Black and Blue (Well at night they're Blue!)

JaySpencer66 · 03-14-2006, 12:46 PM

I recently upgraded the instruments in my 1991 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. I went to eBay and hooked up with a set of white overlays for my make and model. I don't want to be a schill for anyone so if you're interested please feel free to just take a look on eBay, they're easy to find in the motors section and a few people are hawking them. (I am not always so good about checking in on email here, I am very sorry, and I know I'm a lame *** for it, but if you need to contact me please check my profile for my home page. In there I also have all my major Jeep Projects listed with pictures, descriptions and details in a forum called the Marina.)

Old instruments

Gauges in process

Tac and Speedo

New tach and speedo through the steering column

Full console with the new instruments

TIMES
1 hour to pull the instruments
1 hour to open the tac and speedo (A strong and stout screwdriver is needed, as well as a little patience, determination and brute and controlled strength.)
1 hour to clean up everything
30 minutes to apply the instrument overlays
1 hour to polish the plastic
30 minutes of reassembly
1 hour for reinstallation and testing

(If I had to do it again it would go a lot faster, but since I was just winging it on the disassembly and pulling everything I deliberately took my time because I have gotten oddly attached to having functional instruments!)

COSTS:
Overlays = $25 (US) w/ shipping

OPTIONAL COSTS (Meaning that you don't have to do it, but it's wise if you do)
$3 Plastic polishing compounds (What I used as opposed to what the bottles cost me.)
$1 Sandpaper 800 and 1,000 grit (Again, what I used as opposed to what the packs cost me.)
$3 Black spray paint
$20 New Bulbs (10)

TOOLS
Hardened tip screw driver with a narrow blade (Straight)
#2 Phillips Head screw driver
Vice Grip (To re-crimp the face bezel back down to some extent on the speedometer and tac when you are done
Electrical tape (Helps hold some things in place for reassembly, useful also if you have to cut the tac cables.)
Soapy water (The same solution to put on window tint)
Wire stripper capable of stripping 14 and 16 gauge wires (If you have to cut the tac cables)
Male and female wire connectors, if you decide to cut the tac cables
Pliers for the connectors to crimp the ends

For a total of about $50 I have rebuilt my instruments from the ground up. They are again useable and very much enhanced. To replace them with the equivalent new gauges would have run me at least a few hundred dollars. Perhaps a couple of hundred for the tac and speedo alone, and a few hundred more for the other instruments. Then I would still have had to either hunt for perfect fits and possibly have been left having to make housings to accommodate all of them. I would say that going this route is quite a comparative bargain all things considered.

chuckyj95 · 03-14-2006, 01:21 PM

looks real nice something i would like too do

Jon Cooksey · 03-14-2006, 01:42 PM

That looks very nice!!! I am going to really think hard about doing this.

Just looks cleaner and also updates a good design.

Do you know if anyone makes a kit that has any type of design in the overlay??

I would hate to do it with just white if there was something else that might look even better.

JaySpencer66 · 03-14-2006, 02:29 PM

The ones I saw were yellow or white, and the only variation was that they did flames on them. I did not see any other colors but I'm thinking that if you have the right set of plastic dyes that it could be possible to change the color from white to something else. Also that since you have the plastic off on all of them that putting in a tint on the plastic covers might be doable too.

Depending on who you get it from you can always drop them an email and see what they say, if they would take on a custom color job for you.

**jeepin1995** · 03-14-2006, 03:09 PM

be careful which ones you buy from ebay.... i bought a set, turned out to be made out of thick paper that you had to put on with double sided tape. first humid morning, all my needles were stuck by the bubbled up paper.... and they looked like crap at night. cuz you could see right thru them.

julesab · 03-14-2006, 03:18 PM

I did this a while ago and love the look. I took off the blue covers from the bulbs too. It makes it so easy to see the guages at night now.

03-14-2006, 01:42 PM	#3
Jon Cooksey Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 28 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	That looks very nice!!! I am going to really think hard about doing this. Just looks cleaner and also updates a good design. Do you know if anyone makes a kit that has any type of design in the overlay?? I would hate to do it with just white if there was something else that might look even better.

03-14-2006, 03:18 PM	#6
julesab Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 107 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	I did this a while ago and love the look. I took off the blue covers from the bulbs too. It makes it so easy to see the guages at night now.