All:

I was just informed by RENNtech that the best source for
white speedometer cluster dial-faces is NR Automotive:

http://www.nrauto.com/default.asp

All:

I received my "500E" white dial-faces from NR Automotive ($160.00, including shipping) and I am very disappointed to say that they are unusable, for the following reasons:

- the fit is VERY POOR on the speedometer gauge-face,
leaving the odometer numbers partially occluded/blocked
and UNREADABLE

- the window for the ASR warning light DOES NOT EXIST

- the font is not the same as the VDO font; it
looks "homemade" in my opinion


Therefore, I have chosen to solve my problem by doing the following:

1.) returning the NR Automotive dial-faces for a full refund
2.) making a photographic film negative / "camera ready art"
of each OEM dial-face, with registration marks
3.) hiring a professional printer to make a silkscreen
positive of each of the stock VDO dial-faces
4.) sanding and painting (white) the OEM dial-faces
5.) silkscreening (pass #1) black numbers and letters
onto white dial-faces
6.) silkscreening (pass #2) red graphics onto white
dial-faces

I assure each and every reader of this posting that the painted/screened metal dial-faces will look 1000% BETTER than the less-than-perfect plastic stick-ons that I received from NR. Why?

- because the screened faces will be identical to the OEM faces
- because the screened result will be much more legible
- beacuse the screened result will be higher contrast

I saw two Porsches, today, in Mountain View (CA) with gorgeous, hand-painted/stenciled gauges/dial-faces: there
is absolutely no comparison! My suggested method takes 1-3 days longer; however, the long-term investment in the beauty of one's cluster - as an artistic work of industrial design - is MORE THAN justifiable in its added intricacies.

I will post pictures of my final product by the end of the first week of April. Check my (personal) 500E website, http://www.nemonis.net for details, beginning 02APR01.

Kind regards,

[Edited by run.exe on 04-01-2001 at 04:23 PM]

I can't wait to see pics of them...are they going to be a sale item?

Sounds quite interesting. It even sounds fun to do!

__________________
Brian W.

01 S55 AMG Silver
01 CLK55 AMG Silver

Brian:

I have no plans to sell my W124 speedometer cluster templates; rather, I simply believe in doing things the right way - as opposed to the short-sighted (though often cheaper) way. I merely am practicing what I preach.

In this case, I will post some "after" pictures of my cluster when I am finished. If people like the results I achieve, I will be happy to give away (at zero charge) a high resolution TIF file to interested parties - so that they can "do it themselves," too.

Of course, I have no control over what people might do with said image (such as sell it); I can accept no responsibility or liability, therefore.

The caveat "use at your own risk" certainly will apply!

Please stay tuned. When I finally am able to scan my (printable) film, I will post the resultant image at: http://www.nemonis.net as:

"500E cluster.TIF"

Most sincerely,

[Edited by run.exe on 04-01-2001 at 10:01 PM]

well...

To add insult to injury, I will be charged a "20% restocking fee" to return my unusable purchase to NR Automotive.

Live and learn...

offer you the benefit of my (wasted) time and money.
I've been in the auto aftermarket for about 20 years, mostly MB and BMW oriented. I began getting customer requests for this about 15 years ago. After trying on several occasions the NR layovers, let me just encourage you to stop wasting your time with them. They are just not designed to please customers who are as detail and quality oriented as we types are. If you would like this done right, just spend the money and take the time to send your cluster to North Hollywood Speedometer Exchange. They usually have an ad in the back of the enthusiast magazines. It is expensive, around $450 to $550 to have a cluster done the way you'd like it. But the quality of the work is superb and you will not regret the extra effort. i've been using them off and on for close to 15 years, and although it is expensive, and sometimes time conusming, the results are terrific. Just take your cluster out, park your car for a few days, and you'll have back a work of art. Send the cluster via Fedex or UPS next day and tell them you want it back the same way. Best way is to ask them to contact you when the package gets there so there is no confusion as to what you want. Then confirm this via fax. Sorry this is so long but you can save lots of headaches and disappointments by going this route. hope this helps Allen.

Another excellent source of work (in Northern CA) is:

Palo Alto Speedometer
attention: Hartmut Mees
718 Emerson Street
[cross street = Lafayette]
Palo Alto, CA 94301
phone: (650) 323-0243
fax: (650) 323-4632

The cost is approximately $350-$400.

Kind regards,

My speedometer cluster facelift/calibration will be complete NLT THU 12APR01.

I will take some pictures of it and post them to my website as soon as my (%^&$ing) ISP restores DSL service to me (and 2,500 other plug-pulled customers).

Thank you for your patience,

I just reinstalled my (white-faces) cluster: it turned out ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY! Truly, the final results exceed even my own expectations!

I will take pictures of it, this weekend.

Please check my website after 20APR01 - by which time I hope my ISP will have restored DSL service.

Thank you,

Please visit: http://www.nemonis.net

I have posted additional images of my white dial-face modified cluster.

Thank you,

[Edited by run.exe on 04-29-2001 at 05:37 PM]