M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

DISCUSSION => Interior => Topic started by: Andy_Casey on November 23, 2009, 02:05:30 PM

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on November 23, 2009, 02:05:30 PM

As I've got a zone chip my tacho goes off the end of the dials, at a guess it's about 7k5. I've had a look and the only way I can see to get an 8k tacho is to upgrade to M3 clocks or something equally expensive. The M3 dials have a different calibration (angle between the pips) and a 160 speedo.

I've been dealing with a dial manufacturer and had a thought of an 8k+ tacho (removing the pointless economy gauge) and perhaps modifying the speedo to 160 mph so that it was at approx the same angle.

Thoughts?
 
Here's a very simple diagram :o

(http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q326/rusty_mcrusty/1608k5E302-1.jpg)

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on November 23, 2009, 03:59:52 PM

looks great but i would never put a white face on my gauge cluster

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on November 23, 2009, 05:40:52 PM

Will look into OE coloured dials but need to change all 4 to ensure colour match as original dials might have faded...

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: AcSchnitzer318is on November 24, 2009, 08:24:01 AM

Off topic, what are you running on your car to have 160bhp?  I did everything I could and had 136rwhp.  With 12% drivetrain loss that's somewhere in the 150'sbhp.  

On topic, you can do this yourself by scanning in your gauges and redesigning them.  Then print out on photo paper.  Another member on here did it and looked great.  I've been working on designing my new dials now for awhile and need to sit down and finish them.

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on November 24, 2009, 02:06:38 PM

I put the car spec in my hello thread, best to talk about it there :D It's a 1.9 so I'm cheating a bit. A mate's 2.1 M42 did 199bhp and was a torque monster, just what the car deserved ;)

http://www.m42club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10180

These are proper dials made to factory specs by a major manufacturer over here, they are superb quality from the ones I've seen. I've just ordered 20 sets for the S2 owners as the speedo and tacho dials in the old Audis suffer from paint peeling.

Spoke to my dial man today about this, should be getting some much better art work sorted out this week.

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on November 26, 2009, 05:51:03 AM

Here's some better artwork :D

(http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q326/rusty_mcrusty/E30_dials.png)

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on November 26, 2009, 10:13:17 PM

beautiful

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on November 27, 2009, 01:58:06 AM

I also did this set in M colours for a bit of fun, they're better than I expected :)

(http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q326/rusty_mcrusty/E30_dials_M.png)

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: carlos318is on November 29, 2009, 04:39:15 AM

Quick question this is something I have been looking in to for ages but when you remove the needle how the hell do you get it back in the right place:confused:

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on November 29, 2009, 01:41:00 PM

Don't know on the BM dials but on the Audi dials I've taken apart I've just put the needle half way on to the spline so it's got friction and put it on in a position past the start point (+ve RPM / MPH). I've then wound it back carefully against the start limit until it's in position before pressing the needle fully onto the dial shaft.

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: ose30 on December 03, 2009, 05:24:31 AM

Is it possible to get speedo with metric system only?

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on December 04, 2009, 04:41:55 AM

Yes, I'll look into that.

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: steven318is on January 05, 2010, 12:04:37 PM

is there any body selling these dial faces pm please:D

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: superj on January 18, 2010, 08:01:06 PM

you can get a euro cluster with only the metric system also.  i have one from my 325i but it doesn't work on my 318 :(

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: superj on January 18, 2010, 08:02:58 PM

here is a picture

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c80/busemans/cluster/clusterpics014.jpg)

ignore the horrible red paint.  i took it off after that pic and went straight aluminum color on the needles.  they have little prong under that bend up with a fine point knife and you can paint them which ever color you like.  i soaked them in nail polish remover and it took all the paint off and they looked great so i just left them that color

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c80/busemans/cluster/clusterpics046.jpg)
i think this is the white picture

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: 4banger on February 10, 2010, 04:32:34 AM

Quote from: Andy_Casey;82132

I also did this set in M colours for a bit of fun, they're better than I expected :)

(http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q326/rusty_mcrusty/E30_dials_M.png)

thats quite sexy!!

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: LeeThompson on March 29, 2010, 09:56:56 PM

Hmmmm I am starting to get an idea. Would be nice to have a cluster to just play with

Title: E30 dial upgrade - 8k+ tacho, 160mph speedo
Post by: Andy_Casey on March 31, 2010, 04:24:39 AM

I had left this project as initial reaction wasn't too strong and it was quite a bit of money to invest in a gamble. I'll get back on it next month and see where I get to with it. I'll need to see what the company makes with regards to kmh speedos but would hope to have a full set made.