ok i see alot of posts saying this its possible to make the fire gauges clear like the cavaliers so you can put in leds but how??? i hate the red color and dont want to put in cavi gauges since its not a direct swap. and dont want to get a gauge overlay. i did a search but didnt find any posts. pics would be awsome.
mike welhouse wrote:ok i see alot of posts saying this its possible to make the fire gauges clear like the cavaliers so you can put in leds but how??? i hate the red color and don't want to put in cavy gauges since its not a direct swap. and don't want to get a gauge overlay. i did a search but didn't find any posts. pics would be awesome.
i believe it is a direct swap. that's why cavy people use the sunfire cluster.
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my carDomain updated 11/5/07 I've got premium. Yes I do. I've got premium. How 'bout you?
no he has a 98 completely diff. cluster (diff. plugs, etc.)
00+ are the same i believe
I would assume it involves removing the face plate the same way you would if you where going to replace it with whiteface gauges or whatever...... pulling the red film off the back..... and re glue'ing the face on...... but if your going to go too all that work... you might as well just put something aftermarket in there.
I won't do it because I'm afraid of messing up the face without having a spare.
You can't just pull the red film off. It's a little more complicated than that. Besides last time I tried peeling the face off it didn't work so well, and the stock face was ruined. I've played with spare clusters and experimented some, and the best way I see to changing the color of the 95-99 Sunfire clusters is to have a new face made by Black Cat Customs.
Oh and if you do decide on using a white face overlay (don't think they make any for 98/99 clusters), dont peel off the stock face.
Most of the overlays block the red light coming through the stock face, and use electroluminescent lighting. Overlays like that use the red film from the stock face to keep the warning lights red (and odometer on digital (98/99 models)). If you take off the stock face the warning lights will show thru really bright white.
Not sure if their's are overlays or full replacements. Either way the new face needs tint over the warning lights if the stock face is going to be removed.
If the 98 cluster is the same as a 97, aside from removing the stock overlay, there is not a very easy way to remove the red film
Behind the overlay is a clear plastic piece with cutouts for the high beam, turn signals, idiot lights and the gauge drives. Most everything else is covered by the plastic.
The red color is also "painted" into the overlay.
Behind the overlay:
Side shot:
Close-up, behind tach, note the clear plastic:
