Bored and Tinkering

[echo7bravo]

All wet and raining here so I was just tinkering around inside the house. I painted my faded gauge needles the other day and haven’t put my instrument cluster back together.

Was thinking about a conversation we had the other day about using aluminum duct tape inside tail light housing to reflect light outwards.

So I decided to line the underside of my inner gauge bezel. Figure it can’t hurt. Why not see if it will improve illumination.

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[Honky Kong jr]

All wet and raining here so I was just tinkering around inside the house. I painted my faded gauge needles the other day and haven’t put my instrument cluster back together.

Was thinking about a conversation we had the other day about using aluminum duct tape inside tail light housing to reflect light outwards.

So I decided to line the underside of my inner gauge bezel. Figure it can’t hurt. Why not see if it will improve illumination.

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Curious to see how it turns out.

 

[CSFJ]

I'm thinking there may be a lot of light bleed, and excessive reflection. Iirc, most people paint that part white to help brighten it without reflecting it everywhere.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I'm thinking there may be a lot of light bleed, and excessive reflection. Iirc, most people paint that part white to help brighten it without reflecting it everywhere.

Hence my curiosity

 

[echo7bravo]

If it fails, I can always paint over white. However, I am curious and willing to try it out. That and I was bored and had the tape so no real investment.

Still using standard bulbs (194 not 158).

 

[WFO]

I'm the opposite. I usually keep my dash lights dimmed a little.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

 

[Charlie]

I lined my rear tail light housing with aluminum tape last year. Made them brighter. I am using LED instrument bulbs that are working very good for me. The only con about that is they do not dim with headlight switch. Curious to find out how tape works for instrument lights.

Are you using LED or bulbs?

 

[bucket]

I painted a Camaro cluster bezel with "chrome" paint once. The outcome looked similar to that aluminum tape. It did brighten things up, but there ended up being a bit of a yellowish tint to the backlight.

 

[echo7bravo]

I’m not quite ready to reinstall the dash. However I think I will plug in the instrument cluster this evening to test in the darkness.

 

[bucket]

If you just wanted it a little brighter, it should do the trick.

 

[4WDKC]

I'm the opposite. I usually keep my dash lights dimmed a little.

In my older vehicles I turn it up they arent very bright anyway, in my 2010 corolla I turned that all the way down till they were off, then just enough to make them come on.

Curious to see how they look as I had thought about something similar.

 

[echo7bravo]

Here is a photo with it just sitting on the column. Not screwed in and no dish cover.

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[echo7bravo]

The outer bezel is just sitting in front of it. Again. Not screwed in or even lined up really.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Here is a photo with it just sitting on the column. Not screwed in and no dish cover.

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Looks good!!!