280z DASHBOARD REMOVAL / UPGRADE

[w3wilkes]

15 hours ago, cgsheen1 said:

I used white.

Thanks.

[MH77280Z]

1 minute ago, w3wilkes said:

Thanks.

Factory color was green though.

[w3wilkes]

6 minutes ago, MH77280Z said:

Factory color was green though.

I thought it's the plastic domes/lenses in the gauges that are green. Didn't think it's the bulbs.

[MH77280Z]

May be you are right but my car is pretty stock with a 50 year old dash. Took it out this weekend and all bulbs are green. With the exception of ones in the center console. But center console was taken out and work was done on it by the previous owner. So they might have been green originally. Anyway whatever suits your taste is what matters. I like the green accent as it gives these older cars a more warm vibe.

Edited Monday at 04:48 PM by MH77280Z

[Zed Head]

Just for fun, here are the bulb specs from the Owners Manual.  Can you show a good picture of the type label on one of your bulbs?  Just curious.  Today's 57's seem to be slightly larger than yesterday's and don't fit the space very well.  I don't think that 57X is available if I recall correctly, except for NOS eBay stuff.

[cgsheen1]

4 hours ago, MH77280Z said:

Factory color was green though.

No. Just bare incandescent bulbs whose light is turned a green color by a green plastic "lens" inside the gauges.

If your bulb glass was tinted green they were replacements for the factory clear bulbs. (I say "clear" but anyone that's looked at stock bulbs after 40 years knows they're anything but clear - mostly smokey brown or charcoal)

I don't see the point unless the green plastic lenses were damaged or removed from the gauge. I don't really see the point of green on green (green tinted bulb or green LED inside a green plastic housing) but whatever floats your boat. I know some people got away from the green entirely by removing the green lens from the gauges and using orange or blue LEDs (again, not my thing (bought a Z, not a ZX...) but...).

Edited Monday at 08:47 PM by cgsheen1

[MH77280Z]

You are right. I looked at one from the inside and say a green dome. Pulling the bulb socket from the back - it is a clear bulb.

[MH77280Z]

This one from the non functional clock. Say: LIFE12V34W

[cgsheen1]

3.4W... There is a "." there, it's just hard to see.

No one wants a 34 Watt gauge bulb.

[SteveJ]

2 hours ago, cgsheen1 said:

3.4W... There is a "." there, it's just hard to see.

No one wants a 34 Watt gauge bulb.

Well, you wouldn't have to worry about being blinded by oncoming headlights. The gauge lights will have already blinded you. Maybe not. The parking light fuse would probably blow first.