dashboard lights
- Thread starter 22YRSOLD
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JUCD VPR
Enthusiast
No idea? But i'm intrested in knowing if this has been done also and to what color?
MacManInfi
Enthusiast
Here's the deal. The inside of the gauges and temperature controls have an orange film on them. That's what gives it the orange color. The light bulbs in the backs of the gauges are white (only two of my lightbulbs had orange condoms on them, the others were bare). If you want to change colors, this is problematic, because the orange film works by filtering out the other colors. I wanted blue and decided to give it a shot. I put in blue autometer LED's (which are normally really bright) and the gauges were almost black. You couldn't read the numbers. The only blue that you could see was coming out from under the needles. Total failure. 
So I switched to red LED's instead. Red is close enough to the orange that it still shows through. The only problem is the few places that blue is displayed, like the "cool" arrow of the temperature control. Those areas are now completely black because the blue film filters out the red color. I still like it. It fits my red viper. The gauges are blood red now. The only thing that I don't like is that I couldn't change the color of the radio, so I suppose I'll need to change that if I want it to match. Here's a crappy photo. My digicam didn't like shooting in the dark, but you get the general idea. Notice how red everything is compared to the orange stereo.
So I switched to red LED's instead. Red is close enough to the orange that it still shows through. The only problem is the few places that blue is displayed, like the "cool" arrow of the temperature control. Those areas are now completely black because the blue film filters out the red color. I still like it. It fits my red viper. The gauges are blood red now. The only thing that I don't like is that I couldn't change the color of the radio, so I suppose I'll need to change that if I want it to match. Here's a crappy photo. My digicam didn't like shooting in the dark, but you get the general idea. Notice how red everything is compared to the orange stereo.
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MacManInfi
Enthusiast
If I remember correctly, the tach has two larger, normal sized bulbs. The speedometer has one normal large one, and one small bulb. The small gauges all have one small bulb each and the temperature control piece has two of the larger, normal sizes bulbs in it.
So, five big bulbs and five small ones. I ordered my Autometer LED's from Summit Racing.
I thought about trying to switch the gauges out completely, to some aftermarket gauges since I just finished a similar job in my Pantera. But the red LED's do the trick for me. Didn't take the time to measure the gauges to see what the options were.
JUCD VPR
Enthusiast
MacManInfi ~ looks good, where did you get the red led's? How much snd were they easy to install?
JUCD VPR
Enthusiast
Haha you already answered my question thanks. Do you happen to know the summit part number? Cost?
MacManInfi
Enthusiast
#3284's are the big red ones.
#3294's are the small red ones.
They run something like $9.99 through Summit. I saw them on other websites for cheaper, but I already had my dash apart and needed them shipped next day from a place that I knew had them in stock.
#3294's are the small red ones.
They run something like $9.99 through Summit. I saw them on other websites for cheaper, but I already had my dash apart and needed them shipped next day from a place that I knew had them in stock.
JUCD VPR
Enthusiast
Thanks alot for the info, I think i'm definately going to order them. Is it complicated to install them? I mean how hard is removing the dash? i never looked?
MacManInfi
Enthusiast
Very easy to remove the dash. Very easy to pull the gauges and change the bulb. The only thing you need to do is put masking tape on the A-pillars by your windshield above your dash on each side. Getting the dash over the steering wheel will result in scratches on the A-pillars otherwise.
Here's Randy's how to when I asked the same question:
Dash removal is fairly straightforward:
Carefully pull off the bezel around the stereo & A/C controls, remove visible screws. Remove both knee/kick panels, then remove the visible screws across the bottom of the dash; don't forget the ones in the door jambs. On the Gen 1 cars, you have to push the button on top of the headlight switch (easy to reach once the knee panel is off) to release the shaft and knob from the switch assembly; on the Gen II's with the rotary switch, you press a paper clip or other straight wire into the hole on the bottom of the external knob to release the knob from the shaft.
The top edge of the dash is secured with push-in snaps, so you have to use some sort of non-marring tool, such as wooden popsicle stick (or screwdriver with tape around it) - once you get it started, you can carefull pull the rest of the snaps loose without the tool.
The hard part, once the dash is loose, is getting it out past the steering wheel - it takes a few minutes of careful jockying (with the wheel tilted all the way down).
Once the dash if off, the gauges are all easy to get to, and each is secure by a couple of bolts/screws that are on the surface/trivial to get to.
I'm doing this from memory, its been a couple of months since I've had my Gen II dash off, and a couple of years since removing my old car's Gen I dash - forgive me if I forgot something. However, this should be most of it, and the rest should be easy to figure out.
Here's Randy's how to when I asked the same question:
Dash removal is fairly straightforward:
Carefully pull off the bezel around the stereo & A/C controls, remove visible screws. Remove both knee/kick panels, then remove the visible screws across the bottom of the dash; don't forget the ones in the door jambs. On the Gen 1 cars, you have to push the button on top of the headlight switch (easy to reach once the knee panel is off) to release the shaft and knob from the switch assembly; on the Gen II's with the rotary switch, you press a paper clip or other straight wire into the hole on the bottom of the external knob to release the knob from the shaft.
The top edge of the dash is secured with push-in snaps, so you have to use some sort of non-marring tool, such as wooden popsicle stick (or screwdriver with tape around it) - once you get it started, you can carefull pull the rest of the snaps loose without the tool.
The hard part, once the dash is loose, is getting it out past the steering wheel - it takes a few minutes of careful jockying (with the wheel tilted all the way down).
Once the dash if off, the gauges are all easy to get to, and each is secure by a couple of bolts/screws that are on the surface/trivial to get to.
I'm doing this from memory, its been a couple of months since I've had my Gen II dash off, and a couple of years since removing my old car's Gen I dash - forgive me if I forgot something. However, this should be most of it, and the rest should be easy to figure out.
JUCD VPR
Enthusiast
Great, very informative. Thanks for all your help
MacManInfi
Enthusiast
You could put white lights in them, but if the Gen1's are like the Gen2's, the gauges will still be orange colored. The color is inside of the gauge, not the bulb.
That said, if you're looking to go brighter, there should be a solution. Either with a slightly higher wattage bulb or by going to LED's. Interestingly enough, Autometer does not make white LED's. I've heard of some other companies out there making similar products who have white LED's, but I don't remember them offhand. If this is what you want, let me know and I'll look them up. I should still have the info around somewhere...
That said, if you're looking to go brighter, there should be a solution. Either with a slightly higher wattage bulb or by going to LED's. Interestingly enough, Autometer does not make white LED's. I've heard of some other companies out there making similar products who have white LED's, but I don't remember them offhand. If this is what you want, let me know and I'll look them up. I should still have the info around somewhere...
Yes. Thank you. If you could get me the info. All i really want is a really bright white light. I just put the Hid lights on my fog lights and my low beams, after seeing the lights outside and then the inside, the white on those it looks horrible. So i would like to match that as best i can. If you know of any lights that can compare, please let me know or please pass on the info. Once again thanks.
MacManInfi
Enthusiast
You can get similar LED bulbs (white too) from superbrightleds.com. Not sure what the parts numbers are, but I know they have them. Might have to call or e-mail them. The Vipers bulb sockets are standard and take the autometer bulbs, so there should be no problems going to superbrights. They're super cheap too, less than $2 each, compared to autometer's $10 per. If you figure out which ones the viper takes, post it!
http://www.superbrightleds.com
MacManInfi
Enthusiast
I *think* that the small bulbs are the "74 Wedge Base LED bulb" for $1.19, while the larger bulbs are the WLEDS (1 led each) through the "921 Wedge Base LED bulb" which has 9 LED's in it. :O
All on superbrights "car" page:
http://tinyurl.com/e5472
All on superbrights "car" page:
http://tinyurl.com/e5472
