Quick Easy Question

[Grechie]

Hey guys,

Curious, I have a ED Fairmont Ghia dashboard, would a EF/EL XR cluster slip in and plug up no hassles? or is the wiring different...looking to change the standard ED one thats all...

Thanks

- Grechie

p.s if the wirings different, wots involved in rewiring it?

[efgiar]

hey grech, wont go in, totally different, if i was you i would do a engine and cabin swap to el and run a el dash! would sit nice in that car! not to mention the better ecus! only problem is finding a manual computer for it, if u find a whole smashed car at the wreckers with a manual in it then your set!

[MADED-6]

yeah u just look at them and they are different shape.
cheers josh.

[FoxMulder]

Why not change the faceplates of the cluster to custom ones. There's a tutorial on fordmods.com about how to do it with an EF/EL, it's the same type of thing with the EA-ED.

Here's what I did ages ago, as a quick test to see if it works.


You could make it look a lot better if you use thin photo paper, instead of the Reflex photocopier/laser paper that I used.

Here are the templates that I used:
Cluster Templates

[XR_Lightning]

man that looks crazy, how long did it take to do?

[FoxMulder]

It took a few hours to create the templates and photoshop the images in. Once that's done, it only took about 20 mins to get it into the cluster.

[DEVL-XR]

Originally Posted by FoxMulder

Why not change the faceplates of the cluster to custom ones. There's a tutorial on fordmods.com about how to do it with an EF/EL, it's the same type of thing with the EA-ED.

Here's what I did ages ago, as a quick test to see if it works.
You could make it look a lot better if you use thin photo paper, instead of the Reflex photocopier/laser paper that I used.

Here are the templates that I used:
Cluster Templates

oh man you legend!!! i was wanting to have a go at making my own faces but couldnt be bothered making templates!! so big thanks for that!!

can you post pictures of them at night please. im guessing the whole thing lights up and not just the increments?
how did you put them in? did you completely remove the plastic faces first?
and how does the paper sit flat? i would have thought it'd sag??

love the half tickford logos for the blinkers!!!

cheers mate

[Polyal]

^^that is very good. I assume you need a top notch printer though, that might be an issue, mines not that great. Got a link for the tut?

PS - Grechie, my GF saw you at the Hoppers exit yesterday apparently. Saw the stickers and the baby blue. Have you put something through your paint?

[DEVL-XR]

heres the link:

http://www.fordmods.com/forums/documents.php?doc=67

i could use the printer from TAFE!! otherwise make up your designs and put them to CD. then take the CD to a printer in town and get them to print them off!

[Polyal]

Sweet, after reading that tut do you have to do the LED conversion? Im hopeless with electronics so I dont think I would do that, will the "ticks" still light up ok?

[DEVL-XR]

the led conversion that guy as done are just bulbs that replace the standard globes. im sure you know how to pull out a globe and put it back it, well its the same for these led's. there the same as your park lights.

theres another way of led conversion and thats by the standard led's and the appropiate resistor.

not sure if the ticks will still light up ok, best to try it first and if need be get the white led's!

[Polyal]

ahh I thought LED's had legs, didn't know you could get "bulb LEDs".

Could you put those colored slips over them? Or can you buy coloured "bulb LED's".

Sorry for the n00b electronical questions.

[DEVL-XR]

i wouldnt suggest getting covers, iv heard there pox!
try these ones from ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2pcs-T10-168-...QQcmdZViewItem

there called T10. theres a few different designs, just search ebay for T10 LED and have a browse! there the easist way as they just plug in.
iv just put in blue T10 LED's in my cluster and it all lights up blue from the top, but now i just need to get some better faces so i can read the increments a bit better. plus the blue doesnt come through the yellow/orange filter!

[Polyal]

Hmm I was thinking red, blue would be great but I am lazy...LOL

Do you have a pic of your dash with the blue trying to come through the orange?

Do you know if the rest of the dash use the same size? (climate control etc etc)

Thanks alot for your patience...LOL

[DEVL-XR]

sorry i dont have any photos. im not really sure how to take photos of it either because last time i tryed i couldnt turn the flash of on the digital camera so it just washs out. iv converted the rest of my dash to blue led's, clock, air con, ignition, ciggie lighter, ash tray and now cluster.
for everything except the cluster i have used the LED's with legs and a resistor, it took me a bit to re-learn how to use a soulding iron (its been about 5 years back in year 9!!) but once i got the hang of it i was fine. theres another tutiorial on fordmods.com.au on how to put in LED's.
but to answer your question, i know for EA - EB's that a T10 LED bulb should fit into the clock no worries. but my standard air con (not climate control) originally had small bulbs, like i mean incy ones!! so theres not a chance in hell a T10 would fit in there. im not really sure if its possible to get LED bulbs that small. but thats where the LED's with legs help. i have a spare climate control for an EB here but i couldnt find where the lights are, it'd have to be inside it somewhere.

what car do you have? early or late e-series?
if you have and EF/EL then follow the tutiorial on fordmods, that will make it easy!
http://www.fordmods.com/forums/documents.php?doc=1

hope all this makes sence!!!!

[Polyal]

Cool thanks.

All makes sense, but I dont have any of the equipment, and to be honest dont wont to buy it for a one off. Ive got an EL, see sig.

Might just play around with the template first perhaps. :

[DEVL-XR]

ah ok!! where abouts do you live?

[FoxMulder]

Originally Posted by BradensEBxr6

oh man you legend!!! i was wanting to have a go at making my own faces but couldnt be bothered making templates!! so big thanks for that!!

can you post pictures of them at night please. im guessing the whole thing lights up and not just the increments?
how did you put them in? did you completely remove the plastic faces first?
and how does the paper sit flat? i would have thought it'd sag??

love the half tickford logos for the blinkers!!!

cheers mate

Sorry mate, I haven't got any pics of it at night (and I don't have the car anymore), but the design of the dash will always illuminate the whole thing, (as it needs to illuminate the needles also). However I could see it during the night,with the standard globes, without a problem, and once I put in LED's, it really illuminated the dash.

As for the increments lighting up, they did, (it's what the black and white part of the printout is for), however you still see the full dash, unless you block out the clear plastic on the top of the cluster.
To help it out with the EA though, I also did an extra masking layer, using transparency paper.


If anybody wants that design, I can try and find it for you.

[DEVL-XR]

yeh i was thinking i'll need to cover the section where the light comes in from the top! iv got blue leds in there now and its hard to read with the standard faces, especially with the light from the top beaming down on it.
im also wondering if the EF or EL clear needles fit onto an EB sports cluster? itd be sweet to have the needles light up like the newer cars!

[XR6TickfordBoy]

Easiest way to get LED's for the dash is just go down to Autobarn or something and ask for them, last time I did it they were bout $20 for enough of em!

[DEVL-XR]

iv already got led's in it mate! of ebay, $12 for 4 of them inc. P&H!!
i might take the cluster out later today if i manage to get time before work and cover up the section where the light comes down from the top, just to see what affect it has!

[FoxMulder]

EF/EL needles will not fit into the EA-ED. I've already tried, the pin for the EA-ED cluster is way too thin for the EF/EL needles. (If you really wanted to, you could end up modifying the needles, so that they fit, however there is no guarantee that they will light up)

[DEVL-XR]

damn it! i spose maybe if i somehow thickened the needles, tape!!nah i dunno. ah well dosent matter!