New face for my old girl...
09-16-2003, 05:32 PM
#22
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I had to sand some places to make it fit.
As for the door trim, I'm in the process of hunting down a more maleable rubber trim that will not buckle on the edges. It was an extra trim piece laying in the garage. As for the plexi, you'll have to carefully heat the plexi to bend it slightly inward to obtain the orignal curvature.
09-17-2003, 08:58 AM
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thanks for the 'brushed' idea. I will do the same.
How are you supposed to remove the plexiglass without breaking it, anyway, or otherwise how do you get the rings inside? Is the fascia flexible enough to get the big rings in?
thanks,
Sarge
thanks,
Sarge
09-17-2003, 01:40 PM
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So I just spent a couple HOURS doing this - some more notes:
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/5500/instrument_cluster_rings.jpg"></center><p>
Note the kit I bought did not include the square part for the info center. Looking at OE cars, seems they don't have it either, though maybe they do for newer 03 or 04 cars, I don't know. Just be attentive if you buy on eBay. I'm happy with mine, but just thought it worth noting...
Removing the display from the car is so easy. The outbaord wires have buckle-type mechanisms holding them in, the inner one you must press to release on one side.
Seperating the casing from the instruments: Not too bad, remove the two outboard torx screws, then use a screwdriver to pry the rest loose one by one. NOTE the two tabs inboard near where the torx screws were, the rest are obvious.
Seperating the housing from the plexiglass is a MUST in my opinion. It CAN be done without cracking the plexiglass if you are CAREFUL. It is held together in just a few places around the perimeter by epoxy, and the base is a bit more heavily epoxied.
I used a flat head screwdriver to start to gently pry it apart. With my initial success I got a bit more aggressive - DO NOT GET MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH IT. I caused two small spider cracks, one near the reset **** hole. This could have been avoided if I had just kept slowly and genltly breaking the seam a centimeter at a time.
Then if you carefully glue the rings in place, with surgical precision, you can just epoxy the plexiglass back on and reinstall.
I used epoxy for the rings and the plexiglass. It was an extended dry type, clear is a must, and I was able to do a fairly good job. However, a little rocking back and forth or adjusting of the rings causes the epoxy to smear onto the visible part of the plastic, and you'll need to then clean it and probably paint it. I ended up painting it with flat black rustoleum, and it looks fine.
I thought the cracks in the plexiglass were so bad I'd have to replace the glass, but upon reinstalling I was able to keep the OE plexiglass, the cracks hadn't spread far enough to be significatnly visible - e.g. no one but me would notice.
The new brushed aluminum rings are a nice upgrade, though a bit of a task, and note this requires modeling skills more than wrenching skills.
That's just my little addendum - hope it helps a bit.
Note the kit I bought did not include the square part for the info center. Looking at OE cars, seems they don't have it either, though maybe they do for newer 03 or 04 cars, I don't know. Just be attentive if you buy on eBay. I'm happy with mine, but just thought it worth noting...
Removing the display from the car is so easy. The outbaord wires have buckle-type mechanisms holding them in, the inner one you must press to release on one side.
Seperating the casing from the instruments: Not too bad, remove the two outboard torx screws, then use a screwdriver to pry the rest loose one by one. NOTE the two tabs inboard near where the torx screws were, the rest are obvious.
Seperating the housing from the plexiglass is a MUST in my opinion. It CAN be done without cracking the plexiglass if you are CAREFUL. It is held together in just a few places around the perimeter by epoxy, and the base is a bit more heavily epoxied.
I used a flat head screwdriver to start to gently pry it apart. With my initial success I got a bit more aggressive - DO NOT GET MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH IT. I caused two small spider cracks, one near the reset **** hole. This could have been avoided if I had just kept slowly and genltly breaking the seam a centimeter at a time.
Then if you carefully glue the rings in place, with surgical precision, you can just epoxy the plexiglass back on and reinstall.
I used epoxy for the rings and the plexiglass. It was an extended dry type, clear is a must, and I was able to do a fairly good job. However, a little rocking back and forth or adjusting of the rings causes the epoxy to smear onto the visible part of the plastic, and you'll need to then clean it and probably paint it. I ended up painting it with flat black rustoleum, and it looks fine.
I thought the cracks in the plexiglass were so bad I'd have to replace the glass, but upon reinstalling I was able to keep the OE plexiglass, the cracks hadn't spread far enough to be significatnly visible - e.g. no one but me would notice.
The new brushed aluminum rings are a nice upgrade, though a bit of a task, and note this requires modeling skills more than wrenching skills.
That's just my little addendum - hope it helps a bit.