vintage dashes 280z

[siteunseen]

@dmorales-bello

[cgsheen1]

While you have those gauges apart you should pull the guts and repaint the insides of the cans a nice bright flat white.

No matter what bulbs you choose, that will always help. Personally I don't like the harshness of the LED replacement "bulbs" that I have seen - I'm very old school that way. But repainting the inside of my gauges made a huge change in the brightness even using stock 3.4 watt bulbs.

Edited August 11, 2019 by cgsheen1

[siteunseen]

I don't think the dimmer works with leds.

I like the white leds myself, just looking at photos of them. 

[wheee!]

Pulse width dimmer modules can be used. PWD units. Pretty easy to source.

[siteunseen]

1 hour ago, cgsheen1 said:

While you have those gauges apart you should pull the guts and repaint the insides of the cans a nice bright flat white.

No matter what bulbs you choose, that will always help. Personally I don't like the harshness of the LED replacement "bulbs" that I have seen - I'm very old school that way. But repainting the inside of my gauges made a huge change in the brightness even using stock 3.4 watt bulbs.

You notice the right side of your speedo? It's dimmer than the left.

@Captain Obvious figured how to fix that but I can't find it.  Captain, you got your ears on?  Come back...

[72ZDave]

2 hours ago, cgsheen1 said:

While you have those gauges apart you should pull the guts and repaint the insides of the cans a nice bright flat white.

No matter what bulbs you choose, that will always help. Personally I don't like the harshness of the LED replacement "bulbs" that I have seen - I'm very old school that way. But repainting the inside of my gauges made a huge change in the brightness even using stock 3.4 watt bulbs.

CGSheen1, this picture is stock bulbs with the green covers still intact, and the inside of the gauge pods painted white, correct?

[cgsheen1]

1 hour ago, 72ZDave said:

CGSheen1, this picture is stock bulbs with the green covers still intact, and the inside of the gauge pods painted white, correct?

Yes, stock 3.4 watt bulbs, green plastic domes all cleaned, and repainted inside the cans with flat white. The lower right bulb in my speedo is not working. I just haven't gotten under there to replace it... Too hot in Phoenix. The speedo is the latest gauge to get new white paint inside though.

In my gauges, the original paint inside was kinda minimal besides being discolored. I generally covered the entire inside or as much as I could do with flat white. Flat also seems to make the light disperse a bit more. Repainting seems to make the biggest difference.

[cgsheen1]

2 hours ago, siteunseen said:

You notice the right side of your speedo? It's dimmer than the left.

? Ya, I noticed that after I reinstalled the speedo a few weeks ago. I've just been too lazy to get back under there to change that lower right bulb... I don't do much night time 140mph driving anyway. I mostly use that left side of the speedo. You guys may have shamed me into doing it before October though.

Edited August 11, 2019 by cgsheen1

[siteunseen]

Ha!  I'm with you on that, it's too hot for much of anything to get done around here. 

To be honest I'm not 100% my gauge lights even work.  I never drive them at night.

I did find some of the cool lighting Captain Obvious did but his photos won't show up in the treads.  Here's some from an image search...

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1BOFA_enUS494US494&q=captain+obvious+speedometer+bulb+classiczcars.com&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlwoLM_P3jAhUImuAKHUd4BqwQsAR6BAgGEAE&cshid=1565635010398541&biw=1280&bih=606#imgrc=_

Edited August 12, 2019 by siteunseen

[S30Driver]

Does anyone have the contact phone number for Vintage Dash?  Could not find it online.   Need to source one for a friend with a 75 280z.

[wheee!]

Facebook messenger is the way to get a hold of them. They are “new age” business people.

[S30Driver]

Myself & the owner of the target 280 are not fans of facebook.  They must have a phone number because I believe, Dave and others on this thread have talked to them in the past about shipping updates.  They really need a website.