Interior 2nd Gen Speedometer Faceplate Change?

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by SMOG, Mar 16, 2012.

  1. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    It does make a difference. So, you are just interested in the housing?

    Send me a PM about contact info and we can work something out.

    I see you have an '09 and as I understand things they all come with the red light bar at the top, just some don't have the light activated because they did not get the alarm function. My '09 has the light bar but it does not actuate because the car did not have an alarm. My '11 looks the same, except the light bar illuminates when the alarm is active.
     
  2. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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  3. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    Received and responded to.
     
  4. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    I need to know more about the housing that you need.

    All black except a painted silver bezel ring?

    I noticed that you had a chrome bezel ring in you photo gallery; can you move that to the new unit?

    What year is the MINI/Tach that you need?

    S.
     
  5. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    For what I intend to use it for the chrome ring isn't a problem.
     
  6. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    For those of you who wondered what was behind the tachometer face here is what it looks like with the face plate removed.

    I used a dull exacto knife to slit it to get it over the needle. I have as yet not figured out how to remove the needle. I will Post once I either figure it out or trash it trying to remove the needle.
     

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  7. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #27 Metalman, Mar 27, 2012
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2012
    ..
     
  8. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    I've always wondered what the little round window was right above the button you push to zero out the trip meter...... A "Grin" camera that sends images back to MINI headquarters deep in the Black forest????

    Ja Hans.... Ich habin ina Smiley-Gesicht...... Hah hah ha....
     
  9. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    #29 SMOG, Mar 27, 2012
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2012
    That scenario would not surprise me! The Motoring Assistants are viewing what goes on behind the wheel:eek6:

    When I dismantled that tach I spotted it and also wondered what the heck it was...
     
  10. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    I tried several tools to try and lift that tach needle straight up out of the housing and none worked. Soooo, I tried putting it up against its internal stop and twisting it out and up; it worked. The only fly in the ointment was the normal very free moving needle was now sluggish. You could still feel the several internal resistance points (what feels like magnets) but all the rest of the movement felt sluggish si I will not do that with the tach in my car.

    I did manage to split the tach face and remove the face with the needle still attached to the tach. The same scenario would work with the speedo.

    Next step it to see what can replace the adhesive that keeps the tach face flat in its housing. You have to be careful when removing the everything because the plastic tabs that need to be released are sort of wimpy. When I was removing the circuit board from the tach housing I snapped one, good thing I learned on the junkyard tach!
     
  11. rkw

    rkw Well-Known Member

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    That shouldn't be necessary for the speedo. Unlike the tach, the speedo needle can be pulled off without tools (as shown in my earlier post).

    I would try double stick tape (the thin type, not foam). However, the black outer ring presses down on the faceplate and I don't think the adhesive is critical to secure it.
     
  12. Johngo

    Johngo New Member
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    Does someone have a source to print the face cards? I would be willing to help with design if I could get a couple of sets for my R56 and R58... I have been toying with redesigning the gauge faces, but have not had time to research the printing/materials.
     
  13. SMOG

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    The tach was my concern and the double sided sticky tape should to it just fine. I tested the tach face that I cut off (slit to slide over the needle) and the edges sit down just fine, its the areas that were necessary to slit/cut that did not want to sit flat. I think cutting the new face (once it show up on my doorstep) on an absolutely flat surface will help too. Cutting the old face to get it off means that you have to cut with hollow space behind it(while in the old tachometer) and that I am sure distorts the gauge face.

    I found it curious that the needle base pin on the tach looks just like the one for the speedo! It is a mystery to me why one would pull straight off and the other be such a buggar!

    Thanks for your input. It is always easier to follow the steps of someone who has been there before :)
     
  14. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    VINYL STYLES This fellow might.

    Tachoscheibe Tachofolie Tacho Folie Scheibe Meilen Km/h Mini R55 Umskaliert von MPH zu KMH This is where my gauge faces are coming from, their web site is German and the amount of info translated into English is not complete but they do correspond in English to Posted questions.
     
  15. rkw

    rkw Well-Known Member

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    Printing and material are critical. On NAM, there are complaints of Vinyl Style overlays warping in hot weather. Vinyl Styles is no longer producing gauge face overlays, and I wonder if they were unable to resolve it.

    Replacement (not overlay) gauge faces from Cockpit Specialties (for 1st gen, no longer available) and Outmotoring were outsourced to companies that actually manufacture real commercial gauges. Even those aren't perfect. Both have issues with uneven backlight illumination. If you look at the back of the OEM faceplate, you'll see that crosshatch patterns are printed behind the numbers to vary the amount of light passing through. Otherwise there would be hotspots for numbers closer to the LEDs.

    In summary, creating gauge faces is more complicated than you might think!
     
  16. SMOG

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    Yep, here is what the OEM looks like.
     

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  17. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    UPDATE on this project.

    I tried many different times to order the instrument faces from this company ( Tachoscheibe Tachofolie Tacho Folie Scheibe Meilen Km/h Mini R55 Umskaliert von MPH zu KMH ) and even though they advertise that they take PayPal it appears that in reality they do not. Their ability to communicate in English is virtually non-existent. When the copies of of the PayPal emails to me were presented to them they claimed they were fake. I spent a considerable amount of time on the Phone with PayPal and they say that these people are not a "Registered" site.

    Steer well clear of these scammers!

    I am now searching for another provider of instrument faces...
     
  18. Mr. Jim

    Mr. Jim Mudshark
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    I just ordered a set from essential mini uk, the owner Simon is s straight up dude.
     
  19. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    I checked out their site and communicated with them. They presently do not have face plates for the 2nd Gen cars, but they are working on it!

    At least there is good communication!

    Thanks for the suggestion!
     
  20. g33kguy

    g33kguy The Diplomat
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    Indeed Smog, I'm also on the waitlist too with Simon. Looking forward to when the inventory arrives. :)
     

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