flamin ponyexpress

[quote=Deric;5826556]What MCD level did you get? In my original post I stated 200-300 would probably be a better match.

After looking at the package,the LEDs are 626nm red. so looks like I'll be changing mine too! I wounder if I might be able to use a dark tint to cut down the brightness. I hate to have to re-solder the switches.

Deric

It's easier the second time around but here's a picture I posted on page two showing the difference.

flamin ponyexpress

I guess putting a dark tint won't do any good. I have some left over dark limo tint,was thinking about seeing if over the lights to see if it the lEDs is still too bright.

memphisstylee

Pony - the red of the dyed plexi is the almost the exact same red as the red of the lighting gel I used on the LCD display in my gauge cluster. And yes any color will work provided they (ritt) makes a dye in that color.

James - Unfortunately they are the same ones you and I both have. The NM is the wavelength or color of the LED and the MCD is brightness and ours are around 450 MCD. But dont go pulling them out yet as I believe I may have a good/easy/cheap solution for us but I need to test it first and ill let you know how it turns out. They arent *too* bright but I have a bad problem with being a perfectionist on little things like this.

Deric - Ill post up some pics of the window I made and for the price you cant beat it. If I have enough time this week then ill grab a pack of blue dye and experiment on some extra plexi. This way youll save hella $$ compared to an acryllic shop and is a helluva lot easier than making a mold and whatnot lol

to all requesting pics: ill get those pics up hopefully tomorrow after I can get some daylight and night shots of it.

memphisstylee

Still having some issues with some of the LED's staying on all the time, anyone have some suggestions? Either way, heres a day and night pic of the dyed plexi

flamin ponyexpress

I put a black limo tint on the leds.just haven't finish the install. unfortunately I feel off the lift gate of my delivery truck this morning, after several stitches and slight concussion it will be a few days or more before I can finish my install. I get very dizzy turning my head the wrong way. having a hard time typing at the moment.

Bullitt1609

I'm still in the process of installing blue LEDs in all my switches, but did find the ones I've done to be fairly bright at night. So I installed some 35% window tint in mine. That helped considerably. They are still not quite the same as the MyColor cluster, but I'm very pleased with the turnout.

memphisstylee

Since I have red led's I took some 3m Brake Light Repair tape and double layered it over the led's and now they almost perfectly match my MyColor settings. Now just to get them to all go off when theyre supposed to... I get one to turn off and another one turns on.. You win this one for now car.. but I will beat you!

Even though I have the tape on there, im still not fully satisfied knowing that theyre semi ghetto so give it a week or two before I break down and order lower mcd led's lol

flamin ponyexpress

Let me know when you order new leds and how they work out. I'm still having dizzy spells,so no working on my car lately,can't take the chance of passing out.I'm so close til finishing this install,then bam! all hell hits, or falls!

Deric

The tinted acrylic looks good. Kudos for finding a solution. I would still experiment with a tint or something on it to darken it up so it looks almost black in the day and you don't see the detail of the LCD panel.

Shotokan1509

Is there a writeup somewhere for changing the radio screen color? Same as the mileage readout?

Dineau

Would you any part number for the LED?

Digikey or other source ?

Pony

I bought some red led's that were 30mcd that look to be the exact brightness of the stock green ones.





Also...try using a little NightShades on the backside of that red radio lense. DO NOT use window tint. According to a local tinter...the chemical composition of the tint has a reaction with the acrylic/lexan/plexiglass that it will just fall off. He tried to tell a local golf course operator that when he wanted the windscreens on some golf carts done.

Many many dollars later and about 2 weeks down the road...the tint fell off.

RH

Pony

OH...and if your LED's are too bright...a black sharpie is your friend. I did some blues that were supposed to be 170-240 but they looked like a landing strip.

I used a black sharpie and colored the center of each LED...toned them right down.

RH

Shotokan1509

Just an fyi, I do know that colored sharpies fade on christmas lights after a while.

memphisstylee

Shotokan - there isnt a write up for the radio screen color change. It was really easy IMO. I went to Lowes and got a 12" x 12" x 0.080" sheet of plexiglass and cut it to the same size of the green window on the radio. Cut it just a little bit(im talking a mm or two here) bigger than the window so you can sand the edges smooth. Sand the edges smooth to where the new window is the same size as the original green one. Then on one of the side of the window, sand a ~45* edge on both the top and bottom sides to give it the beveled look of the stock one. After that I threw it in a pot of simmering water with a a packet of scarlett red Ritt Fabric Dye in it. You can get this dye at Walmart in the laundry detergent aisle, Hobby Lobby in the fabric section, or just about any arts and crafts store. Let it cook for about an hour or so and voila - dyed plexiglass window. It cost me roughly $5 to make the new window. Im sure any color would work as I have used this dye to dye many different things in the past.

Pony - where did you buy your leds? and do you have or are you comparing your 30mcd led's to a MyColor setup? Ill give the nightshades a shot, thanks for the suggestion.

Pony

I got the LED's from eBay. I didn't compare them to the My Color dash...but from memory they look pretty close. I'm doing the conversion for someone else. I'll look again.

Check this out too.





RH

Pony

The black Shapies are not a transparent color like the colored ones. Should work fine, plus they are not exposed to the elements and are not on for hours and hours every day...unless you drive at night a TON! lol

RH

Pony

This would have been a good pic if I hadn't been shaking....lol.

RH

memphisstylee

Nice! When you get a chance, lmk how they compare to the MyColor red as id like to redo mine. Which seller did you get those from btw?