Monty Posted March 6, 2010 #1 Posted March 6, 2010 I finally installed my gauge set from Ponch. The actual install went pretty smooth, and took me about 5 hours. My hat is off to Ponch for his great work on this kit. First, I didn't want my needles to be orange, so I decided to disassemble the gauges and paint the needles black. This turned out to be a hassle, but I prevailed. Upon taking them apart, I broke one of the glasses. http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3819.jpg You can't buy the glass by itself, nor did I want to purchase another set of gauges, so I went to Lowe's and bought a small sheet of glass, and a glass cutter. It wasn't easy to do, but I did it, and you can't tell the difference. Here are the gauges after I painted them. http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3821.jpg Here are some pics from the install. I won't go into all of the details, as several writeups have already been posted here. Yes, cutting the dash has a pretty large pucker factor...lol. http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3822.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3824.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3825.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3827.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3828.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3830.jpg So far, I have no leaks, and everything is working great! Thanks again to Ponch, for making it easier. I made one additional mod that I really had to think about, before cutting another hole, but I went ahead and did it... http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3831.jpg
Ponch Posted March 6, 2010 #2 Posted March 6, 2010 Looks great! Nice work on the lens replacement and painting the needles. Ponch
Hummingbird Posted March 6, 2010 #3 Posted March 6, 2010 That looks GREAT ! :thumbsup: I just wish I had the gonads to try it myself - I can't wait for mine to be done.
1 Canuck Posted March 6, 2010 #4 Posted March 6, 2010 Nice looking setup/job, the black needles look great! What is the cover over your gas cap?
Monty Posted March 6, 2010 Author #5 Posted March 6, 2010 It keeps the glare off of the windshield. It was on there when I bought the scoot, and I just left it. It just sits on there...not attached.
b2dad Posted March 6, 2010 #6 Posted March 6, 2010 Really Nice Job!!!!! Mine is next????? LOLOLOLOLOL Don
Monty Posted March 6, 2010 Author #7 Posted March 6, 2010 LOL, yep, but I ain't painting your needles black. That was a pain.
Cougar Posted March 6, 2010 #8 Posted March 6, 2010 Wish you would have posted about the broken glass. I have 3 of them sitting right here I would have sent you one. I also did the same thing as you did. but now I am switching over to the Equus gauge's. Looks great, and I know what you went through taking those rings off as well Jeff
BOO Posted March 6, 2010 #10 Posted March 6, 2010 Nice job and they look great. If I wasn't so damn lazy I would do that to my bike also. BOO
buddy Posted March 7, 2010 #12 Posted March 7, 2010 :thumbsup2: Looking Good Monty..... Really like how you did it too, just never could bring myself to cutting on the Roadkiller, Kept putting it off. LOL I'm glad you like your new ride and wish I never sold it. But letting it set in the garage was not doing me or the bike any good. But You already knew that, by how clean the Venture was when you picked it up. Looking forward to seeing it soon. Nice job Monty nice job:cool17:
Sylvester Posted March 7, 2010 #13 Posted March 7, 2010 Good job. What is the black ball U bolted to your right side handlebar?
Monty Posted March 7, 2010 Author #14 Posted March 7, 2010 That is a GPS mount. I removed it, as I have a different GPS, and now it's in a different location.
Cougar Posted March 7, 2010 #16 Posted March 7, 2010 A tiny screw driver and keep lifting as you go around the back side. I also when to the arts and crafts store and got a pair of rubberized needle-nosed pliers to crimp them back down after doing the mods on them. You can not take apart the Equus Gauges. other wise I would paint the just the needles in them as well. you can just use a black sharpee to paint them .
Cougar Posted March 7, 2010 #17 Posted March 7, 2010 When I went ever farther doing the back-ground color plates it was messing with my volts settings. try and be more careful when taking them ALL to way apart. Just for painting the needles is not to bad. I would never attempt to go as far a I did in the future on the sunpro's as I did if I know what I know now about there insides
Monty Posted March 7, 2010 Author #18 Posted March 7, 2010 I used two small screwdrivers to get them off. Don't insert them too far, as that's how I broke the glass. It's kinda like taking a tire off of a rim with prybars. KInda tricky getting them back on too. I just used the screwdrivers to press them back down after I got them back on the gauges. They don't look as good now, on the backside, but you can't see them anyway. I used the blue painters masking tape to cover everything on the gauge behind the needle, and I used a gloss black paint. You need to let them dry for a day, and make sure the paint doesn't cause the needle to stick to the little stop pin. It would be REALLY BAD if you got them all back together, and then the needle wouldn't move, because it was stuck to the pin.
Cougar Posted March 7, 2010 #19 Posted March 7, 2010 You can also use a small modeling brush and enamel modeling paint as well on the needles, Monty is right on the sticking part just move them from time to time while paint is curing.
Guest scarylarry Posted March 7, 2010 #20 Posted March 7, 2010 Great job, I believe I will skip on painting the needles, I don'tt have the patiance for that... Thanks for posting it
Guest scarylarry Posted March 7, 2010 #21 Posted March 7, 2010 Really Nice Job!!!!! Mine is next????? LOLOLOLOLOL Don Don't forget me, or did I get toss under the bus?
b2dad Posted March 8, 2010 #22 Posted March 8, 2010 Give me a call and we can discuss dates. Haven't got mine done yet, but I think we can all work together on them.
Guest scarylarry Posted March 9, 2010 #23 Posted March 9, 2010 I'm open any weekend that patti's is open..... Give me a call and we can discuss dates. Haven't got mine done yet, but I think we can all work together on them.
Monty Posted March 9, 2010 Author #24 Posted March 9, 2010 It'll be at least a couple more weeks. We need a free weekend to do them both, without being in a rush and messing something up.
Guest scarylarry Posted March 9, 2010 #25 Posted March 9, 2010 (edited) That is true, and I don't have nothing going on till May 15th, so aslong as Patti's is open I'm open. I was telling Don it been many years since I ate there and since talking to him that brought that back to mind.. I ride East and north more than I do west. On Edit: never eat lunch at work and type here Edited March 10, 2010 by scarylarry
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