Guide to modify the face of the tacho and speedometer.
This modification will convert an U.S mph (miles per hour) speedo to a km/h (kilometers per hour).
I Also wanted to give the face a fresh look by having a white surface - with blue LED backlite.
The Original starting point was this 1988 SuperMagna Speed/Tacho:
I have a picture of an original km/h, but I did not find any used km/h speedo for a resonable price, so this is what I did.
First challenge was to find a way to remove the glass from the housing, the metode I ended up with was brute force bending up the metal ring around the housing with first a small screwdriver, then a larger one, step by step. This took a lot of patience, and, BTW this is the Point Of No Return - You are definitively starting screwing thing's up here:
After bending up the metal-ring around the housing, take out the glass. Carefullt use some flat-nosed pliers to snatch out the pin which stops the needle around the zero-setting. Make a note of where the needle goes after removing the stop-pin. Remove the last screws holding the surface and take it out. Here is a scan from a xerox machine of the tacho and speedo. These I used for a guide, when re-designing the new ones.
I Used Adobe Designer and redraw new lines and numbers. I then got it printed on adhesive White 3M Scotchal Marking Film with help from a friend in the signboard-business.
The Original disk, I wet-sanded down with 600 point paper, just using my hands. I also half-way sanded down my nails while holding tight to the disk, just looking at the amazing sight when the faces slowly turnes into a half see-trough plastic disk.
Next step is putting the new adhesive prints on the sanded disks, putting it togheter, and carefully reassemble the stop pin so that the needle has the same position as before. Make sure the glass is all cleaned and then the metalring has to be wrapped back to make the houseing closed. Then I finally added Blue LED to replace the light-bulbs. These you'll get on a Car Styling Shop, they are similar to the ones Used in VW backlighting.
Download decal file for Speedometer in Adobe Ilustrator format
Download decal file for Tachometer in Adobe Ilustrator format
Download decal file for Speedometer in BMP format
Download decal file for Tachometer in BMP format
Tom Jørgensen, SMOG #666
I have a picture of an original km/h, but I did not find any used km/h speedo for a resonable price, so this is what I did.
First challenge was to find a way to remove the glass from the housing, the metode I ended up with was brute force bending up the metal ring around the housing with first a small screwdriver, then a larger one, step by step. This took a lot of patience, and, BTW this is the Point Of No Return - You are definitively starting screwing thing's up here:
After bending up the metal-ring around the housing, take out the glass. Carefullt use some flat-nosed pliers to snatch out the pin which stops the needle around the zero-setting. Make a note of where the needle goes after removing the stop-pin. Remove the last screws holding the surface and take it out. Here is a scan from a xerox machine of the tacho and speedo. These I used for a guide, when re-designing the new ones.
I Used Adobe Designer and redraw new lines and numbers. I then got it printed on adhesive White 3M Scotchal Marking Film with help from a friend in the signboard-business.
The Original disk, I wet-sanded down with 600 point paper, just using my hands. I also half-way sanded down my nails while holding tight to the disk, just looking at the amazing sight when the faces slowly turnes into a half see-trough plastic disk.
Next step is putting the new adhesive prints on the sanded disks, putting it togheter, and carefully reassemble the stop pin so that the needle has the same position as before. Make sure the glass is all cleaned and then the metalring has to be wrapped back to make the houseing closed. Then I finally added Blue LED to replace the light-bulbs. These you'll get on a Car Styling Shop, they are similar to the ones Used in VW backlighting.
Download decal file for Speedometer in Adobe Ilustrator format
Download decal file for Tachometer in Adobe Ilustrator format
Download decal file for Speedometer in BMP format
Download decal file for Tachometer in BMP format
Tom Jørgensen, SMOG #666