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Wow, I just found this thread and I read the whole thing! LOL!
I've got an 84 T/A that could use a little but of customization on the gauges! Looking forward to seeing how these turn out! To those guys that got the test sets...how are they holding up? Have you even been able to try them out yet?
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its obvious by now he doesn't want to make or sell these for others, and thats his perogative. they do look great, perhaps I'm going to look elsewhere to have some manufactured.
......basically, as of about a year "ish" ago, I had what I thought to be the final product just about ready. I had a set in my car, and 3 other sets were sent out at no charge. I never got any feedback from those 3, but I didn't really press them for feedback, so I'm not complaining really. (If any of "you three" have input, please PM me.) Anyhow, my set was flawless. ........for a little while. Then it started to peel up a little. Now, a year later, they get kinda warped when it's humid, and flatten out when it dries out.
Long story short, I just ran out of motivation. I had so many different test set, and each one had a problem. Each time I solved it with a different ink, or a different paper, or a different punch/cut method, it only created another problem. I just got frustrated.
Actually, I've recently found a "new" material I'd like to try, but I'm not sure when and if I'll get to test it. As of now, I'll say they probably won't happen. Beleive me, if they DO ever happen, you all will know.
Thanks for so much interest guys, I really wish I coulda come through.
i still have em at home and said on here that they were nice and good quality. im up at school and theyre still in my room at home. ive just been busy with school and trying to get other stuff done on the car, and im not sure what to apply them with yet. anyhow, ill probably do it this weekend. or im coming home for a break in about 2 weeks and ill be home for a little while, so i should get it done then. im also getting leds for the cluster and i wanna do it at the same time. anyhow, ill post pics when its done, but as far as feed back they really look fine and i cant wait to put em on.
Have you ever considered to white faces? I would like white faces and the numbers and lines black. Then get like a maroon red camaro on the speedo to match the car. Ive been shopping around for gauge faces that are white so I can get some red LEDs for the lights. I reallly like what you have going on though.
......basically, as of about a year "ish" ago, I had what I thought to be the final product just about ready. I had a set in my car, and 3 other sets were sent out at no charge. I never got any feedback from those 3, but I didn't really press them for feedback, so I'm not complaining really. (If any of "you three" have input, please PM me.) Anyhow, my set was flawless. ........for a little while. Then it started to peel up a little. Now, a year later, they get kinda warped when it's humid, and flatten out when it dries out.
Long story short, I just ran out of motivation. I had so many different test set, and each one had a problem. Each time I solved it with a different ink, or a different paper, or a different punch/cut method, it only created another problem. I just got frustrated.
Actually, I've recently found a "new" material I'd like to try, but I'm not sure when and if I'll get to test it. As of now, I'll say they probably won't happen. Beleive me, if they DO ever happen, you all will know.
Thanks for so much interest guys, I really wish I coulda come through.
Fabricating and materials aren't quite as simple as most people think.....I can feel your pain.
I went to the SEMA show this year and I have contacts with several AMAZING guage companies. The new technologies and materials they have would blow you away!
I'm sure that many people here would love to have some of the amazing guages that you've designed. If you're still motivated enough, PM me and let's work with these companies to have the best guages out on the market!
I'm sure it would end up costing $60-80 for a set instead of $30-40, but it would be well worth it and actually AVAILABLE!
Just an idea. I would love to get some for my '92 Vert, and everyone that has a 3rd gen would benefit.
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Thanx, Mike
VP, Southwest FBody Association
VP, The New Mexico Council of Car Clubs 2002 WS6 Convertible 1992 WS6 Convertible:
1LE Brks | !SideMolding | CME Exhst | Headers | Spohn Chromoly Adj (PH Rod, LCAs, TQ Arm) | 3.73's | T56 6-spd | Coming Soon: ZZ383 TPI 383ci 1983 WS6 Convertible
Nope. There are plenty of white faces out there to my knowledge, and if nothing else, the Macewen's are white. If they do ever work out, I imagine I'd eventually do white, but I dunno. I'm kinda anti-white faces. Yeah, I'd probably end up doin' em though.
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Abubaca, Did you make these in Photoshop? if so do you think I could have the .PSD to mess around with?
Thanks!
Not sure what you'd do in PS. You really need vector art software like Illustrator or Freehand. ......ehhhhh, but either way, I think I'll hold onto the artwork for now. (PS, it's only circles and numbers, you could replicate pretty easily)
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Fabricating and materials aren't quite as simple as most people think.....I can feel your pain.
Shoot, ain't that the truth. Now that the art is set up, it's modifiable til the cows come home, it's the production that's been a killer!
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I'm sure that many people here would love to have some of the amazing guages that you've designed. If you're still motivated enough, PM me and let's work with these companies to have the best guages out on the market!
I hope you are still considering producing these. I know that a lot of this thread was a year or so old, but some of us new guys to TGO would still like to see this happen. Will continue to check in to see if any progress has been made. Keep up the hard work, and thanks for taking the time and effort that you have so far. Not many people have that determination. PM me if you get the ball rolling again!
Well, ultimately, the killer was that I couldn't ever get a set made that would last. I'm currently replacing mine about every 6 months, but I also only drive about 3000 miles a year. .....SOooooo, long story short, it's not a product I can even pretend to stand by if I were to sell it.
Beleive me guys, nothing would make me happier than to hook ALL of you guys up. I don't give a crap about credit, and money isn't my goal either. I just wish there was a way to do it. All I really did was put a little graphic touch on the gauges. And for that matter, it's a copy of the C5 vette style. My current overlays are a blatant Autometer pro-comp rip off!!! LOL
......Unfortunately, the products I have available to me just aren't designed for projects like this.
I'm not an expert by far, but with the huge variety of plastics and plastic variants, wouldnt it be safe to say that using a plastic based material would be superior to a paper based material? Plastics technology is pretty amazing and surely they have something that would meet your needs which could be printed on reliably.
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1983 Trans Am LG4 305, T5 w/3.73 gears; LT1 VERY soon....oh yeah FS:mildly modded 67 chevy 283 engine, 15X8.5 Torq Thrust D (set of 2)
IF I PEEL OFF THE GAUSE FACES OF MY EXTRA 1991 CAMAROS SET COULD YOU SCAN THEM IN AND MAKE ME A SET? ALSO HOW DOSE THE LIGHT SHINE THROUGH I HAVE BLUE LED BULBS BEHIND THEM.
Well, ultimately, the killer was that I couldn't ever get a set made that would last. I'm currently replacing mine about every 6 months, but I also only drive about 3000 miles a year. .....SOooooo, long story short, it's not a product I can even pretend to stand by if I were to sell it.
Beleive me guys, nothing would make me happier than to hook ALL of you guys up. I don't give a crap about credit, and money isn't my goal either. I just wish there was a way to do it. All I really did was put a little graphic touch on the gauges. And for that matter, it's a copy of the C5 vette style. My current overlays are a blatant Autometer pro-comp rip off!!! LOL
......Unfortunately, the products I have available to me just aren't designed for projects like this.
I was watching a show on tv called "How its made" and they were making gauge faces for cars. And they werent making how I would have expected.
They used an acid etching process and metal gauge faces. I wonder how hard it would be to rig up a setup to use acid etching. Perhaps a little research is in order.
Hmmmm...throw out a number, eh? I'm gonna guestimate about $30-$40. I can make 'em for a little less, but if ya walked into my shop and I didn't know you, they'd cost a little more. I kinda halfed it. We all win that way. Heck, Macewens are almost twice that, right?
UPDATE:
I tried out the acetone idea today with some scrap material and it solved the flimsiness issue. The inks are solvent based, and the faces have to be laminated to the acetone so I want to make sure there's no reaction, or any de-laminating. I'm "hoping" to have a set mocked up this weekend and in the car. I wanna run 'em for a few weeks and make sure they're OK. Last thing I need is to have a bunch of you start using them and then they start peeling or delaming. Unfortunately, only time will tell, and it's gonna be a few weeks.
I still gotta figure out the gloss/matte issue too.
What type of material are you using...are you doing inlay? I use to run a stock department for a printing company in SC, we did all kinds of inlays for Pirelli tire, ESAB welding, and Square D. We used a 7 mil polycarbon material. Wether you use a high gloss or a matt finish. I still have contacts at the Print company, I can find out what kind of ink that we used to make the ESAB welding inlays. We have never had a problem with the inlays fading out on the welders. Have you ever thought about screen printing the gauges? Let me know if I can help!
hey abubaca!, i still have my set. i just haven't had the time to install them. i was wondering if you found out a new way to attach them yet? like what material/glue? i remember you saying you had problems after you attached them, and since your not making them i don't want to screw up that set you gave. thanks, dave
Well, I still tinker with 'em here and there, but like previous attempts, every problem solved seems to lead to yet another problem.
As for attaching them, I'm currently using a silicone adhesive. It works fine, but the original faces below are all scratched up so I don't care what happens to 'em. I can't swear the silicone won't damage the original finish.
The current set I'm using is black, and it's faded ever so slightly. most people wouldn't know, but if it were red or any other color, it'd probably be noticeable. I don't put a UV laminate on it and that leads to the slight fading. I also run NO clear lens, and I've recently purchased one and I'm reconditioning it now, so that'll probably help a little.
.....I actually do once again have access to the printer, so I could probably mess with them again, but haven't for awhile. My new shop just bought a printer, hooray!
There is most certainly plenty of ways to do this, but I've really only looked into things that I have access too. Etching etc. etc. may or may not work, but I don't do that, sooooooo......
There IS a place that'll make the tooling and sell them, fully customizable for about $100 "ish", but ya gotta have 20 people ready to order.
