Digidash color change

[kingbobdole]

Not sure if this has been done before, but knowing myself, this is the most it's been documented..

 

Today's project was changing the color of the ol XT Turbo digidash. Why? You might ask, well I wasn't totally opposed to the orange color, but the rest of my gauges are red, and the plan is to convert my car to digidash as well as turbo computer so that I get a range function and 25% more 80's into my car. Jeff and I also discovered that the radio can be color changed as well and the trip computer too as Subaru uses the same simple trick for all of it, so it probably applies to the non-XT digi as well.. Here's a before pic so you can get a feel for the camera and how it looks. Video is it plugged into my 6.

 

First real thing to do is pull the whole works apart, being careful not to break the ribbon cable between the boards or the LCD it's self. The LCD is held on by two metal frames that press the LCD onto a spongy connector and onto the board, there is no hard connection between the board and the LCD. The LCD is glass though and use of prying forces and tools is not advised... I didn't do this right away, so the pics of the temp side do not show it... this is just much easier.

 

I started with some rigging last night, and since Jeff was thinking of a blue color, I have done some research on that as well. I started with the temp side as the LCD is in two parts. First after removing the frame, there are three screws in the face that hold on the lens and the cover, more on those at the end.

 

After that, pull on the metal "frame" tabs and release the LCD. Then you get to the beef, there is the LCD with a paper frame inside to help make it look a bit cleaner and then the colored plastic filter.

 

 

Last night I played with a battery case(for AAs) and some cellophane tape just to see, it seemed to work.

 

Then today I picked up the real deal at a local Hobby Town. Clear lexan (with blue plastic protector) and a can of Tamiya transparent red that is safe for acrylics... think of a model car's tail lights. Cost about $10 as the paint is kinda pricey... I USED .030 THICK LEXAN, THICKNESS MATTERS!

 

After cutting out the piece to the right shape I played a bit since there was blue covering already on the piece...

With two blue

One blue

Painted with the clear red.

 

 

Then I tried to pull the main LCD, but it's so large I was fearful of breaking it, so I pulled the board off of it, notice the long connections at the top and bottom of the board, those are for the LCD and just kinda of press on it due to pressure from the metal frame.

 

Then I pressed the LCD and wiggled and moved to to let the rubber connections let go so it would just slide out of the plastic holder. The holder is the one with metal, the LCD took the orange and display filter with it.

 

This is VERY strange, but without the orange filter, the LCD and background filter are a light blue.... score one for Jeff...

 

Then I went back to the lexan again.

 

Another note is to set it in place and make sure it's level and trim the edges to make sure it's flush, otherwise parts of the LCD may not work.

 

Also note I poked EVERY light bulb for the main display's backlight... when doing so they ALL BROKE! They were blackened before, but my luck just made them all go out and it took me a second to realize what I broke... I figure I messed up the ribbon cable or something... I did have an extra 03 VDC Legacy dash around though and stole all kinds of light bulbs from it.

[kingbobdole]

WaLa!

 

Then I went back to the silly cover... stupid orange lines... Roni told me about some newton brush cleaner that's safe for plastics... off they went.

 

With the frame temporarily back on as I'll be using the XT-6 frame with it so I have the proper warning lights.

On

Off

 

 

It really was not that hard to do, but you do have to take care with the LCD. .030" Lexan and clear Tamiya paint are the only parts you need, I also used lexan scissors (I had them since I do RC cars too), phillips head driver, flat head some needle nose pliers and a box to paint in. Took me about five hours, and I'm lighting it with the crappy battery out of my XT.

 

As far as other colors go, anything not too dark should work. Yellows, greens and blues, but the darker the hue, the less light gets through. Ha!

 

Anyway, enjoy!

[4WDFrenzy]

That is awesome! You are the man!!!! This one's for you!

 

- Patrick

[ivantruckman]

sweet as hell man

[idosubaru]

Phil is like that man, he's a crazy head in a really good way. He needs his own TV show.

[wagonist]

Awesome work, but I'm confused.

 

Why the blue lexan with red paint? Why not red lexan?

 

I know that the XTs did not change cluster from the pre 87.5 to the later models, but the L series did.

The cluster went from the bright orange like the XT where everything was visible all the time, to a green version which looked black when nothing was on.

That later version looks classy to me. I'm curious now into looking at changing the early cluster to fit the later green/black version, but I've got no idea what the covering would've been to make it black.

[kingbobdole]

Awesome work, but I'm confused.

 

Why the blue lexan with red paint? Why not red lexan?

 

The "blue lexan" as you put it is just a protective covering over clear lexan. When I took some of the blue pics, I just left the protector over it. It's just to keep it from getting scratched. I chose clear so I could manage the darkness of the red.