Custom dash in progress - build thread
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
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From: Chico, CA
OK. While I may have won a set of gauges for my design, what I had previously designed doesn't really go with my truck, so I just redesigned the gauge faces. Here are the six faces that I'll be using. I wanted something nice and simple but still having that "wow" factor. You cant really see it in this pic (have to turn the quality down to upload), but the face looks like carbon fiber. Let me know what you think...
I also have a AutoMeter transmission temp gauge in my truck now that I'll be using along with the new gauges. It won't match exactly, but I'll worry about that later.
I also have a AutoMeter transmission temp gauge in my truck now that I'll be using along with the new gauges. It won't match exactly, but I'll worry about that later.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
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From: Chico, CA
Well, It'd look pretty silly in my F-250!
Also, you should remember that there is a needle in the middle of the gauge plus the speedo has an odometer in the bottom half, so there's not much more room there.
You can check the full gauges out here and get a better idea what I mean (though I've tweaked it a little from what you'll see there): The Hoffman Group - Aurora Custom Gauges - Carbon Fiber Ford Script
Also, you should remember that there is a needle in the middle of the gauge plus the speedo has an odometer in the bottom half, so there's not much more room there.
You can check the full gauges out here and get a better idea what I mean (though I've tweaked it a little from what you'll see there): The Hoffman Group - Aurora Custom Gauges - Carbon Fiber Ford Script
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
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From: Chico, CA
I like how configurable they are. Any time you get a new (or better) idea you can just print up new faces and swap them in. It's a pretty sweet deal, really.
I only wish they were of AutoMeter quality though. Then again, I haven't even recieved them yet, so I suppose I shouldn't talk about quality until I know for sure what they're like... Who am I to complain about free gauges anyway?
I only wish they were of AutoMeter quality though. Then again, I haven't even recieved them yet, so I suppose I shouldn't talk about quality until I know for sure what they're like... Who am I to complain about free gauges anyway?
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
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From: Chico, CA
That's an interesting idea, I'm just having problems figuring out how to do the F250 with a good font. Here's a real quick attempt, but I don't think I like it much...
The Ford was easy, as that's the factory font I just copied, but I'm not finding the old F250 font anywhere unless it's for a Super Duty and that doesn't really work.
The Ford was easy, as that's the factory font I just copied, but I'm not finding the old F250 font anywhere unless it's for a Super Duty and that doesn't really work.
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Brett Foote
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,061
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From: London, Ontario Canada
so they liked your design, so you get free gauges? or whats the catch? was there any cost? for shipping? nice design, should look great in your custom dash, and i know they won't pick just any design, nice to see you won,
-Brent
-Brent
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
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From: Chico, CA
No catch. They pick a few designs as winners every once in a while and send free gauges to those people (I'm 1 of 3 in June). I'm not spending a dime and the gauges should be here in the next couple days. I'm assuming that it's all a marketing ploy to get people to consider their gauges. Seeing that this thread has had 906 views already I'd say I'm doing my part to promote their product and that's what they are looking for.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Chico, CA
My new gauges arrived today! They look fairly decent. Not spectacular, but not too bad really.
Here's what they looked like with my winning design installed.
Here they are after about an hour of taking them apart, cutting the new faces (printed at home on photo paper) and putting them together again.
I think they're going to look awesome with a little more tweaking. In the pictures you can see what looks like a gray ring inside the black face bezel. That's actually a white, sloped piece of plastic that I'm going to paint black. If the gauges were to be white face I wouldn't mind it, but right now it detracts from the look.
I've also built another mock-up of the dash, but won't be fitting it until this weekend.
That's all I've got at this point. I'll update after the next test fit and I should have the gauges in the mock-up at that time so that you can see how it all works together.
Here's what they looked like with my winning design installed.
Here they are after about an hour of taking them apart, cutting the new faces (printed at home on photo paper) and putting them together again.
I think they're going to look awesome with a little more tweaking. In the pictures you can see what looks like a gray ring inside the black face bezel. That's actually a white, sloped piece of plastic that I'm going to paint black. If the gauges were to be white face I wouldn't mind it, but right now it detracts from the look.
I've also built another mock-up of the dash, but won't be fitting it until this weekend.
That's all I've got at this point. I'll update after the next test fit and I should have the gauges in the mock-up at that time so that you can see how it all works together.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Those gauges look pretty good. I do agree they will look even better with the white painted black.
The cardboard also looks good shameless.
I might get back to doing mine soon (I pulled me whole dash last night to clean up some wiring). How happy are you with the fit of the outside (perimeter?) portion of what you have? If yours is fine it would save me some trouble if I could grab the cad file from you. That way I don't have to do multiple scans of my cardboard template, piece them together and then trace in cad...
The cardboard also looks good shameless.
I might get back to doing mine soon (I pulled me whole dash last night to clean up some wiring). How happy are you with the fit of the outside (perimeter?) portion of what you have? If yours is fine it would save me some trouble if I could grab the cad file from you. That way I don't have to do multiple scans of my cardboard template, piece them together and then trace in cad...
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Those gauges look pretty good. I do agree they will look even better with the white painted black.
The cardboard also looks good shameless.
I might get back to doing mine soon (I pulled me whole dash last night to clean up some wiring). How happy are you with the fit of the outside (perimeter?) portion of what you have? If yours is fine it would save me some trouble if I could grab the cad file from you. That way I don't have to do multiple scans of my cardboard template, piece them together and then trace in cad...
The cardboard also looks good shameless.
I might get back to doing mine soon (I pulled me whole dash last night to clean up some wiring). How happy are you with the fit of the outside (perimeter?) portion of what you have? If yours is fine it would save me some trouble if I could grab the cad file from you. That way I don't have to do multiple scans of my cardboard template, piece them together and then trace in cad...
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Chico, CA
How happy are you with the fit of the outside (perimeter?) portion of what you have? If yours is fine it would save me some trouble if I could grab the cad file from you. That way I don't have to do multiple scans of my cardboard template, piece them together and then trace in cad...