Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Gauge face overlays (vinyl). They are applied over the existing gauge faces.
The disassembly of the dash/gauge console was not too bad. The instructions (version 1.0) were pretty clear. I took the suggestion of using a permanent marker (Sharpie) to color the needles after scraping off the paint. Do not do this! Instead, using plastic model paint cover the bottom of the needles with a different color With the Sharpie, at night the light shines thru the needle onto the gauge face yielding an undesirable result. The instructions also mentioned using application fluid from you local sign shop that makes and installs vinyl signs. Give me a break! Emailed Import Intelligence and they suggested in putting a drop of dish washing soap into a quart of water. I followed the instructions to the letter. Afterwards the gauges looked pretty good. However at the first cold snap I discovered many small bubbles had formed. Yuk! I think there may have been water trapped under the vinyl and it puckered up in the cold.
Because of the results I cannot recommend the faces. Perhaps someone else may have better results.
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
LEDs that attach on the gauge faces, under the gauge needles. When turned on, the needles will glow and an "aura" of light will glow around the base of the needles.
The product comes with up to 5 LEDs and a control box to regulate the brightness. The wires running to the LEDs are very thin, so extreme care must be taken when installing them. Installation was very straight forward and I did not experience any problems. The instructions weren't the best, but manageable. The most difficult step was taking the dash apart.
Overall, I am very, very pleased with this product. I chose the red LEDs and at the same time, I converted my dash lights to red. So now my instumentation glows red at night. I catch many people checking out my instument panel as I drive past them at night. IMO, it's a very unique mod.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
This is a carbon-look vinyl gauge face overlay kit for th3 90-97 Miata. Also available in colors.
At first, I questioned the quality of gauge overlays, but for $35, I figured that I cant go wrong. I installed these in an afternoon. the kit is very high quality, and looks great. customer service was excellent and answered all of my questions. Check them out at www.importintelligence.com.
If you are looking for a unique addition to your dash, this is for you. Carbon fiber gauges look great. I would definitely buy them again.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
overlay stickers for the gauges
decided to go with these b/c of the cost and easy installation. instead of cutting off the pin stoppers i just cut a hole in the overlay and placed over them. this saved me the trouble of having to glue to stop pins back on. haven't taken them off but i assume that this will leave no damage since you can just peel them off. Matt at Import Intelligence was helpful with great email communication. they also have these really cool xenon glow needle kits; but i am satisfied with replacing the instrument bulbs with some colored bulbs from my local auto parts store.
cheap mod for the same effect as expensive gauge replacements. tackling the gauge assembly seemed like a monumental task at the beginning until i finished and realized just how SIMPLE this was.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Blue Gauge stickers
I am not satisfied. The company had superior customer service, but the stickers are not worth the $35. The colors are good, but there are some small bubbles. The applicator fluid is not included. There should have been bigger holes to go around the pins rather than removing them and gluing them on.
Do yourself a favor save your money and buy the real gauges, Make sure to buy the ones with the pins already in place so you do not have to glue them on. I know have to save for some real faces.
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
As Bill said, these are basically decals that go over your gauges only leaving the numbers exposed.
The overlays were a lot easier to install than I thought. Just be sure to let the decals dry before removing the transfer tape. I really like the white on white tone that is created. I colored my needles with a Blue "sharpie pen" and it looked GREAT. If only I had stopped there . . . My Only complaints is that yes, at certain times you can see the lettering which is covered up. That is, you see the lettering of 'km/h', speed in km/h, and 'unleaded fuel only.' But I don't always see it, have to look for it and the casual observer does not notice.
For $30 delivered to your door, it is a STEAL! With a little time (about 2-3hrs) and patience you will have gauges which are more visible to the eye and more readable.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
These are vinyl overlays that fit over the factory gauge faces.
These are not replacement gauge faces, but rather overlays that change the appearance of the factory gauges. They have cutout areas that allow the existing numbers and symbols to show through, while making the "background" of the gauge a different color. These overlays cover up some of the cluttered look of the gauges during light hours (such as the "unleaded fuel only" and the "km/h" area of the speedo) but these parts are illuminated and show through the overlay during the night hours. Installation requires a temporary removal of the factory gauges. The vinyl is self-adhesive, and can be removed from the faces. I found that the inevitable fingerprints that appear after handling your gauges can be easily removed with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol.
These can be ordered from ImportIntelligence.com in a wide variety of colors, including metallics and carbon fiber look. Mine are white. They really brighten up the interior of the car. As these overlay the original gauge faces, light distribution is almost perfect with none of the shadowing reported with other replacement faces. These are also more reasonably priced than a lot of replacement faces, being about a quarter of the price, depending on the style ordered.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
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