1. Obtain the necessaries:
• OHP Pens
• OHP Transparencies
• Copier paper (Normal 80gsm printer paper is fine)
• Spray mount/ spray adhesive
• A computer and scanner or digital camera and a photo program
• Music
• Beer
• Plenty of ingenuity
2. Remove the dial unit from the car, the dash surround is held in by 5 screws with allen key heads, two of which are behind covers, remove these using a flat blade screwdriver. The actual unit is held in with 4 screws with phillips heads. Disconnect the connectors, and the speedo cable, on the Sporting this is held in by a collar, and it is a screw-in on the 899cc.
3. Remove the front piece, this unclips. Use a flatblade screwdriver carefully to push up or down on the perspex part to knock the tabs out. Pull out the black plastic part behind this.
4. Get an image of the dials into the computer, the recommended way is to use some ingenuity and scan them in, but be aware that it must be straight and level. Failing that, take photos of them on a digital camera. Lower resolution is recommended, but get close. (The trip meter reset just pulls out)
5. Play with them. Remove unwanted stuff (kmh markings/manf. names) and edit out the needles. Convert the image to monochrome (1 bit colour). Id recommend doing this in two or three stages to maintain clarity of the image. Colour any holes needed (like mounting holes or odometer reading) in a bright colour not otherwise used.
6. Take one of the needles off the unit and take the accompanying dial face off (those plastic pins pull off). Take a careful note of the needle’s rest position before removing it!
7. Do a draft print of the image (it will have to be scaled to size as the scan will distort its sizing). Use a lightbox, or invent one (light from a table lamp is ideal) to check that all the makings on the new and old dial faces line up (put the old below the new one and shine thru the old one, the green should show thru the paper). It its wrong, check your scaling and reprint it until its right, this may take a few attempts.
Image scaling – Measure the old dial face dimensions approximately, look at the dimensions of the image (in properties), divide the small one by the big one and multiply by 100. That is the size of the face as a percentage of the image (how big the image must be to be that size)
8. When youre satisfied, print the image on highest quality, and also print its mirror image on highest quality. Stick them back to back, so the markings align up accurately, this may also need a few go’s.
9. Get your transparency and pens, lay the transparency over the back of the face and colour over the markings on it in the colour you want. Leave it to dry for a few minutes, then turn the transparency over and colour over the markings again in the opposite direction (gives a good solid colour). Stick this onto the back of the dial face. Shine it thru the light again to check it all looks nice!
10. Punch out any holes needed, then fit the new faces to the unit, you may find sticky tape useful here!
11. Put the needles back on and test fit the unit. Recalibrate the needles
Recalibration-
Idle is at about 1000rpm (bit below) for the 1108cc
Speedo – Time a 1 min run at an indicated 60mph and compare this to the actual distance travelled to find the actual speed
Fuel guage – Fill the tank
Temp guage – Fan comes on about 90-100 deg C
All gauges except the speedo can be altered by lightly twisting the needle past the maximum points of the meter. The speedo CANNOT be calibrated this way – I snapped the internal restoring spring in this way, so now it reads 5-10mph lower. You will have to take off and replace the needle in different positions to calibrate it.
Just be careful out there, it looks easy but is fairly easy to screw it up properly!!
Tom (AofB)
95 Cinq Sporting - Rattly GrpN Catback Exhaust, <font color="black">Buckets</font id="black"> and 3pt Harnesses,Sexy VW styleé dials, 10" Sub and 6x9's.
1242cc Engine to go in soon, boot delock soon, ETech Wing still in garage, so's the effing K+N!
• OHP Pens
• OHP Transparencies
• Copier paper (Normal 80gsm printer paper is fine)
• Spray mount/ spray adhesive
• A computer and scanner or digital camera and a photo program
• Music
• Beer
• Plenty of ingenuity
2. Remove the dial unit from the car, the dash surround is held in by 5 screws with allen key heads, two of which are behind covers, remove these using a flat blade screwdriver. The actual unit is held in with 4 screws with phillips heads. Disconnect the connectors, and the speedo cable, on the Sporting this is held in by a collar, and it is a screw-in on the 899cc.
3. Remove the front piece, this unclips. Use a flatblade screwdriver carefully to push up or down on the perspex part to knock the tabs out. Pull out the black plastic part behind this.
4. Get an image of the dials into the computer, the recommended way is to use some ingenuity and scan them in, but be aware that it must be straight and level. Failing that, take photos of them on a digital camera. Lower resolution is recommended, but get close. (The trip meter reset just pulls out)
5. Play with them. Remove unwanted stuff (kmh markings/manf. names) and edit out the needles. Convert the image to monochrome (1 bit colour). Id recommend doing this in two or three stages to maintain clarity of the image. Colour any holes needed (like mounting holes or odometer reading) in a bright colour not otherwise used.
6. Take one of the needles off the unit and take the accompanying dial face off (those plastic pins pull off). Take a careful note of the needle’s rest position before removing it!
7. Do a draft print of the image (it will have to be scaled to size as the scan will distort its sizing). Use a lightbox, or invent one (light from a table lamp is ideal) to check that all the makings on the new and old dial faces line up (put the old below the new one and shine thru the old one, the green should show thru the paper). It its wrong, check your scaling and reprint it until its right, this may take a few attempts.
Image scaling – Measure the old dial face dimensions approximately, look at the dimensions of the image (in properties), divide the small one by the big one and multiply by 100. That is the size of the face as a percentage of the image (how big the image must be to be that size)
8. When youre satisfied, print the image on highest quality, and also print its mirror image on highest quality. Stick them back to back, so the markings align up accurately, this may also need a few go’s.
9. Get your transparency and pens, lay the transparency over the back of the face and colour over the markings on it in the colour you want. Leave it to dry for a few minutes, then turn the transparency over and colour over the markings again in the opposite direction (gives a good solid colour). Stick this onto the back of the dial face. Shine it thru the light again to check it all looks nice!
10. Punch out any holes needed, then fit the new faces to the unit, you may find sticky tape useful here!
11. Put the needles back on and test fit the unit. Recalibrate the needles
Recalibration-
Idle is at about 1000rpm (bit below) for the 1108cc
Speedo – Time a 1 min run at an indicated 60mph and compare this to the actual distance travelled to find the actual speed
Fuel guage – Fill the tank
Temp guage – Fan comes on about 90-100 deg C
All gauges except the speedo can be altered by lightly twisting the needle past the maximum points of the meter. The speedo CANNOT be calibrated this way – I snapped the internal restoring spring in this way, so now it reads 5-10mph lower. You will have to take off and replace the needle in different positions to calibrate it.
Just be careful out there, it looks easy but is fairly easy to screw it up properly!!
Tom (AofB)
95 Cinq Sporting - Rattly GrpN Catback Exhaust, <font color="black">Buckets</font id="black"> and 3pt Harnesses,Sexy VW styleé dials, 10" Sub and 6x9's.
1242cc Engine to go in soon, boot delock soon, ETech Wing still in garage, so's the effing K+N!
