UZinator

iTrader: (1)

No problem ... Been dar -don dat! Now I am fortunate that all the littl'uns have grown and limit themselves to just the typical young female daily drama crying over the phone.

MattStarr

I have a donor cluster for you. PM me and its yours, free of charge

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

Mucho Grassy a$$! Much appreciated! As soon as I get started -I will start working on a how-to thread for the digital cluster.

And if anyone else has a dead and useless cluster to donate to the cause -it would also be appreciated. The more housings I have -the more arrangements I can try out to show how each one looks. There are a lot of VFT type displays out there from the 90s and I have most of them here.

I have a ton of the Villager displays:
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...0003_large.jpg
http://www.xtremethings.com/Engineer...version-14.jpg

a couple of the Nissan Pulsar NX displays:
http://i15.tinypic.com/2w2ncjq.jpg

a couple of Buick Reatta clusters (my vote for most likely the best looking SC digital):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2058/...513c9dcd84.jpg

a couple of Jaguar clusters:
can't seem to find an image and will hook up power for a pic if I am unable to find one

a couple of Ford Windstar clusters:
http://frederic.woodbridgedata.com/p...cluster-06.JPG

and several other miscelaneous clusters.

WIth the Reatta -there are three tubes. Center is speedometer /tach. The side tubes are the accessory guages and they can be shifted to get rid of the retangle cluster look.

Oh and I forgot that I have one Oldsmoble Cutlass display:
http://stevescars.digitaloutsider.org/UB32.jpg
which I also kind of like.

MP

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

Here is:



I am expecting a different cluster in on Tuesday -which I believe will also look good in the SC housing. I will post pics of it as soon as I have it and have sorted out the wiring on it.

The bad thing about the GM digi-clusters is that most of them use serial data for some items -which means you would have to use the ECU or body computer (depending upon the cluster choice). This one needs the ECU for speed and tach -but so far -I like it!

P.S. This is sitting behind a SC cluster because I wanted to see how the smoke filter effected the colors of the display. It also has a dimmer (which I have yet to figure out how too wire) which is nice with these type displays. I have the dimmer, the fuel sender/float assy, oil pressure sensor and temp sensor. I will be going back for the ECU tomorrow (weather permitting).

It is possible that the ECU processes the Pulse Per Mile (PPM) and turns it into serial data which the cluster then decodes and turns into a speed display. If it is serial and I end up having to use the ECU to get the speedo and tach running -I should be able to put a Dakota Digital calibrator between the ECU and tranny speed sender to calibrate the speed display. I will have to verify if information from the ECU is serial or not. Typically when stuff is serial -there are shielded pairs or a data return line. This one doesn't have any such -so I am wondering if the information just passes through the computer so that the computer can use it for other functions such as engine control or transmission function.

SC400DAVE

Very nice!

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

No the bad thing is that they are fugly. The layout is attractive, but the ghoul green glow of the EL panels are hideous and that's the only option for that style of panel. Just "different" isn't good enough in a Lexus unless you're 17 and rolling on painted stockers. Then anything different is cool. Oh how fun high school was. I'd like to see a cluster that would fit in the SC and be attractive at the same time, otherwise the current repair options look better than the replacement ones.

EDIT:

This one looks decent:

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

It is not the only color option. I agree that the lime green look is not attractive. That is why you use color filters. The one I currently run in my Probe GT is blue -just like in my av to the left. But I have also tried red and green before. I was only trying this with the stock smoke filter in front to see what base color the display is.

The displays are not all this same lime green color. There are color variations from one type display to the next. I plan to experiment with some filters behind the stock smoke filter to see what resultant colors I can get.

Everyone has their own tastes. I wouldn't paint stockers and I certainly am not 17 and in high school. I don't paint my interiors, put big wings on, or rice stickers on the windows. But I do like to tinker with certain things for reasons of functionality.

The digital gas guage in my Probe GT is one of the most accurate gas guages that I have ever owned. So far -I have never had a problem with reading the indications due to flickering needles and I don't suppose I ever will with digital. Digital gauges can respond to changes much quicker than analog can. If you read up on the LFA -you will find that is why they went with a diigital type. They wanted gauges that could repond as quickly as the engine conditions could change and they found that the needle lag was not acceptable to them for what they wanted in the car.

But as I said -everyone has their own tastes and you have yours as well.

SEIDO

iTrader: (1)

I like the blue Villager speedo, pictured in that Ford Probe.
I can see that looking good in the SC.

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

I haven't ruled that one out yet and it remains an option because of it's simplicity for integration (no other computer units required). It is all analog input. But the one I have coming Tuesday looks somewhat similar to the Villager cluster -only better.

UZinator

iTrader: (1)

Here it is with a red filter:

shaka778

Hmmm the red really makes a difference, looks a lot better. I can see what olt was saying but the red really turned out good.

SEIDO

iTrader: (1)

That red does look good. I'd like to see it in a cool-blue, like an almost-white, but blue.

lemmiewink

Bumping this from the dead to stir up some Ideas.

I know through my research that most people suggest a stack, racepak, or AIM dash. These are all great products, but the digital appearance as well as losing most of the dash indicator lights made me look elsewhere.

Why hasn't this been mentioned though?


http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd878.htm

It's analog and has multiple digital displays. You also retain most of your basic indicator lights such as signal, high beams, CEL, Brake, and even cruise control engagement. Dakota Digital seems to be more prevalent in domestic cars though, and I can't find an installed example.

A few bad though IMO- You HAVE to use some of their supplied sensors. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm using an AEM EMS v2 and am guessing that I'll have to integrate them into the ecu to replace the old sensors. I'm not sure how that would work.

Also, you lose a lot of race functionality that the other, only slightly more expensive units provide.

You have to calibrate the gauge to the stock fuel sensor as well.

I may attempt to do this if I get a spare cluster though. I'm still looking for other solutions.

I just wished that the DEFI Super Sport Cluster was more affordable/available here.

Inputs?

tientony

iTrader: (2)

The Dakota gauge looks freaken awesome

oldManTan

"only $995" he he he, that word "only" i don't think it means what you think it means