Page 1 of 1

White dials for 360

Posted: 27 Jul 2004 07:34 pm
by jtbo
In finnish volvo forum has topic about white dials for 360. One of members of finnish forum, zimba, has made them and I'm hosting .jpg files. I did come to think that perhaps here is interest for those also :)
All copyrights and props go for zimba for scanning and painting them.

http://www.janiervast.com/zimba/[/url]

Posted: 27 Jul 2004 07:58 pm
by Duvel78
That's interesting... Maybe in blue too?

Posted: 27 Jul 2004 08:13 pm
by jtbo
Maybe it is possible to make in blue too, I think that it is Paint Shop Pro used to paint those, but I'm lacking bit skills for that :(

zimba has supplied those black and red only.

Posted: 27 Jul 2004 09:06 pm
by Duvel78
With the blue, I mean something like that... (Volvo S60R)

Image

Posted: 27 Jul 2004 09:20 pm
by jtbo
Blue anodised (is that a word?) aluminium cut in correct shape and made holes and then print white numbers on transparent film and put those together. I think it is best way to get S60R look a like dials, also illumination should be ok then. But it needs high level of metal work skills and equipment :(
Of course it is possible to print blue backgrounds too, but it will not look very same, depends a lot from printer.

It is also possible to alter illumination colour. It is needed to remove plastic green filters from inside of meters and make new ones from plastic with preferred colour, it is suprisingly easy also what I have heard, but never done it by myself.

Those white dials are meant to print to for example photopaper with good inkjet. Then paper is needed to glue into dials and voilá you have new dials ready. Of course some disassembling needed first ;)

Posted: 28 Jul 2004 12:03 am
by 5lab
i think it'd be harder than you'd imagine. you'd have to take each individual dial to pieces, then replace each bit with the right colour - ie total milage and stuff. i thought about it but i recon black works well. perhaps some blue leds behind would make a nice colour though?

Posted: 29 Jul 2004 01:55 pm
by foggyjames
Nah, it wouldn't be that hard! We made a while dial kit for the Micra, and with a bit of work it'd have been good! A guy I know makes 'proper' white dial kits (printed plastic), so I might find out how he does it.

However, we'd need econ/ambient temp gauges, and a speedo in MPH...and I'd want the letters black not red....but I'm not going for that look on my car...but the project car... ;)

If anyone wants me to make a UK set, let me know.

cheers

James

Posted: 29 Jul 2004 02:03 pm
by foggyjames
Ah...the second two are black...duh james!

cheers

James

Posted: 29 Jul 2004 07:36 pm
by Duvel78
There are so many instrument panels in the scrap yard I know here that I can test that for you and show the result here...

Posted: 29 Jul 2004 09:59 pm
by foggyjames
A cool trick to play is to get a set of stock panels, then use polish to buff the black printing off....there you have it...a white gauge face! Just print onto it...

That works on Micras anyway...

cheers

James

Posted: 30 Jul 2004 06:00 am
by jtbo
zimba posted pics to finnish forum from his new installed dials, printed on heavy paper with inkjet.
---
Image

He says that hardest part was getting rpm and speedo needles to correct position :)
Also illumination works ok trough of paper.
---
I need to measure those dials before I can get decent print, I also need to drive to my fathers place (150km one way) to get them printed. Who knows when I have enough time for that :roll:

Posted: 30 Jul 2004 12:04 pm
by Duvel78
Waw, splendid!!! sm40

Posted: 30 Jul 2004 01:05 pm
by 5lab
i personally prefer the black ones. each to their own i spose :)

Posted: 30 Jul 2004 03:46 pm
by jtbo
Oh yes, we all have different liking, makes things much more rich :)

I like black ones very much, but I do like white ones too even not so much. But my videocam likes only from white, lol. Dials are so deep in dash so speed is only at times barely readable from tape, but with white backgrounds it will be much better :)