.

[Cougar_Marauder]

As a reminder to anyone who wants to change color. You will need to remove the gauge faces themselves and sand or scrape off the green filter coating on the back side of them.

I want to go with blue but I guess I don't really care if I have regular vs. LED lighting, I like the lights turned down pretty dim anyway. So are the regular bulbs inside just white and the green filter gives the color? Can I just scrape off the green and paint a translucent blue in place? :dunno:

[ctrlraven]

I want to go with blue but I guess I don't really care if I have regular vs. LED lighting, I like the lights turned down pretty dim anyway. So are the regular bulbs inside just white and the green filter gives the color? Can I just scrape off the green and paint a translucent blue in place? :dunno:
Yes, the bulbs are clear and behind each piece that lights up at night has a green filter coating on the plastic and then has another coating on top of that helps spread the light.

When I pulled my gauge faces off I just sanded the coating/green filter off. The issue that can come up with that is when re-installing the needles into their right spots. I don't know if MercuryEd removed his or not but I did which made the sanding 10x easier but most my needles were off and took a while to get set back in their right reading spot. I don't know what paint you could use cause it would have to be translucent. You could use blue filter plastic like the kind that was in old 3D glasses and cut to fit and then glue in place. Also maybe a blue sharpie could work as well. The only problem is how the needles will actually show up.

I dim down mine at night cause I have no filter at all and the leds are in a way too bright and cause a glare on my windshield.

[Cougar_Marauder]

http://www.vhtpaint.com/products/anodized/ has transparent paint but I like your idea of a thin plastic peices, might be easier. I would think if I just change the color filters the needles should show the same as they do now. I guess there is only one way to find out....this could make a good winter project

[ctrlraven]

If you use a filter then I would just use white LEDs then. The needles are red plastic with a white paint on the underside of them to help reflect the light and illuminate the needle better.

That paint might not work well with plastic as it's meant for metallic surfaces.

Something like this might work.
http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/400265/210555594-386587279/60-x-200-cm-Covering-Film-Transparent-blue.html

http://www.rc-fans88.com/details.asp?prodid=2288

Depending on how many LEDs you get per bulb you might have to double up on the film so you don't have hot spots. Also get some white reflective tape like this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3M-WHITE-DOT-C2-DIAMOND-GRADE-REFLECTIVE-TAPE-2-x-15-/170681644769?pt=Other_Vehicle_ Parts&hash=item27bd6b36e1#ht_500wt_1 182 this will help spread the glow around in the cluster. There is also a bunch of spots that leak light out. I didn't use the tape since I didn't have any at the time but picked up some and sometime this winter I'll pull the gauge and put some in.

[bolsen]

im not a fan of the led cluster. it looks WAY too bright. i actually took out all of interior bulbs except one on the drivers side floor. i like my car dark at night and dont anyone seeing into my car when i get in at night.

[Cougar_Marauder]

i hear ya, i like to keep things dark as well. Another thought... what if i scrape the green filter and just replace the white bulbs with blue bulbs (if there is such a bulb?)? I would like to go LED because they should never burn out but might be easiest not to go that route just yet...

[ctrlraven]

im not a fan of the led cluster. it looks WAY too bright. i actually took out all of interior bulbs except one on the drivers side floor. i like my car dark at night and dont anyone seeing into my car when i get in at night.
That's why there is a dimmer switch. You could of changed the bulbs to ultra violet LED bulbs which are not bright and really can only be seen from right inside the car.

i hear ya, i like to keep things dark as well. Another thought... what if i scrape the green filter and just replace the white bulbs with blue bulbs (if there is such a bulb?)? I would like to go LED because they should never burn out but might be easiest not to go that route just yet...Read the rest of the posts in this thread. Blue leds don't turn out that well and makes it hard to see the needles because you are turning blue light into a red plastic filter so it trying to become purple which isn't going to show up at well at all especially if you already dim the cluster down.

[mercuryed]

CTRlravan is right about the blue LEDS its dosent look right. as for replaceing to green filter a friend of mine tryed the same thing i did with mine but he used testors model transperent paint with a airbrush and was able to do a blue display with red needles using white LEDS and it turned out pretty good! as for the needles i did remove mine but what i did to realign all of them was first to remember where the fuel and temp gauge were after driving alittle while as for the the tach i marked where she sat at idle and for a speedo i used a GPS to set it up but if you pull the stop tab fro the speedo its 3/16 past the the tab for the speedo gauge to be spot on! so after i do a cluster i first start with the fuel on its last postion and then after the car come down to it`s lowest ilde i set the tech to is last postion then when the car has been running for about 15 min, the temp should be at it`s normal temp then set the temp needle. once done with those 3 i set the speedo 3/16 lower then the stop tab for the speedo then take the car for a drive to see that the speedo matches the GPS then when it`s dose i put her all back together.

[Ktorres1]

How about purple leds in termo or looks and function because thats my second choice ?

[Cougar_Marauder]

I'm thinking any colored bulb/LED would be troublesome due to the way the needle takes in the light. Sounds like changing the color of the filter is the way to go if you want a color change. Has anybody ever looked for different needles to use? I wouldn't know where to look...but might be cool to have a diff color

[ctrlraven]

CTRlravan is right about the blue LEDS its dosent look right. as for replaceing to green filter a friend of mine tryed the same thing i did with mine but he used testors model transperent paint with a airbrush and was able to do a blue display with red needles using white LEDS and it turned out pretty good! as for the needles i did remove mine but what i did to realign all of them was first to remember where the fuel and temp gauge were after driving alittle while as for the the tach i marked where she sat at idle and for a speedo i used a GPS to set it up but if you pull the stop tab fro the speedo its 3/16 past the the tab for the speedo gauge to be spot on! so after i do a cluster i first start with the fuel on its last postion and then after the car come down to it`s lowest ilde i set the tech to is last postion then when the car has been running for about 15 min, the temp should be at it`s normal temp then set the temp needle. once done with those 3 i set the speedo 3/16 lower then the stop tab for the speedo then take the car for a drive to see that the speedo matches the GPS then when it`s dose i put her all back together.
I don't know why I didn't think about model transparent paint. Used to use stuff like that when I did custom stereo installs and needed to color frosted plexi-glass. Def have to use an air-bush for it because a brush will just put on too much or make it uneven which you'll be able to spot.


How about purple leds in termo or looks and function because thats my second choice ?
Never seen purple or ultra violet leds in a gauge cluster before. I've seen UV leds used for regular interior lights and it gives off a nice soft glow.


I'm thinking any colored bulb/LED would be troublesome due to the way the needle takes in the light. Sounds like changing the color of the filter is the way to go if you want a color change. Has anybody ever looked for different needles to use? I wouldn't know where to look...but might be cool to have a diff color
Pretty much hit the nail on the head. I haven't heard of anyone changing the needles before as just about all Ford vehicles have orange needles since green lettering and orange indicators have been their theme for a long time.

[napolitano]

2597225973

Here mine in blue.

[Cougar_Marauder]

nice, i like it!

[willpelton]

Where are you guys getting the windshield pillar post gauge mount? Is that a universal or is one available for the panther chassis?

[napolitano]

Go to Lotek.com or Lo-tech.com. something like that. $85

[bolsen]

That's why there is a dimmer switch. You could of changed the bulbs to ultra violet LED bulbs which are not bright and really can only be seen from right inside the car.

If I used the UV leds and kept the green filter would it look cleaner or would the green turn into some sort if crap color? I love the "marauder" green. Always have.

[mercuryed]

the UV leds is not going to show up that well plus it will change the color alittle

[Fisher]

As a reminder to anyone who wants to change color. You will need to remove the gauge faces themselves and sand or scrape off the green filter coating on the back side of them.

How does one go about removing the gauge faces. I took my gauge cluster out, took the lens and frame off the front, but the gauge faces seem to be glued to the diffuser behind them. I'm hesitant to peel up the gauge faces. I feel like I'll tear or crease them. Am I missing something?