Gauge openings?

You might be able to get away with a step-down ring on the tach but I don't know a source to take a 115 down to 100. If you're going with correctly-sized gauges I think it would show. If you're fixing to use the older 356 replica gauges, they're a little bigger than the originals and so it might work.

If you don't want to re-glass and saw new holes you might think about making a plate out of aluminum to fill the whole gauge pod. Cut the right holes in that, paint to match (or contrast) the finish (or engine turn it), then just install it between the gauges and the original binnacle.

If I had this dilemma, which I do, I have 914 gauges.  I have chosen to leave them in.  

Further mine all work.  That is sometimes  not the case with older 356 replica gauges.  And finally, the tach is nice and large, easy to read, this most important gauge, (other than fuel).

If you love the car and plan on keeping it, then glass up the hole and start over..........when you get in the car, the dash is looking back at you 100% of the time. 

My speedster went through 4 dash set-ups and in order to get exactly what I wanted, the only thing to do, was to start on a clean slate. 

The 914 gauges are good quality - why not get new green 356 faces for them and add the available chrome bezels.  Think DrClock did that on at least one creation.

RonO did this several years ago and I saved the photo of his dash -

https://www.speedsterowners.co...c/instrument-cluster

Greg, By green faces you mean the numerals are the traditional green on black background?  Are they treated to be fluorescence?  I'll google to find a source. I know there is a company that makes new face plates in almost any color for the 914 gauges.  Thanks, great idea.

Art

edsnova posted:

You might be able to get away with a step-down ring on the tach but I don't know a source to take a 115 down to 100. If you're going with correctly-sized gauges I think it would show. If you're fixing to use the older 356 replica gauges, they're a little bigger than the originals and so it might work.

If you don't want to re-glass and saw new holes you might think about making a plate out of aluminum to fill the whole gauge pod. Cut the right holes in that, paint to match (or contrast) the finish (or engine turn it), then just install it between the gauges and the original binnacle.

Someone on here did the aluminum plate modification and, although it's not my preference, it looked pretty dang good. I searched the site but couldn't find who it was. The only reference I found was to Cory and the Hoopty.

@Hoopster

WOLFGANG posted:

The 914 gauges are good quality - why not get new green 356 faces for them and add the available chrome bezels.  Think DrClock did that on at least one creation.

RonO did this several years ago and I saved the photo of his dash -

https://www.speedsterowners.co...c/instrument-cluster

I would Preferred to do just that with my gauges because it means I don’t have to fuss with the openings and it also gives me the gorgeous look of the old 356 cages with what I want.  You don’t happen have a contact information or the ability to tell me how I can do that do you Wolfgang?

@Ron O is still on SOC - I see posting from 2017.  He's in BC Canada.  I sent him a PM asking if he had any details.  Yes meant the green hash marks and numerals - you could add KM marking too.  In the link I provided Ron said cost to refurb was (Gulp) $900 at Hollywood Speedo.  Here's guy thats popular on 914 site -

http://newvintageusallc.mybigcommerce.com/

I know the chrome rings are costly - $125 rings a bell???  I can't see new mylar faces being but maybe $100?

I have 914 gauges and like the bigger tach.  I had Palo Alto Speedometer reface them to resemble 356 gauges.

I think New Vintage may no longer do different 914 faces.

http://www.whitegauges.net

Here are faces for the gauges, many colors.

I like the oxymoron New Vintage.  Someone should use that.  It's very apropos.

I appreciate the input I was kind of hoping to find a black face gauges with the green numbering just like the old 356s used to have

JZZZAKE;

My name is Art.  I wonder if the black face plates, with the green light led bulb, that these folks also sell, accomplishes this?

While I don't the white faces - that's quite a deal for $20.  Enough for 2 or 3 sets of gauges.

I put the white face in my TD Replica's (Bug) Speedometer to make it look more like the aftermarket tach. Not a hard thing to do but you can definitely tell it was done on the kitchen table and not re-screened by a pro at Palo Alto.

Definitely good value for the outlay.

But when it came time to do the Spyder gauges I knew something like that would not cut it. I ended up having North Hollywood rework a set of 914 gauges for the car last year and it cost over $1,700. 

Also good value for the outlay: these look exactly right.

So I re-glassed and cut the binnacle to make the gauges fit,

and made a period-correct aluminum plate to go over the fiberglass and behind the gauges.

And I might still re-do that.

It's almost like some kind of ... madness.

Just paint the aluminum sheet with hammertone silver and it will look PERFECT!

Or apply inexpensive mylar tooled aluminum to the panel.

That's better than a can of spray paint? How? The originals were finished that way.