Blue illuminous dash!

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 09:53

Has anyone tried changing the lamps behind the dash dials or made any mods to their instrument panel? Im keen to get the blue effect of the VW Golf?

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 09:55

Ive seen this done on either spyderchat or ebay or something.... i may have even posted the photo up here and got flamed for it.

Slacey · October 9, 2003, 10:09

Yeah, one of the guys on SC provided a conversion service, changing the light colour to whatever you wanted, but he's in the states, obviously.
What I can tell you though, is that he gave the impression of it being a major PITA to do.

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 10:20

MR2's orange dials are perfect sports car lights because the human eye sees that light better at night. Hence orange street lights.

Tem · October 9, 2003, 11:09

Quote from: "WoodenDummy"MR2's orange dials are perfect sports car lights because the human eye sees that light better at night. Hence orange street lights.

But WD, we're talking about the guy who already has big wheels and stuff, it's gotta be only for the looks s;)

s;)

...I still don't get why anyone would want to look like a Golf though... s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 12:03

Quote from: "Tem"
Quote from: "WoodenDummy"MR2's orange dials are perfect sports car lights because the human eye sees that light better at night. Hence orange street lights.

But WD, we're talking about the guy who already has big wheels and stuff, it's gotta be only for the looks s;) s;)

...I still don't get why anyone would want to look like a Golf though... s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Well I guess blue dials would match his paintwork s:lol: :lol: s:lol: Anyone got any Black dials with black writing illuminated in Black? s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 12:05

Quote from: "victor"
Quote from: "Tem"
Quote from: "WoodenDummy"MR2's orange dials are perfect sports car lights because the human eye sees that light better at night. Hence orange street lights.

But WD, we're talking about the guy who already has big wheels and stuff, it's gotta be only for the looks s;) s;)

...I still don't get why anyone would want to look like a Golf though... s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Well I guess blue dials would match his paintwork s:lol: :lol: s:lol: Anyone got any Black dials with black writing illuminated in Black? s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

wow... stealth look...

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 12:07

Quote from: "victor"illuminated in Black?

So how do you illuminate something with lack of light? Or were you talking UV?

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 12:13

Quote from: "phil4"
Quote from: "victor"illuminated in Black?

So how do you illuminate something with lack of light? Or were you talking UV?

Never read or seen "The Hitch-Hikers guide to the Galaxy"? On board the space ship owned by the Rock group.....?

Victor

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 12:19

Quote from: "victor"
Quote from: "phil4"
Quote from: "victor"illuminated in Black?

So how do you illuminate something with lack of light? Or were you talking UV?

Never read or seen "The Hitch-Hikers guide to the Galaxy"? On board the space ship owned by the Rock group.....?

Victor

It just cruised by, hyperdrive barely ticking over...

Slacey · October 9, 2003, 12:20

Quote from: "WoodenDummy"hyperdrive barley

What's hyperdrive barley? Is it similar to supersonic wheat? s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 12:26

Quote from: "Slacey"
Quote from: "WoodenDummy"hyperdrive barley
What's hyperdrive barley? Is it similar to supersonic wheat? s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

doh

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 13:27

Quote from: "bluephoenix"Has anyone tried changing the lamps behind the dash dials or made any mods to their instrument panel? Im keen to get the blue effect of the VW Golf?

I'm sure someone on this forum has already done it.. I believe it's a relatively simple mod with a small blue neon light from Halfords, mounted inside the instrument binnacle to illuminate the white dials from the front - this is probably the best you can hope for without major surgery.

Might be able to find the picture with a search..

(flameproof suit on) I actually think it looks pretty smart.. s:shock: :shock: s:shock: although haven't got around to doing it myself..!

Tim

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 13:31

I know i posted a pic of it, but i think it was on the old forum.

SteveJ · October 9, 2003, 14:20

Unfortunately it's not just a change of bulbs - all of the plastic internals, and more importantly the guage fascias are orang coloured, so simply putting blue LED's in the back is just going to result in a really yucky brown color.

The only real option is blue LED's mounted on the front of the dials - like was used in Fast & Furious 2 IIRC

Someone posted pics, but can't remember the article.

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 14:23

Quote from: "SteveJ"The only real option is blue LED's mounted on the front of the dials - like was used in Fast & Furious 2 IIRC

Thats where i got the pic from.

Quote from: "SteveJ"Someone posted pics, but can't remember the article.

Me... but like i said - i think it was on the old forum s:(

s:(

Anonymous · October 9, 2003, 17:32

yeah i was just a blue lead that reflects on the white background

All you do is take the front of teh speedo of and then drill 4mm hole (depends on size of teh LED and then push it throught on the mount and then conect it up to the ACC on the radio and then have a inlivne switch simple but effective

Anonymous · October 13, 2003, 20:38

I've done this. I got three 10,000 MCD Blue LED's and shrouded them in heat shrink sleeving so the Leds were enclosed with just their tops showing. I then unclipped the black plastic fascia around the perspex instrument panel and replaced again, but with one LED arrangement per dial trapped in between the fascia and the perspex housing.

When in place the the LED's are angled to point to the white dials and are not obtrusive. The effect is fantastic with cool blue dials and glowing backlit orange figures to the rear. The contrast of the figures on the blue background is far superior to orange on white also.

While I was at it I also experimented with LEDS elsewhere. Don't get the wrong impression here - i'm not about to go all Neon on you but I'm currently testing some bright blue's I put on my air inlets facing inwards. The effect at night is very unique - the LED's point back into the grill from the bottom of the plastic inlets and illuminate just the grill part of the inlet. It sounds a bit "Max Power" I know but the effect is very good (and looks a touch more classy than blue windscreen washers jets....!...)

Look out if you are around Manchester for a Lagoon Blue with Hardtop (and illuminated grills!!!).

PS. I must add that external coloured lights (eg. blue ones) technically are not legal for use on UK roads so an on/off switch may be a good idea.....

Anonymous · October 13, 2003, 20:42

Get some photos on here then mate so we can have a butchers! s:D

s:D

Anonymous · October 13, 2003, 22:34

I did this on my old Astra just by using "bulb condoms" they just slip over and do the job.

Peter Laborne · October 13, 2003, 23:42

Quote from: "WoodenDummy"MR2's orange dials are perfect sports car lights because the human eye sees that light better at night. Hence orange street lights.

Eh? Streetlights are orange because they are cheaper and have a long life-span. The orange glow is caused by Low Pressure Sodium Vapour (LPSV).

They is a campaign (CfDS) to change all streetlights to white for two reasons:
a) Less light pollution
b) It illuminates objects far clearly for us to see

In Shropshire they are experimenting with Metal Halide, which produces a white light. Not only do these lights show the road, road markings, cars, pedestrians and other stuff more clearly, but they are also set to dim between midnight and 6am in residential areas!!!

LPSV has a colour definition percentage of 0 (zero). This means that we can only see in shades of the same orange as the light is producing. Metal Halide has a colour definition of 93%. In effect we are can see in nearly full colour!!!!

Did you know there are around 6.2 million streetlights in England and this is increasing by around 3% per year.

Anonymous · October 13, 2003, 23:53

Race cars have used orange lights for years and years, 24hr Man's cars (including the Audi who also changed the colour of there road cars from the VW blue to the better to see orange and red) used orange light as the racers saw the dials quicker and better.

Old racers swear buy it and im with them orange is the perfect colour for sports car lights.

Peter Laborne · October 14, 2003, 00:06

I agree orange lights for dials are far better. The light emmitted is less intense and makes it easier for the human eye to focus on. But that's not the reason why streetlights are orange s:)

s:)

Anonymous · October 14, 2003, 00:18

Quote from: "Peter Laborne"But that's not the reason why streetlights are orange s:) s:)

Fair 'nuff I can't remember where but I read that CfDS are brighter but the orange is better closer up. Knowing what I did about dials I didn't think anything of it.

Slacey · October 14, 2003, 07:16

Quote from: "Peter Laborne"In Shropshire they are experimenting with Metal Halide, which produces a white light. Not only do these lights show the road, road markings, cars, pedestrians and other stuff more clearly, but they are also set to dim between midnight and 6am in residential areas!!!

Any idea wherabouts Peter, or a link to an article? I'd be interested in having a look.