Red needles. Shorter Shifter. Good looking inexpensive mods.

[Yellow2]

So i got bored and did a little more modding. I did all 5 neededs (included the MPG too). Tell me what you think. Too late Anyway if you dont like it

CLICK ME !!!!

Added another picture of them reinstalled. Look really good during the day.

Hotness !!!

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Lopped off 1" off the top of the shifter and reinstalled knob. Took me 10minutes withclean up. Dosent work for the screw in type shifters. Not looking for any sort of physical gain from this mod, but more of a cosmetic look. I have a large tear in the top of the shifter boot and making the shifter lower 1" helps it hide in that leather top hole better. Pictures describe it better.

Shorter Shifter

These are a few mods i have found that are cheap, actually free, and just help make it look a little different. Hope you enjoy.


[Edit by Yellow2 on [TIME]1138586055[/TIME]]

[ChronicX]

I love it, that would go good with the rest of my car, i painted the majority of the center vinyl/plastic red and all of the vents and the obc/ left most vent surround as well, i should post pics sometime. Is it easy to get that plastic cover off to get to the needles? and how about getting the whole cluster back in once youve pulled it out, thats what im worried about

[Yellow2]

Its really easy. You just remove the screws form the top of the cluster, pull the steering wheel all the way back. Remove the clips on the back and slide it out. Remove like 8-10 screws from the back and the gauges will be visible. Take your time painting them by taping stuff off or making sure you dont draw on the gauges themselves. Then reinstall in reverse. Took me 30 min to do it all and ive never taken a cluster out before this. Very easy. Read your Bentley !

[DRP535]

That looks wikid. That's one mod that's already on my to-do list. I rang the local VDO service agent to inquire about getting it done only because if you want the authentic E30 M3 red needle gauge look, the paint is supposed to be a day-glow orange/red colour which illuminates properly at night and I don't know where to get the correct paint other than from VDO themselves. The R&R bit is easy to do yourself but I think I'll get the painting done by VDO with the correct reflective paint.

Thanks for the photos.

[C.R. Krieger]

[QUOTE="DRP535"]The R&R bit is easy to do yourself but I think I'll get the painting done by VDO with the correct reflective paint.

Thanks for the photos.[/QUOTE]

That would be my concern. Red needles illuminated by red light isn't exactly a recipe for enhanced visibility. But then, I'm a.) getting old ~_~ and b.) colorblind for red/green. ~0

[Shawn D.]

[QUOTE="C.R. Krieger"]That would be my concern. Red needles illuminated by red light isn't exactly a recipe for enhanced visibility. But then, I'm a.) getting old ~_~ and b.) colorblind for red/green. ~0[/QUOTE]
Red light by any other name is still red light, my colorblind friend! By that, I mean that red light reflected by red needles is the same as red light reflected by white needles (namely, they're both red).

[Yellow2]

i have good vision in my good eye (hehe) and good enough vision in my other eye to know where the needeles are even at night. Ill try to find some dayglow red and see what i can whip up. So far it looks ok.

[Hunter has a Bimmer3]

Where do you get the paint?

[Yellow2]

Hunter lost his account too. I used a red sharpie but it was a liquid sharpie that drop alot of ink on there. Good to the touch after a few mins. I took the car out for a spin today and really noticed the gauges more during the daytime. I should have snapped a pic during the day.

[Hunter has a Bimmer3]

Hunter lost his account too.

Yep %) , being private again rulez.

[C.R. Krieger]

[QUOTE="C.R. Krieger"]That would be my concern. Red needles illuminated by red light isn't exactly a recipe for enhanced visibility. But then, I'm a.) getting old ~_~ and b.) colorblind for red/green. ~0[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE="Shawn D."]Red light by any other name is still red light, my colorblind friend! By that, I mean that red light reflected by red needles is the same as red light reflected by white needles (namely, they're both red).[/QUOTE]

I hate when you're right and I'm an idiot who should know better ... but that gives me another idea. All those little light bulbs in the dash are white, aren't they? They're just seated under red covers to filter out the other colors. So how hard are they to remove? Seems to me it might be better for my failing sight to have white on black at night (when I don't wear corrective lenses like my bifocal driving/riding shades in the sun). Whaddya think? Might also be pretty easy to turn the white into that cool VW blue-green color, eh? Da Dog be pimpin' den!

[Shawn D.]

[QUOTE="C.R. Krieger"]That would be my concern. Red needles illuminated by red light isn't exactly a recipe for enhanced visibility. But then, I'm a.) getting old ~_~ and b.) colorblind for red/green. ~0[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE="Shawn D."]Red light by any other name is still red light, my colorblind friend! By that, I mean that red light reflected by red needles is the same as red light reflected by white needles (namely, they're both red).[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE="C.R. Krieger"]I hate when you're right and I'm an idiot who should know better ... but that gives me another idea. All those little light bulbs in the dash are white, aren't they? They're just seated under red covers to filter out the other colors. So how hard are they to remove? Seems to me it might be better for my failing sight to have white on black at night (when I don't wear corrective lenses like my bifocal driving/riding shades in the sun). Whaddya think? Might also be pretty easy to turn the white into that cool VW blue-green color, eh? Da Dog be pimpin' den![/QUOTE]
It's not as simple as removing red (actually red-orange) covers. The two lights that illuminate the main cluster are channeled through red-orange plastic and all the other lights use a similar scheme. If you think you have poor acuity with the red-orange, the blue will really suck. Blue looks way cool and "glowy" at night, but the "glowy" part is due to the fact that the eye focuses blue light very poorly. Now, if you were to go to a pale green, that would improve acuity.

[ChronicX]

Now, i dont doubt you, but i read in a magazine that i picked up at barnes and noble, that a blue dash display would be better for night driving because its easier for your eyes to focus between the blue and the road/whats ahead of you and that many car manufacturers are considering making things blue. However, i could be wrong or just plain mislead.

[Shawn D.]

[QUOTE="ChronicX"]Now, i dont doubt you, but i read in a magazine that i picked up at barnes and noble, that a blue dash display would be better for night driving because its easier for your eyes to focus between the blue and the road/whats ahead of you and that many car manufacturers are considering making things blue. However, i could be wrong or just plain mislead.[/QUOTE]
Nah, you do doubt me.

Consider that aviation human factors is concerned with what's effective, not what's in fashion, and you'll note that before the advent of NVGs, cockpit illumination was red/reddish-orange. That enhances night vision by allowing rhodopsin to build up. The principle is dubious in a car, given oncoming lights, reflection from your own lights, etc. NVGs tend to get "washed out" by red lighting, and the next best color human factors-wise is pale green, which does not wash out the NVGs. VW-type blue light is almost non-existent in aviation (some "glass cockpits" will display blues, but not that hue/tone).

[C.J.]

Just my 2 cents, but I think having blue/green dash lights in an e28 would look kind of odd, considering that all other illuminated parts in the car are red/orange. White would be cool though.

[DRP535]

[QUOTE="ChronicX"]Now, i dont doubt you, but i read in a magazine that i picked up at barnes and noble, that a blue dash display would be better for night driving because its easier for your eyes to focus between the blue and the road/whats ahead of you and that many car manufacturers are considering making things blue. However, i could be wrong or just plain mislead.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE="Shawn D."]Nah, you do doubt me.

Consider that aviation human factors is concerned with what's effective, not what's in fashion, and you'll note that before the advent of NVGs, cockpit illumination was red/reddish-orange. That enhances night vision by allowing rhodopsin to build up. The principle is dubious in a car, given oncoming lights, reflection from your own lights, etc. NVGs tend to get "washed out" by red lighting, and the next best color human factors-wise is pale green, which does not wash out the NVGs. VW-type blue light is almost non-existent in aviation (some "glass cockpits" will display blues, but not that hue/tone).[/QUOTE]

Yeah I read something along those lines too. Something like BMW contacted the USAF to get the exact wavelength of the light used to illuminate their cockpit displays so they could duplicate it in their cars. The theory being that the colour was chosen by the DoD because it was medically proven to cause the least amount of eyestrain on pilots.

What is an NVG and what is rhodopsin?

[Hunter has a Bimmer3]

My friends 89' Supra has a factory green cluster and I like it. Works great at night.
[Edit by Hunter has a Bimmer2 on [TIME]1138250141[/TIME]]


[Edit by Hunter has a Bimmer2 on [TIME]1138250214[/TIME]]

[Shawn D.]

[QUOTE="DRP535"]Yeah I read something along those lines too. Something like BMW contacted the USAF to get the exact wavelength of the light used to illuminate their cockpit displays so they could duplicate it in their cars. The theory being that the colour was chosen by the DoD because it was medically proven to cause the least amount of eyestrain on pilots.

What is an NVG and what is rhodopsin?[/QUOTE]
It's not the eyestrain on aircrews (FTI, the USAF is not just about pilots, but I can understand how folks think that), but the ability to maintain night vision by not destroying rhodopsin (also called "visual purple"). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodopsin.

NVGs are "Night Vision Goggles" -- sorry for not spelling it out!


[Edit by Shawn D. on [TIME]1138284879[/TIME]]

[the Tanned One]

Did this to mine a few years back with the help from Rich in Houston Go to any good hobby shop Get a bottle of Trestors model paint red/orange day glow Painted mine with small brush & a Qtip Looks great day or night even to my soon to be 52 yr old eyes :p Little hint ALSO re-paint the 2 coves for the main bulbs a brt. white < also model paint Will reflex more light down on the cluster Randy/

[Yellow2]

another cheapo mod finished