Having finally reached the exasperation stage while trying to build an inexpensive aftermarket gauge package for La Bala, (inexpensive and gauges
don't mix... 
) I finally decided to look at the original gauge cluster again, but "out of the box" so to speak!
I pulled the whole thing apart, and seeing that the guages are individual items, I cut the cluster to pieces. The speedo and tacho will be mounted in
front of the steering wheel. The other 4 guages will be installed stacked as a quad in the center console. Now the trick is to find a decent way to
build the gauge bezels. Anyone have some suggestions for creating nice professional looking bezels?
Steve - could you salvage some from another wrecked car... if all you need is the fronts(bezels etc), shouldn't be too difficult.
He says... 
you could of course put them behind the dash , and just use some thin clear perspex flush with dash , that would be like the robin hoods of this world
, personally i like VDO stuff .
those bezels will be really tricky to make , i think if you make a small mold then make some out of pourable polyurethane , they can be soft and
paintable - , its just making the first ones .
other than that some J section ally cut down a little bit might be a good idea also
I would make some out of fibreglass myself. get a piece of window glass from a local shop to use as a mould. this will give you a nice shiny
surface.
To make the chamfered inside edge, tape some sandpaper around a cone, lit the neck of a bottle or funnel. you can sand a nice bevel into your gel
coat and have a nice flat panel with round beveled holes in it.
Or you could use the donor instrument pack un cut up.
Hi Steve
a couple of quearies firstlly are your speedo and tacho going to stay that close together ? if so it apears to me that you will need an oval bezal
.
any way to apply a lateral mind to the situation you could loog at some of the small round picture frames for photos or do the same as I have and that
is cut holes in the dash facia and bend the edge inwards , but I'm having mine in the centre of the dash so it will be padded .
Failing that have you any wood turners in your area ? ash them to turn some for paterns .
hope this give you some ideas
best wishes
Iain
Oh one more idea steve and that is to get tsome cases / bezals from a bike wreckers.
Best wishes
Iain
Picture frames! Good stuff Iain. 
Now that's thinking laterally!
Shape -
I have been looking at the latest Porsche gauge cluster and notice that it is one large circle with same-sized semi-circles flanking for the smaller
gauges. I think this will look the dogs danglies.
would it be possible to use something 'domestic' like bezels from a cheap alarm clock or similar? Id take a walk around kmart, target etc,
in the kitchen and home departments and see if there is somethign that could be adapted. a long shot, but ya never know
atb
steve
[Edited on 7/2/05 by stephen_gusterson]
Hi Steve
that may be the dogs danglies in a porshe but your car must surely deserve a more individual treatment
perhaps you could make them all ino an arc sort of like an inverted smile
oo00oo
behind your steering wheel form following function make some card cut outs and try different layouts on the dash and see what takes your fancy
best wishes
Iain
Thanks Gusterson, good idea.
Not looking to copy the Porsche but just pointing out that the circles can intersect and still work well. IMHO.
I have already drawn up some different sketches and layed them out in the available space. It's getting there.
Graber
I just remembered some ceiling track lighting I had in a prievious house--small light cans 3 inch or so --but them came in bigger sizes-- on the end
of the light cans there were snap on bezels with nicely radiused edges.
Dale
maybe small crome rims for the smallest burners on a stove? If you want to paint them Then I would look into the plumbing /electrical conduit..
Maybe bandsaw of sections of large conduit unions?
Just throwing ideas.
Good luck
I have been collecting gauges from Princessauto.com Only 20 minutes from here- but I will have to print out common faces to put on them as I
would like a vintage look.
Dale
[Edited on 7/2/05 by Dale]
Looky what I just won on ebay...
This auction is for a LOT of bezels and seals that will fit 3" gauges of various brands - VDO, Medallion, Quicksilver, Teleflex, and more! The
vast majority of these are new and unused. There are 22 round bezels, 2 square bezels, and several assorted seals. Three of the round bezels are in
packages with the part # 993 681 006 labeled on the bag. Winning bidder gets everything in the picture. These were left over when a boat builder went
out of business and we are clearing them out!
Five Dollars
[Edited on 2/8/05 by sgraber]
hi Steve
now that is a great case of serendipity
that will move things along for you
best wishes
Iain
Squint enough and you can start to imagine a finished product. 2, maybe 3 smaller gauges within each outer ring.
Yeah Steve
I can see where you are going and it looks good a bit Olympic but that is not a bad thing the final out come will depend on how you blend it into the
final dash shape.........
best wishes
Iain
quote:
Originally posted by niceperson709
Yeah Steve
I can see where you are going and it looks good a bit Olympic but that is not a bad thing the final out come will depend on how you blend it into the final dash shape.........
best wishes
Iain
How about going the same route as your rear lights?
Would definately be in keeping with the car.
Some aluminium rings could easily be machined down to fit the guages. The guages would be mounted behind the dash with the ally rings mounted onto the
dash with some acrylic sheet behind rings.Some more acrylic painted black would cover the parts of the clocks that you don't want to see.
Terry
Terry that't brilliant. The rings will be ali, of the same shape as the tail lights and the eyebrow will be shaped similar to my GT humps behind
the seats... cool.
Here is an image of the gauge cluster design that I am going to print out. (The original is hi-res on my computer)
MR2 gauges refaced for La Bala
I scanned the original gauges and layed them out in photoshop, then built the new faces and bezel on top of it. That way I know that it's
actually buildable using my existing gauges.
Here are the original gauges in place before the artwork was created above them.
MR2 gauges - original template
I'll print the faces out on a color laser using 11x17 transparency. That will be glued onto a piece of thin perspex with clear 3M spray adhesive.
Any areas that need to be see-through will be masked off, and then the back of the perspex will be painted white. Blue LEDs shining from inside the
cluster will illuminate through the white/clear areas for a cool blue nightime glow.... 
Later,
Graber
WOW I can really see that looking cool!
Hi Steve That is looking real nice but may be you just need to add a personal logo , on your website you refer to your car a La Bala so why not put
that on the instrument face ads well?
Good work
Best wishes
Iain
That is exactly what I was thinking of, but looks even better in the flesh so-to-speak!
It also gives it a layered effect.
Glad something I thought of came across right!
Terry
The idea of adding a visible custom logo on them is nice, but a little too self-serving for my taste. I am feeling a bit more subtle. My mark is
written in small letters just below the MPH...
Terry, great minds think alike. And this has been true many times during the construction of this car. Thanks for the input!
Now I just have to find a transparency sheet that is longer than the standard piece of paper. (Or I'll have to print it out on 2 sheets and piece
them together under one of the bezels...)
Graber
Hi Steve
nice to meet a builder with a sense of humility , good luck and I look forward to further reports of your progress
best wishes
Iain
quote:
Terry, great minds think alike. And this has been true many times during the construction of this car. Thanks for the input!
Now I just have to find a transparency sheet that is longer than the standard piece of paper. (Or I'll have to print it out on 2 sheets and piece them together under one of the bezels...)
Graber
Terry,
without writing a complete how-to on the project... The technique is as follows.
edit.... It's too hard to explain. I will do a write-up of how to make the new gauge faces and apply them to existing gauges and post it on my
website.
In the meantime you can see an old project of mine where I re-faced the gauges on my Ferrari 250 GTO replica using Datsun 280Z gauges.
Click Here
This is what they looked like when finished.
Steve, I understand what you are doing with your binacle, but am not sure what you mean with the transparencies.
As the clocks are built together and will be used that way (except for smaller guages) the only option is to make a false front for them. On that
false front will be the bezel rings and acrylic/glass. I don't see the similarity with your Datsun clocks unless you are refering to the colour
and style of the faces?
Terry
There are a lot of similarities. and yes a few differences. That's why I want to finishe the job before writing up how I did it. 
The main difference is that with the new cluster the gauges are all one unit so the transparency doesn't need to be cut into discrete
components.
Graber
I once looked at some electroflourescent material that could be sandwiched between transparencies. Small electric current passed through it and it glows. Not cheap though. My idea was to print gauge face on transparancy, sandwich in the electro gizmo and have blu backlit dials as per modern VW's. I have to admit i didnt get passed the internet search bit so didnt get the material. Farnell rings a bell as possible supplier, maybe also RS.
Hey only just seen this thread. Im also using the Mr2 dials in my car. Ive got a few designs of what i was gonna do but needed the motivation to go
ahead and use them instead of buying new.... thanks.
fin
Steve - find a sign shop locally who have a GERBER EDGE and they will print the desing (in reverse if needed) onto clear vinyl. This can then be
applied to ANYTHING you want and they will also be able to print the white.
It will have to be a THERMAL printer though and they will also be able to cut it to shape.
If you ask nicely they may even apply it to thin sheet (transparency) before cutting. It'll be VERY neat!!!
Love the way you have arrange the dials underneath to produce that dash, very clever. You car is going to one piece of design and engineering when its done!!
DarrenW did u mean like these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72216&item=7953849530&rd=1