White Dials Escort Van

[demented]

What the listing means regarding front lit lighting, is that the illumination is from the front and not from behind and through the dials via back lighting.

 

Technically, the night time illumination on a Escort/Puma is from two bulbs at the top of the existing cluster and the light is projected onto the front of the dials from the top.

 

The listing is stating that the segments and numbers will not illuminate as the print is onto every day glossy white card, probably printed by a home printer and then covered with a carbon effect transparent vinyl. 

 

And the dials are NOT printed onto an opaque (semi transparent) substrate.

 

If they were printed onto an opaque substrate, this would allow back lighting to pass through and illuminate individual segments and numbers.

 

The white dials fitted as standard to Escort/Puma's do not have rear illumination. 

 

However, rear illumination may be provided with standard black dials.

 

 If this is so, when white opaque dials are fitted with segments and numbers printed in deep blue or red ink, they would appear white dials with black segments and numbers during day light but at night, the white dials would display the segments and numbers in blue and red via the night time illumination and back lighting, which would look far better.

[Jazon]

Why not use these:

 

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?...nid=13510102196

 

Sure you could find these for less, should even plug straight in if your existing dials are digital.

 

If not, use white dials from Mk6 Escort Si/GTI or Rs2000, should be able find them for £20 and they too should also plug straight in, but it depends what's was fitted originally, whether digital or analogue.

 

Well call me tight lol, but they are £30 and the white ones from carbon dials look the same but are only £6 plus i'll still have the same mileage by keeping my clocks.

 

just waiting for the guide to see how hard to fit / easy to fit etc

 

I've got digital dials but without the revs and a van symbol instead of a car symbol.

[Jazon]

What the listing means regarding front lit lighting, is that the illumination is from the front and not from behind and through the dials via back lighting.

 

Technically, the night time illumination on a Escort/Puma is from two bulbs at the top of the existing cluster and the light is projected onto the front of the dials from the top.

 

The listing is stating that the segments and numbers will not illuminate as the print is onto every day glossy white card, probably printed by a home printer and then covered with a carbon effect transparent vinyl. 

 

And the dials are NOT printed onto an opaque (semi transparent) substrate.

 

If they were printed onto an opaque substrate, this would allow back lighting to pass through and illuminate individual segments and numbers.

 

The white dials fitted as standard to Escort/Puma's do not have rear illumination. 

 

However, rear illumination may be provided with standard black dials.

 

 If this is so, when white opaque dials are fitted with segments and numbers printed in deep blue or red ink, they would appear white dials with black segments and numbers during day light but at night, the white dials would display the segments and numbers in blue and red via the night time illumination and back lighting, which would look far better.

 

Surely if the dials are lit by the front lighting, it wouldnt matter if they were printed on glossy card or a piece of metal as there is no bulbs to light up the numbers on the dials ? it's confusing stuff haha

 

Heres tha manul http://www.carbon-dials.co.uk/fescortmk7vandialguide.htm looks pretty easy ? i'm looking forward to having a bash at getting the white ones to try

[demented]

Yes, if the normal standard ford black dials do not illuminate the segment and numbers at night, it's makes no difference what the dials are printed on, whether card or solid piece of metal.

 

The illumination is from the front, technically at the top and projected down.

 

 

 

I bought a dial cluster a few years ago believing it was a genuine Ford white dials cluster, cost a damn sight more than £30, as at the time, the only other Escort with white dials was a Cosworth.

 

However, this dial cluster turned out to be a white opaque laminate sheet stuck on top of the standard Ford black dials, although never fitted, when I illuminated the dials from behind with a torch; what appeared to be black on white dials, actually illuminated in a vibrant blue and red colour segments and numbers, which look quite impressive.

 

So, I assumed that vehicles with standard Ford black dials may have some form of rear illumination, that is why I went into great detail with my explanation, purely for your benefit.

[Jazon]

Thank you, I think most of the other fords have back lit black dials, the mondeo definitely does.

 

That cluster you brought sounds awesome, there was a website somewhere that showed you how to make mazda mx5 dials using laminate sheets, very technical with rubber gloves and scalpals, can't think of the name but the guy was selling them for £50.

 

Im going to get my instrument panel out tonight so i'll see whats at the back and see if there are any back lights.

[demented]

Yeah, at the time, white dials were the must have mod, only the Escort Cosworth had them and then eventually the Mk6 Si's/Gti's and the Rs.

I bought the cluster to replace damage anologue clocks in my Mk6 Rs but once discovered not the real thing, was never used.

 

I even considered making and supplying white dials myself, so I know the process required to make and print onto the opaque coloured laminate.

 

Its relatively easy to add back lighting into the cluster, just add two bulbs into the dial cluster and wire into existing night time illumination.

[Rockerrob666]

Why not use these:

 

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?...nid=13510102196

 

Sure you could find these for less, should even plug straight in if your existing dials are digital.

 

If not, use white dials from Mk6 Escort Si/GTI or Rs2000, should be able find them for £20 and they too should also plug straight in, but it depends what's was fitted originally, whether digital or analogue.

yeah, I've fitted a set of them now under the plasma dials. it gives me the red needles and the white center caps which match the dials - looks well smart now.

 

I would have thought it would have been these for the van: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-ESCORT-MK-6...=item43a0fbb1d6

 

do you have a pic of your clocks?

 

Yes, if the normal standard ford black dials do not illuminate the segment and numbers at night, it's makes no difference what the dials are printed on, whether card or solid piece of metal.

 

The illumination is from the front, technically at the top and projected down.

 

 

 

I bought a dial cluster a few years ago believing it was a genuine Ford white dials cluster, cost a damn sight more than £30, as at the time, the only other Escort with white dials was a Cosworth.

 

However, this dial cluster turned out to be a white opaque laminate sheet stuck on top of the standard Ford black dials, although never fitted, when I illuminated the dials from behind with a torch; what appeared to be black on white dials, actually illuminated in a vibrant blue and red colour segments and numbers, which look quite impressive.

 

So, I assumed that vehicles with standard Ford black dials may have some form of rear illumination, that is why I went into great detail with my explanation, purely for your benefit.

what you've got there is prob the plasma dials as shown in my pic on previous page. with the red and blue segments that would shine throught the clear / white plastic.

 

It's easy to change the face of the clocks and still keep your counter - with the digi counter, when you have the cluster out, remove the clear plastic frontage and then unscrew the white plate at the back to expose all the wiring and such like - 4 star screws if i remember correctly, the front dials should then fall out leaving the digi dial (and prob the counter on the manuals) still attached to the circuit board, just keep the circuit board with your counter of digi face (just remember which one is yours) and reassemble your counter to the new dial face through the main white housing.

 

easy!

[demented]

The cluster and white dials I bought by mistake, looked totally standard during the day, only illuminated in colour when night time illumination applied, although I never actually fitted them, I only ever illuminated them using a torch while the dials were still stuck on to the standard Ford black dials. It was this, that lead me to believe that standard black dials must have rear illumination.

 

When I dismantled the cluster, the white dials where just a semi transparent rigid vinyl stuck on top of the standard Ford black dials, there was no electrical circuitry on the white dials at all.

 

It was its simplicity and what I had paid for the cluster/dials, which gave me the idea to make, print and sell the dials myself, but never got round to it.

 

It would be far easier nowadays, due to modern sublimation printers being more affordable.

 

At the time, the Internet was in its infancy and I don't think ebay even existed.

 

In my opinion, the white dials I ended up with, when illuminated actually look far better than the plasma dials, but each to his own hey !

[Rockerrob666]

The cluster and white dials I bought by mistake, looked totally standard during the day, only illuminated in colour when night time illumination applied, although I never actually fitted them, I only ever illuminated them using a torch while the dials were still stuck on to the standard Ford black dials. It was this, that lead me to believe that standard black dials must have rear illumination.

 

When I dismantled the cluster, the white dials where just a semi transparent rigid vinyl stuck on top of the standard Ford black dials, there was no electrical circuitry on the white dials at all.

 

It was its simplicity and what I had paid for the cluster/dials, which gave me the idea to make, print and sell the dials myself, but never got round to it.

 

It would be far easier nowadays, due to modern sublimation printers being more affordable.

 

At the time, the Internet was in its infancy and I don't think ebay even existed.

 

In my opinion, the white dials I ended up with, when illuminated actually look far better than the plasma dials, but each to his own hey !

mmmmmm thats quite interesting, sounds really good. prob would have gone for them instead of the plasma if it avoided all the extra wiring. (wiring isn't a prob, but if you can make life easier for yorself!!) I suppose it wouldn't be too much to add a couple of bulbs to the back of the dials. With the plasmas I've wired them up so they're on all the time the car's on, but you do have the option of just having them on when the illuiation comes on, just depends where you take the live from. when wiring them up, I had a choice of purple and black for constant live or purple and black for illumination - i guessed wrong, but happy with the results as when I go into the shade or anything like that the dials start to glow automatically. I like it.

[demented]

Yeah the plasma dials do look good, however can look a little like an amusement arcade game when there's an alternative to compare them too.

 

Thinking back, maybe the dials I bought where for a Mk5a.

At the time, there was only the Escort Si and Escort Cosworth which had the white dials, maybe the Escort 130 too?

 

I don't think the Rs2000 had white dials then and the Escort GTI did not even exist.

 

The Escort I was replacing the dials on, that did have white dials and I've never owned a Escort Cosworth, unless I was attempting to repair a customers car I had damaged the dials on ?

 

However, maybe it's the standard Ford black dials of the mk5 and 5a which has rear illumination ?

[Jazon]

Evening guys, i removed my clocks on Friday night, recieved my dials on Saturday morning.

 

I lifted up the black dial and have a sneeky people underneath it, its all black at the back of the numbers etc, they would never light up from behind in a million years, the only thing that would light up from behind is the warning lights 3 of which are underneath the van logo, 1 under the 140mph writing and 2 on the fuel/temp gauge.

 

Fitting the dials was simple, they look great and would recommend, only bit im trying to decide on now is what colour to do the needle things, have also fitted the white clock dial but not put the needles back on it yet as waiting to decide on a colour, think red or black, paint or permanent marker... maybe some fluescent paint to make them look like the subaru impreza needles.

 

RE lighting, it is front lit by the bar at top, i've managed to make some blue leds fit, because the bar has a green tinted cover over it, i removed the green bit and replaced it with tracing paper LOL, it spreads the blue leds nicely though and looks good, but i cut the perspex from a ferroe rochie box and am going to try using some blue lighting gel to make it look a little more professional than tracing paper

 

Will post some piccis up when completed and back in the van

[Rockerrob666]

I wouldn't use any sort of paint on the needles, I tried with flurescent paint and you have to put it on thick for it to work and by then the needles look all lumpy and shi'ite, you lose any form on the needle and they look like they where made by a 5 year old with some playdo. I had to get a second set of dials because of that bloody paint - if you've got the champagne coloured needles - Sharpie pens work beautifully - try and get the double ended pens, the thick end for the most part and then the thin end to get in the crevise on the mount. I tried to do mine and did them red with the sharpie pen, came out looking smart and then stuck the bloody flurensent paint on and made it look crap and ruined it! my advice would be sharpie pen and if anyone offers you some flu paint - run, run away run away quickly!

[demented]

Yeah, I've heard its best to colour with a paint pen rather than paint n brush.

 

Although I used the bright orange paint, type sold in model making shop, in tiny pots.

 

As for changing night illumination, can use coloured Acetate in that top panel, the type used for Over Head Projectors.

 

And or maybe these,

 

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/R286-Dash...-and-Clear.html

 

I guess I was mistaken regarding the rear illumination.

[Rockerrob666]

Yeah, I've heard its best to colour with a paint pen rather than paint n brush.

 

Although I used the bright orange paint, type sold in model making shop, in tiny pots.

 

As for changing night illumination, can use coloured Acetate in that top panel, the type used for Over Head Projectors.

 

And or maybe these,

 

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/R286-Dash...-and-Clear.html

 

I guess I was mistaken regarding the rear illumination.

those bulbs are for the rear lighting on the non-digi dials, I bought a box by mistake and foun they don't fit the above front lightin on the digidials. looking for the right ones, i did find them, will post back when I do.

 

that was quick - try these:

 

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/r284-12v-...1-pr-17304.html

 

the one you found are the smaller ones that fit into the rear bulb holders on the circuitboard of the manual tacho dials. these are the bigger size that should fit into the front lighting, but they only come in clear. don't know if anyone else does them in other colours.

 

if you want LED:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-ESCORT-FIES...=item483709e7b3

 

thses state direct fitment and look like the above front lighting bulbs.

 

hope this helps.

[Jazon]

Hey guys.

Cheers for the heads up on the needles, mine a really smooth so its probably best if i gently rub a bit of sandpaper down them first ?

 

The leds i put in were kind of rammed in as they don't fit properly, do the original bulbs come out of the holders ? i gave them a gentle pull but they didnt seem to want to come out ?