Have anybody bought these needles yet for the tC? If do, please post some pictures. I'm curious what does it look like and how bright they are in person. It looks like they use a special CCFL ring around the head needles to make it so bright. I wouldn't mind buying it and give it a try.


1992 240sx w/ Sonic Blue Kit

Import Intelligence

"Import Intelligence has developed a new and innovative way of creating the ultimate custom look to any set of gauges. We have developed a low profile carbon fiber powered light ring that sits underneath the stock needles. With this 80% universal kit (more details later), the options are endless here and we like to explore every aspect of the concept of custom gauges. Indiglow can catch the eye very well but a piece of the gauge cluster that is not only brighter but also moving can really attract much needed attention. If you are tired of the Indiglo look, these are for you. New technology has made all this possible without major modification to the cluster. These kits are custom built to order so please allow a few days from time of order for shipping. All Kits come with a detailed instruction manual to help make your cluster the hottest on the block."

'05+ Scion tC

2 Large Needles & 2 Small - $69.90

4 different colors:
Sonic Blue
Hyper Red
Orange Dream
Super Green

They also have it for xB and xA.

Click Here: IntelliGlow Needle Kits

www.importintelligence.com

 

you realize that they don't sell needles right?

and they're cheap LED rings that you wire in..... worth probably 10 times less than what they charge.

and as far as the picture.... it's overexposed... of course it's gonna look bright.

 

Hey, SquallLHeart where are you located? Pricings, and labor time?? Every anxious to get them done...

 

Yep, you can do the same with some leds and your existing needles. I did mine in red. Pic is in my profile.

 

Wow, this is new news to me, I was planning to do two color tone using vinyl sheet but all the LED have to be white and I can use the blue vinyl on the needles which will work great but will the blue color be bright on vinyl cover or it wont be just like these bright blue LED? I'm planning to do this LED swap this week as my next mod.

 

Dont use the vinyl on the needles. To change the needle color itself, you strip the paint off the back of them and repaint them. There is a thread around here somewhere about it. To get the different colored glow behind the needles as well, you basically block off the space behind the needle and place more leds back there. That way only your new leds shine through to the needle.

 

alright, so basically I'll paint the needles blue and add like blue LED behind the needle to make the blue color bright and the rest of the gauge face will be white for a nice two tone color with blue vinyl, correct?

 

Here are some quick tips to help you get started:

1) Strip old white backing and orange paint off the needles using isopropyl alcohol

2) Paint the needle back using blue paint (I use the neon blue Apple Barrel acrylic paint from Wally World or Micheals)

3) After a few coats of blue, add a coat or two of white (makes for better reflection)

4) The needles will glow a nice blue like this with only the white leds. If you want to really make the area around the needle glow blue and make a really glowing blue needle, then you can add extra leds.

If you add extra leds, I dont reccomend tying them into the current dimmer circuit for the leds on the board. If you do this I can show you where I connected mine. For mine, I didnt want them to dim with the dimmer circuit, I like being able to turn down the blue lighting and have the needles "floating" there at night.. looks very cool I did some calculating, and adding the extra leds into the same branches as the on board leds is pushing the edge of the range the dimmer transistors are meant to operate in, so I am afraid life of the components will suffer.

One of my many projects that I have little time for is making a "kit" for doing the needle backlighting, so all you have to do it glue it in place and connect a couple of wires. It will dim with the dimmer and possibly have a way of turning the dim function off so you can also have the option of no gauge face lighting with lit needles. I am trying to make it selectable without any other added buttons.. so it should be nice if I can get time to finish it (along with my other designs that have been seriously neglected lately).

Hope that helps. If you have more questions, let me know. I will do what I can to help.

 

Are you cookin up a DIY for this Engineer, ehh, ehh?

 

ive seen a couple pictures of needles that change color as they move. Is there a way to get the tach needle to change red as it nears redline?

 

.....I want.........

~Stephanie

 

^GARAGE1217 FTW^....http://www.garage1217.com/album1_014.htm

 

the cheapest ones that have is like 60 bucks, lol, might as well pull my pants down and run backwards thru a corn field..WITH NO LUBE

 

Batter up:

(0)

 

For the needles changing, your simply replace half of the leds under each needle with a different color (the added leds I mentioned). I use 4 per needle to get a nice, even glow and due to the way I put it together. So if you used two white and two red the needle will change color as it moves. Same premise as the temp ****.

I am, however, working on something that changes colors, in a much different way :D But.. this is the project I have had more than half done for over a year.... I REALLY need to take a couple of days off and just finish the programming and driver circuit!

 

and no post on what your doing? or have been doing?

 

too dam expensive. i rather make my own for less,but cool idea.

 

I thought I can use clear coat after painting them neon blue instead of white coat, interesting, I'll go with white since you said it'll make better reflection.

Pm'ed about the dimmer. Sounds awesome!

 

ehh.. doesn't take a genious to figure out what he's doing... those hints alone should've gave it away...

but hmm... shhhhh... it's a secret..

be patient my young padawan... he'll reveal it when he is ready :D

 

Anyone notice that the car has 228K miles? I just think that is funny. Gauge cluster lights on a car that is probably close to dying.

Any what not, I really want to get my gauges done and a changing color needle as it sweeps is like icing on the LED cake. Too bad my skills will make me have more bills.