[JNRmr2]

How about having all the gauges configurable? different people might want to displaay different things, besides the obvious RPM, MPH, and may be fuel level.

 

[marley4us]

Wow I am so In on this, get her done!

 

[Dracon]

Nice change, but why the change to the tach so it has a full circle of LEDs?

That was a mistake - I edited an old pic from before I took them out... Changed to not be a full circle now.

 

[eazy2001x]

I changed mine around a little so the important gauges are in the center of the cluster and the fuel and water temp are on the right and oil gauges are together on the left...

I really like this one.. Im down!!!!

All that i ask is that it has a stock like finish and the colors of the LEDS are rich/deep and not too bright or partly illuminated. It has to look stock like with a stock finish!

Edit..

I also feel that anyone with manual speedo should upgrade to the electric and directions could e provided on how to perform the switch. for the NA guys the PSI could stay.. i just ask for another digit.. to use negative vacuum. so the extra digit will be used for a + or ?

 

[shocker2]

Sorry it took so long for me to respond, was out of town for a funeral yesterday. Anyways... while I love Dracon's setup along with plenty of other people's ideas, I am going to try and say this as nice as possible. Any setup is possible yet the general mr2 buyers want a $5000 dollar cluster for $500. If you look at your gauge cluster there are multiple levels to it. The first being the plastic cover, then the black face that covers the gauges and finally, the white casing that holds the gauges. In order to be cost effective we have to work within the available space of current gauges. Basically where the stock gauges would go is the space available to us. Otherwise we are not only dealing with custom gauges but custom mounting and final finishes. Which will multiply the expense. I hate to put the topic back on track but I don't want you all to get your hopes up.

This is an example of what we are going to be able to do.

before

after (off)

after (on)

Now, with in the space of the stock cluster's current gauges there is still room to be custom, we spec'd out the space and there is room to do something like SnowRocker88's design here:

I don't think we will be able to fit 4 gauges in the left large opening however. And just so we are all clear... there will not be any rings around each gauge. I guess I don't have an app that will allow me to edit his picture for reference but I am sure he can make that small edit for us

 

[SnowRocker88]

Now, with in the space of the stock cluster's current gauges there is still room to be custom, we spec'd out the space and there is room to do something like SnowRocker88's design here:

I don't think we will be able to fit 4 gauges in the left large opening however. And just so we are all clear... there will not be any rings around each gauge. I guess I don't have an app that will allow me to edit his picture for reference but I am sure he can make that small edit for us

Ok, delete the 'rings' around the displays? Also, do you want me to move the 3 gauges to the left so that they would fit inside the stock 125mm opening there? If so, will you be laying in 52mm gauges behind a piece of gauge face or will it be just the digital displays and a small amount of PCB around them?? Basically, what are the design limitations? It's very easy to modify the sketch I made so I can throw whatever layout you want together pretty fast...or even concept some myself.

edit:
Here ya go. BTW, this is 3 52mm gauges inside of the stock 125mm opening so it would be feasible. ALSO, at 12:30 today, my work week ends so I won't have access to design software again until Monday...so collect thoughts and I can play more then.

Also, do you want the outline of the factory 'gauge face' piece (the black that surrounds all the gauges that the gauge faces butt up to the back of...)?

edit^2:
Ok...so this would be the above with the stock face-plate/bezel piece on there.

 

[Southwestspeed]

I guess I'm out
that plymouth gauge set just killed it for me. Looks like a product of 80's digital dash.
Was hoping to update the look.

What about LCD screen with programability. that would be much better.

 

[SnowRocker88]

What about LCD screen with programability. that would be much better.

...my attempt to make the 'cover' for the LCD display...just tried to follow the stylings of the LFA.

DO IT!!! lol

 

[shocker2]

I guess I'm out
that plymouth gauge set just killed it for me. Looks like a product of 80's digital dash.
Was hoping to update the look.

What about LCD screen with programability. that would be much better.

again though it comes down to the budget of the customers... you didn't make a fortune on the suspension products you came up with did you? no because the mr2 market doesn't allow it... 99% of customers have champagne taste on a beer budget... I can't lie I am one of those guys... I understand the look from the Plymouth wasn't the best thing to show but I don't want anyone to be mislead here. Believe me, I would love to incorporate a nice customizable LCD screen with programmable gauges and the like to update our interiors... but the problem is 10-15 people will say they will buy it but when it comes time to collect the money say $2000 (just throwing this number out there) no one will come to the plate.

 

[Southwestspeed]

again though it comes down to the budget of the customers... you didn't make a fortune on the suspension products you came up with did you? no because the mr2 market doesn't allow it... 99% of customers have champagne taste on a beer budget... I can't lie I am one of those guys... I understand the look from the Plymouth wasn't the best thing to show but I don't want anyone to be mislead here. Believe me, I would love to incorporate a nice customizable LCD screen with programmable gauges and the like to update our interiors... but the problem is 10-15 people will say they will buy it but when it comes time to collect the money say $2000 (just throwing this number out there) no one will come to the plate.

I totally understand. Been there done that. I lost money on the first run. Which I couldn't afford to lose. But that was my own fault.

Eventually I want a LFA like gauge set. I feel like it can be done by DIY guy with the use of a netbook or a carputer and proper size and shape displays but for a commercial product that means lots of money in R&D and supplies.

 

[shocker2]

Exactly... i personally stream data from my sport 1000 to my laptop that sits under my seat and that gets outputted to the indash screen... through the haltech software I set up several gauges to be displayed... but even that is kind of ghetto... I will most likely go the racepak display route for myself eventually. In order to make it look 100% factory like but newer will equal tons of money invested into R&D only to sell 1-3... = fail... this is why I atleast wanted to throw this option out there for people... if no one ends up wanting to do it... not much has been spent yet...

 

[marley4us]

Well I have to agree not too many of us would be able to afford it, but Im out too. i really liked the LFA style ones that where being showed. I may attempt to DIY it later on. I know my budget for the mr2 is a little higher then some of the new kids coming on here, but about 800-1000 was my spending limit. But im sure it would not be feasible with out at least 10 others in at that range, and many of the hardcore enthusiast have left for new projects... dang oh well.


I still wanna see the end product, but it may not be for me.

 

[sonicboom141]

Yeah i was looking around $1000-1500. In that range you would be going against clusters you already sell like the racepak and such.

My oem speedo and tach are very slow and laggy i want something accurate.

 

[eazy2001x]

Exactly... i personally stream data from my sport 1000 to my laptop that sits under my seat and that gets outputted to the indash screen... through the haltech software I set up several gauges to be displayed... but even that is kind of ghetto... I will most likely go the racepak display route for myself eventually. In order to make it look 100% factory like but newer will equal tons of money invested into R&D only to sell 1-3... = fail... this is why I atleast wanted to throw this option out there for people... if no one ends up wanting to do it... not much has been spent yet...

lets be real.. how much would it cost you to make something like this:

I changed mine around a little so the important gauges are in the center of the cluster and the fuel and water temp are on the right and oil gauges are together on the left...

?

 

[shocker2]

^ laying out the gauges is not going to be the hard part... its finishing the design... it is nothing to make something like that with the circuitry behind it but how will you mount it in the car and how will you make it look like it belongs there... the original design works with in the factory gauge cluster design space and allows use of the factory black covering of the gauges to finish the look. In order to make something functional like that one that Dracon designed, we or the end user would have to hack up the factory clusters to allow for the space for that to fit into the white housing... then the problem still lies with how to finish it off... you could no longer use the black plastic trim as it is obviously not designed for this setup, then how would you add the plastic front and make sure the curvature of the glass matches the factory trim pieces so again it doesn't look out of place.

If you guys want me to price out just the "Dracon Gauge Layout" then I would be happy to do so... and you all can figure out how to mount it... i will get with the manufacturer and see what cost we would be looking at.

 

[javajoe79]

I recently built a dash for a customer that used gauges very similar to those. He spent almost $900 on the gauges. They started malfunctioning shortly after install. Segments of the numbers started dropping out etc... Just make sure of the quality of these before you have them built. Maybe do one and run it for a while first.
For a bit more you could do a racepack dash with warning lights and logging. Just a though

 

[shocker2]

I am not worried about the quality of these gauges... we have a good history with this company and have not had any issues. But you are correct, we sell a SW20 Sport 1000 plug and play package with an IQ3 display dash for $2299 shipped, which while it is double what I anticipated pricing the offered setup... you are also getting a stand alone ECU in the deal...

 

[sonicboom141]

I am not worried about the quality of these gauges... we have a good history with this company and have not had any issues. But you are correct, we sell a SW20 Sport 1000 plug and play package with an IQ3 display dash for $2299 shipped, which while it is double what I anticipated pricing the offered setup... you are also getting a stand alone ECU in the deal...

I always planned on going to proefi or haltech or something and running a racepak, that seems like a good deal. Do they make any oem looking shrouds for it? I dont want it to look hacked up in there.

 

[KraziJdmMr2]

I like this idea, but I think if it's going to sell and be sought after, it needs to look somewhat OEM.

Here's my submission:

Im definitely liking this!! I would be interested for sure.

If you guys want me to price out just the "Dracon Gauge Layout" then I would be happy to do so... and you all can figure out how to mount it... i will get with the manufacturer and see what cost we would be looking at.

Knowing the price or something close to it would be nice. As far as mounting this digital cluster, if its the shape of the stock one and it fits in the same place that the original one goes. Im ok with but I do not want to hack up the front of dash. Modifying the back side of the dash to make the cluster fit is no problem for me.

 

[shocker2]

I always planned on going to proefi or haltech or something and running a racepak, that seems like a good deal. Do they make any oem looking shrouds for it? I dont want it to look hacked up in there.

not really, you just have to fab something up

Im definitely liking this!! I would be interested for sure.

Knowing the price or something close to it would be nice. As far as mounting this digital cluster, if its the shape of the stock one and it fits in the same place that the original one goes. Im ok with but I do not want to hack up the front of dash. Modifying the back side of the dash to make the cluster fit is no problem for me.

it will be close to the same shape but will be flat unlike the stock one that has roughly 20 degree angles on the side gauges... but you will have no black plastic cover nor any glass to cover it... so that along with mounting it would be left up to the end user