I am replacing the dash light bulbs on my boy.
I can only find 2 for the dash (excuding the warning lights) & one (tiny) for the heater panel.
Is this correct?
Dash lights
Can't remember... 
Where's the moderator!? He's fiddled with that plenty of times!
Where's the moderator!? He's fiddled with that plenty of times!
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Cue moderator, stage right: 
There are four globes, one on the fan control panel, and three on the rear of the dials themselves - two on the speedo side (top and bottom), one on the fuel/temp side.
I've had my MB cluster apart so many times that I could probably disassemble and reassemble it blindfolded. Unfortunately the Hatch digital cluster I have now requires the whole dash to be removed to get it out.
There are four globes, one on the fan control panel, and three on the rear of the dials themselves - two on the speedo side (top and bottom), one on the fuel/temp side.
I've had my MB cluster apart so many times that I could probably disassemble and reassemble it blindfolded. Unfortunately the Hatch digital cluster I have now requires the whole dash to be removed to get it out.
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
But it looks SICK, moooite! 
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Some, but not all. There's very little high-tech about it either, mate. It's not more advanced than a digital clock radio like you might have bought back in the '80s.
I'm lamenting the fact that I never pilfered that Hatch dash and cluster Brayden's now running when he offered it to me ages ago... Oh well... *sigh*
I'm lamenting the fact that I never pilfered that Hatch dash and cluster Brayden's now running when he offered it to me ages ago... Oh well... *sigh*
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You may still get your chance to nab it some time in the future mate, I'm weighing up my options on either going back to the MB dash or something else.
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
No offence to Brayden or anyone else who uses custom dashes, but I like the stock look if it is in mint condition. Perhaps that is because ofter when things like that are done they tend to be dodgy? Dunno?
The new lights (5w) make it look much more up to date. A crisper look at night which I prefer. Some may like a more blacked out look.
Might even get some blue or amber tinted ones some time time to tie it in a bit better with the stereo at night.
The heater cluster fades pretty badly to the drivers side which is a bit of a shame...
The new lights (5w) make it look much more up to date. A crisper look at night which I prefer. Some may like a more blacked out look.
Might even get some blue or amber tinted ones some time time to tie it in a bit better with the stereo at night.
The heater cluster fades pretty badly to the drivers side which is a bit of a shame...
I hear you loud and clear buddy. Most 'custom' dashes that I've come across look like shit because there are too many people in this game with poor taste and no finesse.fritz wrote:No offence to Brayden or anyone else who uses custom dashes, but I like the stock look if it is in mint condition. Perhaps that is because ofter when things like that are done they tend to be dodgy? Dunno?
If there's only one thing Brayden and I share in common it's that we're anal-retentive bastards, and there is no question in my mind when I say that Brayden did a top job of the Hatch dash installation in YLD-80Y and that the results were well-worth it!
I prefer that Hatch dash over to stock MightyBoy dash due it's more modern, curvaceous styling. The stock MightyBoy dash seems to base itself upon the lamentable 80's fashion of making things squared-off and blocky with lots of straight lines because it looks "futuristic".
/ Yeah... due to it's single-bulb-fed-into-translucent-plastic design...fritz wrote:The heater cluster fades pretty badly to the drivers side which is a bit of a shame...
I've been brainstorming solutions for that one for a while but come up with noting conclusive... I have more serious issues to deal with first, at any rate... 
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Ahhh yeah. That looks pretty good. I thought you mean graft in some other gauges into the stock MB location. I've seen similar ones where people have done silly things to the dials etc & that's the sort of thing I was reffering to.
As for the actual styling of the MB one, I agree with you Josh. It's not great. Mine is in pretty good nic (no cracks etc), so it comes up a treat with some armour all.
I'm a little bummed about the fact that my new stereo doesn't fit nicely into the radio location of my boy like the old one used to (the new face plate is much deeper & hence pokes out further than the old one which looked like it belonged there). Am going to have to do a brain storm on how to get that to look good once again.
As for the actual styling of the MB one, I agree with you Josh. It's not great. Mine is in pretty good nic (no cracks etc), so it comes up a treat with some armour all.
I'm a little bummed about the fact that my new stereo doesn't fit nicely into the radio location of my boy like the old one used to (the new face plate is much deeper & hence pokes out further than the old one which looked like it belonged there). Am going to have to do a brain storm on how to get that to look good once again.
NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!fritz wrote:Mine is in pretty good nic (no cracks etc), so it comes up a treat with some armour all.
Armour All is SIN! Stop using that shit right away and clean your dash only with a damp sponge! If it needs a bit of a shine use something like Mothers Preserves but NOT Armour All.
Armour All basically saturates your dash with silicon, making it look nice and pretty until you stop using it at which point the silicon dries out and opens up big cracks in your dash when exposed to direct sunlight.
Start using a sunshade, too!
Last edited by Josh on Sun Jun 13, 2004 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Removing the dash is probably an hours job if its your first time.
There are three screws across the top of the dash, one on each side underneath, one at the back of the glovebox, another on the steering column, annnnnd - well you'll find em.
Still, if you're looking at doing a good job on the stereo and alarm wiring, then pulling out the dash is the only way to go.
On the subject of the fan control lighting (or lack thereof), the hatch dash has no backlighting whatsoever - one of the reasons I'm thinking of pitching it. The MB control unit looks a lot better if, like my old setup, you replace all the bulbs with LED arrays. Incandescent globes suck the wang.
With regards to the stock MB cluster, well each to their own, but I really dislike the standard unit, it is the epitomy of cheap and nasty - hense why I took to it with some paint, a dremel, some CD's, LED's, and well anything else I thought would look cool.
But hey, it got a hell of a lot of comments, so I must have done something right!
There are three screws across the top of the dash, one on each side underneath, one at the back of the glovebox, another on the steering column, annnnnd - well you'll find em.
Still, if you're looking at doing a good job on the stereo and alarm wiring, then pulling out the dash is the only way to go.
On the subject of the fan control lighting (or lack thereof), the hatch dash has no backlighting whatsoever - one of the reasons I'm thinking of pitching it. The MB control unit looks a lot better if, like my old setup, you replace all the bulbs with LED arrays. Incandescent globes suck the wang.
With regards to the stock MB cluster, well each to their own, but I really dislike the standard unit, it is the epitomy of cheap and nasty - hense why I took to it with some paint, a dremel, some CD's, LED's, and well anything else I thought would look cool.
But hey, it got a hell of a lot of comments, so I must have done something right!
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.