For that price it should include the rabbit in a hat with a bat and the '64 Impala...

 

This is the key question. It's amazing to me that MINI doesn't offer black guages as an option, I suppose they need to keep certain things unique to the JCW. Given all the interest in blackout trim, this would be another good option for them to offer.

 

ya i bet they will slowly add things like this to the mini options list...

 

The tach doesn't look too bad but the speedo looks like it takes a little more work. Been looking into it and found these:

NAM How To Video of R56 speedometer removal

This looks like a pretty good write-up too:
http://www.fes-auto.com/upload/doc/5...tion_Guide.pdf

Wish it were easier, but I'm not dissuaded yet. With good instructions anything is doable, right?

 

[Wish it were easier, but I'm not dissuaded yet. With good instructions anything is doable, right?[/QUOTE]

Uh...maybe...

 

It's not as bad as it looks, just a lot of stuff. Had mine apart a few times for rattles and such.

 

My concern is taking things apart and introducing rattles that I don't have now.

 

Ya same here but I'm also thinking how sweet my interior would look with red gauge faces

 

I don't think you should worry about rattles that much. Just have some felt tape at hand and apply at the contact points. That's what the factory does, but when removing the panels the tape may come off and not seat properly when re-assembling.

 

Since none of the NAM vendors have the newer 1-160mph version I've been thinking about ordering one from this German site. I'm pretty sure the R55 one that's shown as "original gauge face" is the same as the 2011 R56 but not 100% sure so I've been holding off. Anyone else want to go first?

http://www.heiler-tachodesign.de/Spe...R55-MPH-to-KMH

 

thats 170 dollars if you do red with white numbers in mph... i mean thats what i would do... i feel like that is expensive?? no?

 

Yeah definitely not cheap, although I think you can take off 19% for VAT if you're outside the EU.

For comparison, the R53 faces at outmotoring would be $140 for red:
http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...uge_faces.html

Dang it's expensive to have such an awesome car!

 

whats the cost for the duell gauges

 

a lot haha

 

Looking at the German site it seems the indicator light covers are part of the gauge face... I'd like a 2011 face with the old traction control indicator.

None of the places offering these seem to do faces with navigation...

 

Unfortunately the navigation gauge is not flat... That's why nobody offers it.

 

Guess if you want something done right (or in this case at all), you've got to do it yourself...

 

Very good write up! Thanks It made removal of the dash panels pretty easy.

 

having taken the dash apart 3 times now it is possible to do it in under 15 mins. it really isnt that hard.

as for the speedo. that looks like it comes apart quite easily. !!!

time to order some gauges me thinks!!

 

$614.00

I am trying to tint the gauge lenses so not only am I not staring at the silver dinner plate but when the dash lights are set to the lowest setting the lights would appear to be off. When the lights are turned up then they become visible.

The speedo lens is not flat but is slightly convex! That makes tinting it a bit of a hassle.

Has anyone done the vinyl over the speedo itself, like the lyle vinyl stuff?? I have a hard time wrapping my head around stretching vinyl over the speedo needle. Taking the dash apart is easy.

 

In one of the old threads about the outmotoring or vinylstyles R53 gauge faces I think I read that some people cut a slit below the needle and put them on without taking the needle off to avoid the re-calibrating hassle.

Would a hairdryer help the film conform to the outer lens? If it's headlight film it seems a little curve would be OK.

 

I tried a heat gun and although it did soften it for stretching it did NOT shrink it. Maybe I need a different film, or just quit being cheap and buy a black speedo & tach face and while it is all apart then tint the lens.

I tried driving around today with the 40% tint and it sure looks cool! If I needed to read the actual speedo I could turn up the lights and see them easily, even in daylight. Looking at the dash and seeing black is a nice look

 

Update: After driving 3K miles on a road trip with the 40% tint I really love it at night and during the day when driving toward the sun, BUT, with the sun at your back or to the side the glare created is to much to read the numbers on the speedo. :-( The system really needs a way to really dim the lights lower than what the factory thinks is reasonable. For city driving the lighting is perfect but for dark country driving it sucks!

The look of the dark speedo is great!!! Just wish I could get the back lights dimmer...

 

This may help: http://www.fes-auto.com/productsinvisilens.php. Disclaimer: I created the InvisiLens product, which is sold through FES Auto (a NAM vendor).



Note: the FES website is out of date and says the speedo lens is only available with the 2007-2010 silver trim. The 2011+ black trim is now also available.

 

That does address the glare on the gauges problem but not the dark tint that I desire. If I had JCW gauges then it would be applicable.