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PostPosted: February 22, 2016, 4:05 pm 
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geek49203 wrote:
REQUEST FOR AN ENHANCEMENT.... would it be possible to add it a MK1-style "lift" or "bulge" for the instruments?
You bet!
geek49203 wrote:
Of all of the ways I can think of spending $800-ish on this thing, buying gauges isn't not high up on the list
I think sending me $800 for a custom scuttle would be a much better use of the money. :D*

This scuttle design I'm working on will be well suited to custom dash and add-on bulges, and your one-size-for-many-clusters idea makes some sense, but it's not going to happen soon. However, I could find you a dash that looks very much like the original--in fact, it'll look so original, you'll have to drive your car from the passenger's seat.

*I realized I might have been being too subtle. That's my way of saying no, I can't, at least not for a reasonable price.

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PostPosted: February 22, 2016, 7:42 pm 
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Using the miata cluster, you can remove the face to fit a flat sheet of acrylic, then extend a visor over the top for shade. Tanner did that with his but no visor.

The visor can be clean with just a couple screw heads showing. If you raise the cluster to where the curve protrudes above the flat dash, a template can be made from poster board that curves around the top of the cluster and meets the flat dash at an angle of about 10 degrees and a scalloped forward edge. I can draw a pic if you want.

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PostPosted: March 13, 2016, 9:18 pm 
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MV8 --

Well, your post got under my skin.

So I first started out thinking, "Hey, it would be great if my car didn't start off with 89,000 miles on it?" That didn't prove to be very difficult to do. You'll note now my cluster (er, gauge cluster) came from a very low-mile donor now.

Since I had it apart, I noticed how this gauge cluster was really mostly rectangular, and how it seems like they made it easy to modify.

With the plexi removed:

Attachment:
Camaro_Gauges_2.jpg


With all of the front stuff (bezel, plexiglass, etc) here is what I'm working with:

Attachment:
Camaro_Gauges_1.jpg


Obviously I can redo the face with an inexpensive gauge face. But it's clear that I could easily transfer the outline of the non-viewable area to a bezel.

Here is the OEM bezel...

Attachment:
Camaro_Gauges_4.jpg


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PostPosted: March 14, 2016, 9:25 am 
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I think the miata cluster would have been easier due to the shape of the top and the way it mounts in the miata.

I think this one will require compound curves in the visor/cover.

Here are some ideas.


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Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
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Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
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PostPosted: March 14, 2016, 10:32 am 
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MV8 --

Certainly will study your work. Thank you!

What I'd gotten to so far was to make a wooden dash which included just the "outer" bezel (the inner stuff is very small and would be tough if I used wood?). Then put a lens over that, made of plexi, kinda looking like lens on top of a gauge of a conventional round gauge? Except of course that round gauges aren't big and oval-ish. At that point, my initial concept was for a flat bit of plexi. But this might include a bit of trim work that obviously you've considered.

Thanks again!

Tim

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PostPosted: March 14, 2016, 11:21 am 
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I used the stock Miata cluster too. I did some cutting and glassing on the scuttle and some trimming on the hood to make it fit. It might not be the look you are after but maybe give you an idea.
Attachment:
IMG_0673.JPG


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PostPosted: March 14, 2016, 12:39 pm 
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Thanks for you help!

Oh how I wish I could simply trim the donor's bezel and dash trim.

As you can see, the Camaro bezel includes a couple of vents and loops around the light switches (which is in this photo) as well as the heater switches (far right side). I'd have to trim up quite a bit, and in the end, it would look like a 95 v6 Camaro dash I'm afraid.

Attachment:
1995 Chevy Camaro - Dash Instrument Cluster Bezel Trim1.jpg


This is the Lola Mk1 cluster:

Attachment:
TomGrudovich-Lola-Mark1-ED resized.jpg


So I think that if I could put this gauge cluster above the steering column, flat, with a bit of home-made (wood? crinkle-black painted metal?) bezel, under a home-made bump addition to Jack's scuttle.... (still thinking this thru)

Thanks again for you help... and encouragement.


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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 6:04 pm 
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So finally, I get up the nerve to put water into the fuel tank I made years ago.

Makes a great watering can...

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PostPosted: September 13, 2016, 11:26 pm 
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geek49203 wrote:
So finally, I get up the nerve to put water into the fuel tank I made years ago.

Makes a great watering can...


Did you seal it before hand? I'm no great welder but I welded mine, sealed it, filled it up with fuel, and haven't had any drips on the floor yet.

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PostPosted: September 14, 2016, 8:29 am 
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Trochu wrote:
Did you seal it before hand? I'm no great welder but I welded mine, sealed it, filled it up with fuel, and haven't had any drips on the floor yet.


No, not yet, got the stuff sitting on the shelf to do that. Gonna seal up a couple of the worst of the leaks w/ some solder before hand I think. I might have to do the seal thing in stages, since I have welds on both ends, the back of the tank (the main seam on the folded-over metal, as well as the top of the tank.

But it was a pretty impressive lawn sprinker.

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PostPosted: September 14, 2016, 11:13 am 
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I think those seam sealers for fuel tanks are used on riveted tanks, so you should be fine. Not so sure using lead on it is required, so save yourself the exposure to fumes etc....

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PostPosted: September 14, 2016, 1:53 pm 
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horizenjob wrote:
I think those seam sealers for fuel tanks are used on riveted tanks, so you should be fine. Not so sure using lead on it is required, so save yourself the exposure to fumes etc....


Lead? If I wasn't already crazy would I be doing this project? (grins) Thanks for your concern, and yeah, I'm just waiting for the tank to dry out yet again (2 rinses, soap rinse, then the etching treatment) before I put in the sealer.

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PostPosted: September 17, 2016, 1:58 pm 
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What kind of sealant are you planning on using?

I used this kit on mine and it worked really well: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900056-3

If you don't somehow treat the inside of the tank, you risk having rusty fuel.

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PostPosted: September 17, 2016, 6:12 pm 
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I used POR-15® Fuel Tank Sealer. Before that, industrial purple cleaner followed by the metal treatment stuff to seal in the rust. I did my best to coat the interior of the tank completely w/ the POR 15 stuff, not just the seam areas.

What I found out when I used it --

First, if water goes thru a hole, so will the sealer as it resembles thinned-out paint in terms of viscosity. Putting in a temp patch (silicone, whatever) to keep the tank sealer inside of the tank is pretty helpful here.

Second, once this stuff gets on your skin, it's pretty tough to get off. I now look like I shook hands with the Tin Man. I found this out after I figured out that it really does leak thru the leaky areas.

At any rate, the entire thing holds water w/ nary a leak. We'll see how this works out once it's getting bounced around in the car.

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PostPosted: September 26, 2016, 6:10 pm 
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Just a few updated pics of progress. When the rear of the car is done, this will include the fuel tank (which is the red thing under the car, drying from its new paint job) and that might mean that I can see if she'll fire up.

Attachment:
Fixed_20160926_173523.jpg


Attachment:
Fixed_20160926_173530.jpg


Attachment:
Fixed_20160926_173537.jpg


Attachment:
Fixed_20160926_173546.jpg


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