instrument gauge needles and lights
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i was searching around looking for ways to paint the needles red, or give it a bright red appearance. i'm not a fan of the faint red light that's projected from the top of the cluster, and was also considering replacing brighter #74 bulbs (either red or white) http://autolumination.com/74.htm let me know what you think.
also, i'm replacing the #194 bulbs behind the gauges to give it a bright white look (like the new cars have). should i get the cheaper xenon bulbs ( http://autolumination.com/festoon_before_after.htm 194 Super White Xenon ), or an led alternative ( http://autolumination.com/194.htm 194 Superstar Bulbs )? let me know what you think, and also if there are pictures of other people who have done this.
also, i'm replacing the #194 bulbs behind the gauges to give it a bright white look (like the new cars have). should i get the cheaper xenon bulbs ( http://autolumination.com/festoon_before_after.htm 194 Super White Xenon ), or an led alternative ( http://autolumination.com/194.htm 194 Superstar Bulbs )? let me know what you think, and also if there are pictures of other people who have done this.
should i buy brighter led type lights or just paint it? i'm willing to spend a little extra money but either way i want it to look really good. what about the needles... any opinions anyone? will painting work? what color of bulbs should i use to illuminate them (red or white)? any pictures?
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If you can find the right bulbs then use those. When I did mine, I took the bulbs out of a spare 88-89 cluster, bought the right ones at NAPA, and then found that they were different than the 91 cluster in my car. Since I couldn't find the right ones immediately, and I had the cluster out, I put a thin coat of red engine paint on the bulbs. If you replace/paint all the bulbs with red, the needles will show up red at night too. I haven't seen any good-looking clusters where the actual needles were painted. Whether or not it's brighter is personal preference. I like mine dark, I keep the dimmer all the way down always, and the red makes it a little darker too.
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wow, that looks great. hey i think i read that your needles aren't painted, but how do they look so red in daylight? did you replace the overhead bulbs as well? what do you think about these bulbs? http://autolumination.com/194.htm i'm thinking about getting a set of xenon white, amber, and red and then seeing which i like best. i assume that i don't need to change any of the lights for like the turn signals or warning lights right? those are already pretty bright. did you redo the lights on your cd player as well?
one last question... do you know how to fix the foggy appearance that plagues the climate control buttons? mine look like they're fogged up all of the time. is there a way to repair this with like rubbing compound or anything?
one last question... do you know how to fix the foggy appearance that plagues the climate control buttons? mine look like they're fogged up all of the time. is there a way to repair this with like rubbing compound or anything?
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