Whaddaya Think?

[Sable]

     Okay.... I just got the new speedo and tach cluster from PhilG (thank you by the way) and I could not resist adding my custom gauge faces to it....
     Lucky, I took your advise and went to Kinkos and they charged $1.99 per page and I got three sets per page!
     I only wish that I made a temp gauge to go along with this though....
     Also wish I could have held the camera steady  :-/



     Opinions..comments..questions...gripes...complaints... Anyone?

     ~Sable

[h2olawyer]

 They look great!   8)  You're right, your vision has improved.

H2O

[Superfly]

Wow, what a great job,  that looks so good.  You gave me a good idea... where did you get that template from?

[Sable]

     I actually scanned in the speedo gauge itself at a very high resolution, then outlined it, then removed the "outline" layer and pasted that into a new image and there you go. I have a website with the templets that I made... just click here:

 http://home.comcast.net/~slapshot1342/index.htm

     And click on the link for "Vision Custom Gauge Templets" and the page will come up. Just follow the directions and then save the document to a disk and go to Kinko's and have them print it out on sticky back paper with a color lazer printer and there you go. Kinko's charges $1.99 per sheet.
     The hardest part was getting the tach done. The speedo needle came off without any problems, however, the tach needle pulled the shaft that the needle is connected to with it. I pushed it back in before it fell out. I'll find out tomorrow if I need to use the spare tach that I have. I plan on completing the cluster with a custom temperature gauge to match....

    ~Sable

[bikehandle]

Hey Man!
Have you thought of selling these? I know I would buy a set.
Bikehandle

[nvdranger]

You have down a friggen awesome job!!!!  Once I get mine running right and stuff to stop breaking on me its time for the accessories, that one included.  Very nice.

Ken

[Lucky]

my only problem is pulling the needles.. aytime i've ever tried, i've broken them. i'd slit the thing either up the bottom, or in a + around the needle.  also, I have 83 guages (with an 82 speedo) so something with the fuel & temp gauges might be considered..

anyway, if you make 'em up & i'll buy a set
--Lucky

[Lucky]

oh, how well does it light up at night now?

[Sable]

     Don't know about the lighting part... I just woke up and am heading out to work soon.... I'll have to post later about the  lighting...
     Also, on the subject of the needles, I have a screw driver that looks like a pry-bar that is small enough to slip under the needles and pry both sides up at the same time... Works well for the speedo gauge and works a little too well for the tach.
     You realy can't tell in the picture, but I did slit the tach face and slid that one around the needle, but the speedo I was able to pull off without a problem.
     I am going to scan in the temp. gauge when I get out of work and if anyone has a fuel gauge that they can scan at 299dpi... I would be able to make one of those too....

[Superfly]

My bike was in an accident about 2 years ago, and the speedo took the brunt of the damage, I was able to get another off of a junk bike, and put that on my bike.  I saw the pictures this morning and loved it, went home and dug out the old damaged speedo, took it apart, and heald it up to the light, and light does go through the numbers.  I also noticed a orange bulb in there.  I would love to know how illuminated the speedo was with the new sticker on it.

[Sable]

     Ok... I checked the lighting with these gauge faces... it's kind of a good news / bad news type situation....
     The light shines through them fine and they are easy to read at night... that's the good news... The bad news is that you can see the numbers and lines from the factory gauge faces under neath :'(
     Not to worry... I plan on breakin out the dremel tool and some lexan or other thin clear plastic material and make my own backing plates.
     Before I forget, I scanned in and am working on a templet for the temperature gauge... it's almost done and will be on my site soon. If anyone can let me know if the fuel gauge on an '83 is the same shape as the temp gauge, but inverted It would be a great help. Lucky... judging from your site, it looks like this is true... also the arch for the fuel gauge looks similar to the arch on the temp gauge... if you (or anyone else who has an '83 fuel gauge) can let me know, I would be more than happy to make a gauge templet for that as well ;D

   ~Sable

[Sable]

     Ok.. I'm done wit 'em.... provided the '83 fuel gauge is the same as an inverted temp gauge... here are the templets....
     http://home.comcast.net/~slapshot1342/GaugeTemplates.htm

     Like I said in an earlier post.. feel free to copy and use them as you wish... it will be some time before I can make these and sell them. I have a few things to check into ;D

   ~Sable

[nvdranger]

sable where you able to "fix" the lighting issue???  i've got my front end apart right now to paint my tank, put on the 7" round headlight, and replace my gauges (which fell into 3 piece - no wonder the tach was pinging back and forth).  B.I.T.S. is send me his gauges soon and I'm gonna use my broken set for a test run to see what i can do with the lighting issue.

Thanks
Ken

[Sable]

     I went out and got some lexan to make the actual faces for the gauges. It seems to work, however, I pretty much destroyed a tach gauge putting it on.  I am working on making the lexan pieces in two sections to slip around the gauge needles so I don't destroy them... its getting expensive ;D
     I did replace the speedo face and it looks awesome and I am working on the temp gauge and fuel gauge. By the way, no one answered my question:

      Is the fuel gauge the same shape as the temp gauge, just inverted?

     ~Sable

[Lucky]

I have the 83 fuel/temp face pulled out for you, along with the cover plate in the middle. i'll mail it to you in the comming days. they are not symetrical.
i'll be calling.
--Lucky

[nvdranger]

what is the issue with the needles??? ?are they set up like the civics and other similar imports where the pin from the gauge goes into the needle and is permenant so to speak?? ?i changed the gauges in my ranger and several other vehicles w/o any issues with the needles themselves, they just popped off with the divot tool from my golf bag. ?I'm gonna tool around with my already broken set tomorrow. ?thanks for the info.

Ken

[Lucky]

I figured when I do my guage faces i'd cut a very thin slot in the lexan and slide that on.  I was going to leave some of the backing on at the slit & peel that off after the face is installed (enough so that it well overlaps the slit) the hard part will be cutting a slot to remove the old face without hitting the needle.  I havent gotten a Vision needle off yet without breaking it.  pulling the fuel & temp guage plates was easy though. the needles have to come out, but the center pin comes right out with a twisting motion.
--Lucky

[Kenny]

  Seems to me it's too bad you boys down south are limited to 80 mph ! ;) We're just shiftin out of third about then !! :-*
            Have fun Ken S.