Golf rpm counter -> mk2

[Aphex]

what was it you did there, lockwood dial kit or paper printouts?

[madmatt]

this might be hard to explain but if you remove your clocks along the top there is a type of housing that u can pry undone (two bulbs go in to this to light up the clocks) open it up and remove the GREEN asatope plastic sheet (this gives u your color on the clocks) and change the asatope for blue which u can get from arti farti shops and model shops this gives u a blue light to the dash like the mk4 golf or if your good at electrics remove the GREEN asatope and replace the bulbs for those bright blue leds (but dont forget u will require the correct resister) i have tried both these tasks and they work a treat

[GroovyCarrot]

Overmind, they're paper printouts from a template I made myself based on the old dials, just a little bit of photoshopping

Madmatt, cheers for that, I've actually already done it though I decided to do it in red rather than blue though, and I'm planning to put some red LEDs about the place, inside the glove box etc to match it.

I've also put a blue LED in place of the yellow full beam LED, which looks a fair bit better. I decided not to bother making the fuel and temp guages white though.. very fiddly, and I think they look alright as they are really. Might do them if I get bored in the future.

Got a couple of pics of the new lighting, sorry about the quality, couldn't use the flash on the camera because it wouldn't show up, so I had to make it brighter in photoshop which makes it look like they were taken with a particularly poor webcam...




I'm quite happy with them now

[Tahrey1043]

Matt.... "asatope" or "acetate"? (i dunno, you could be referring to some brand name...)

GC - does it only light up across the middle like that, or just a trick of the camera? Bet you'll never forget your beams are on with that piercing blue light though
Just wondering - are ye gonna paint the needles a darker colour?

[GroovyCarrot]

Yeah, the light is strongest in the centre, it's a bit weird really.. the behind dash lights are set up really strangely though, hard to overcome that, it's a bit like this:



Really very weird, don't really know how to overcome it.. it is all lit well enough to see the dials though, and doesn't look too bad.. I think it may need a bit of acetate in there to diffuse the light though, I tried putting hyperbright LEDs in there but it just makes the central strip brighter. Ah well.

Yeah, I'll probably paint the needles at some point, don't know what colour though.. dark blue maybe? Suggestions appreciated

[Tahrey1043]

well, i would have suggested red, until you got red lights

[Karl_CLCoupe]

You don't fancy working on some custom mark3 clocks do you? I like very much what youve done, and your electrical knowledge is a good thing to have, as I dont have a clue.

Thanks.

Karl.

[GroovyCarrot]

Karl, as I said on msn, let me know when and what you want doing to them, and I'll give it all a go

I just drove for the first time at night since I did the clocks.. I have to say, I really think they look great in the dark now. Only a couple of minor concerns, firstly is the issue of the bright middle strip, I'll try to get some diffused acetate to sort that, secondly is that the dials need painting a dark colour so they're contrasting enough for me to read easily, and thirdly that blue headlamp LED is dazzling.. really lights up the interior when I have full beam on Think I might need some dark blue translucent paint on the LED, just dim it down a touch...

[Tahrey1043]

why not a resistor, seeing as you already managed to change the bulb for an LED?
just, say, something to halve the voltage (i'm assuming it's already got some kind of resistance and NOT running at 12v??? just double whatever that is?).... they're not like flourescent bulbs after all, it'll just get dimmer rather than blinking out

failing that, get some cheap sunglasses (like the 1.99 jobs that are just grey-smoked thick plastic in a wonky frame), cut out a circle, stick in place somehow (hmm, actually, the painting idea sounds easier!)...... infact the kiddie ones that are thin plastic "lenses" would do as you can still cut out several circles at that size and just layer 'em!

[GroovyCarrot]

Nah, the yellow light that was there already was an LED, so the resistor is wired into the circuitboard somewhere. I could swap it out, but I'd rather avoid actually modifying the circuit if at all possible..

The idea of getting some tinting spray and just going over the perspex face with it has crossed my mind... but I think I should really just paint the bulb