LET'S RESTORE OUR GAUGE CLUSTERS!!!

Hey guys, have you ever looked at your faded gauge clusters and thought, geeze, I wish I could bring that deep red color back to the redline and max speed. Have you ever wished you could make the faded black background "pop" again? Have you ever wished the backlighting didn't bleed through the parts of the gauges where the paint was most faded???

WISH NO MORE. I've come into contact with a vendor who prints custom vinyl gauge cluster faces, which restore the gauge clusters to their original glory.

The vendor is called "Greenback Decals". If you google him, his website will pop up. It's the one that says "wix" in its domain.

He said he's interesting in adding the XJ650 to his small catalog of vehicles he prints stuff for. I'm arranging to send him some extra gauge cluster face plates I have from a parts bike, and he's going to use those to create some template for printing vinyl gauge cluster faces.

Yes, I know his website is garbage, but from what I've heard he does quality work.

He's asking me to pay $100 for the first batch, and then once he has created the template, each set of stickers will cost $40 from then on out.

What are your thoughts on this? Is anyone interested in restoring their gauge cluster?

Would anyone be willing to go in on it with me and split the cost of the first batch?

All comments are appreciated.

 

xj 550 xj 650 and 83 750 all use the same gauges.

I use a redorange auto paint to spruce up my gauges.
how big is a batch? and what does the 40$ get you ?

 

Connor--

We should talk

Dave F

 

if your giving him the opportunity to add a product and make money, why should it cost you more than the next guy that happens along?
tell him to keep the first set and sell you the second set

 

There's a couple of problems with the "face decals" idea:

1) the mechanical and electric tacho faces are slightly different from each other
2) the "stop" pins for the needles get in the way of installing a replacement decal properly, as does the needle
3) removing (or trying to) remove the needle from the gauge is a:
a) sure way to break the needle
b) an ever surer way of rendering the gauge useless when the whole shaft comes out of the gauge (with needle still attached), and all the King's Horses and all the King's Men ain't even going to get that gauge working properly again. So your gauge will look real purdy but it won't work. Okay for shows, though.

Other than that, it's a great idea.

P.S. you're a sneaky one.

 

link to paint
https://www.hipoparts.com/fluorescent-speedo-gauge-needle-restoration-paint/

https://www.hipoparts.com/how-to-paint-gauge-needles/

this guy has some nice artwork
https://www.speedgaugecustoms.com/services2

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Yamaha-...rument-Cluster-White-Gauge-Faces/263959926253

 

I will admit to being there. The ultra rare electronic tach from my XJ650RJC quit working so I began dismantling it, this was about 20 years ago.
Luckily my local breakers had a working replacement but the red was sun faded.
Probably just needed a squirt of lube in the right spot, not sure why I didn't try that 1st.

 

I have some OE-look orange/black replacement needles on order from Taiwan that just might fit the tach on my XJ550. If the boss of the needle is large enough I will be able to cut them out for the knurled pin on the speedo too. It's gonna be several weeks before I get the needles in.

 

The tail protrudes slightly but I can trim that off. The speedo pin fits with slight opening of the needle boss. The tach is gonna need a larger boss. Still looking for one.