Lockwood Intl Gauges - Review

[Dr.Drew]

Hey everyone! So I ordered some gauges from Lockwood Intl (the same company that Bones got her HVAC plates from)

Here's the link to the gauges, and HVAC.
Gauges:
http://www.lockwoodinternational.co.uk/miata-mk1-dials-for-140-mph-models-part-no-80201-more-details-i2555.html

HVAC:
http://www.lockwoodinternational.co.uk/miata-mk1-heater-control-fascias-part-no-heater-3b-more-details-copy-i2569.html

Now I know what you're thinking:
"Holy Christ on a cracker! Gauge faces with matching HVAC controls for less than $100!! That's F***ing incredible! And look, the HVAC controls have a little Stig on them, that's perfect for me because I'm basically the Stig myself!! OMG where the hell is my credit card?!"

Well, I have some bad news. These things are pretty terrible. Here's the review, with pics.

Installation: They're gauge faces, they go on like gauge faces, there's a million writups on m.net. The only thing I did differently was dye my needles a *****ing orange color using some RIT Dye from wallmart. The needles turned out great, which I assume means I'm a much better human being than the people at Lockwood International.

Daytime: To be honest they look pretty darn good in the daytime. Imagine your current gauges but they're white with blue numbers and tick marks. I even like the little Stig on the HVAC. It's a neat design. Unfortunately I don't have any day time pics because it's dark now and I forgot.

Nighttime: Lets start with a pic:
http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=107&pictureid=870

So they look pretty good right? How about a pic of the HVAC:
http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=107&pictureid=871

Ok, there are some rough spots but still not bad for the money? Right? Right Drew? Umm, Drew, where did you go? Hey man, wtf are you doing with that shovel? Oh the humanity!!

The truth is my camera (new iphone 4) simply doesn't do justice to the awfullness of these gauges. For starters they're way too dim. Lets see a view that includes a Cobalt boost gauge for reference:
http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=107&pictureid=872

See what I mean? Then there's the issue of light shining through parts of the gauges that it shouldn't shine through. For instance around the center of the needles, like here:
http://www.mx5atlanta.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=107&pictureid=873

In that picture also notice the "20" and how uneven the lighting is.

In Conclusion: Maybe I got a bad batch, maybe I went full retard and did something wrong installing them, maybe these were made by ex Rover employees from the early eighties. I'll never know, but needless to say I'm on artworks dewa's site now and open to any suggestions on other places to get QUALITY gauges.

[Doppelgänger]

I could probably fix those gauges for you and the fact that you painted the needles is probably why they're not lighting up at night.

[Dr.Drew]

Didn't paint em, dyed em.

Actually, when I first installed them I just pulled the condoms off the bulbs and left them white, the needles were glowing pretty good but the white light shown through the gauge faces pretty bad. So I went to autozone and got some blue bulb condoms, it fixed some of the harshness but orange+blue= needles not glowing.

However I'm open to any ideas you might have to improve them. I considered maybe trying some white-out on the back where it's shining through but that won't do anything for overall brightness, which is my biggest complaint. In the HVAC photo my Radio is on it's dimmest setting, to give you an idea of just how dim they are.

[Doppelgänger]

Are the backs of the gauges blue?

[Dr.Drew]

No, they're actually white. It looks like they did the face layer, then a color layer, then a white layer again to help block the light. I considered trying to scrape off some of the white layer but I don't think it would be possible without damaging the color layer underneath.

[lazybones]

I have the white lockwood intl AC panel! The symbols and things do look a little blown at night, because I got blue, but I also have blue LED's...it doesn't bother me that bad though. They were like $16! Can't beat that.

[Dr.Drew]

I'm considering switching the lights over to white LED on the HVAC. I can't really find a new panel I like for it. Maybe the brighter light will wake it up some.

But I can't really think of a solid fix for the instrument cluster. White light shows through too easily and blue light kills the brightness.

[Doppelgänger]

No, they're actually white. It looks like they did the face layer, then a color layer, then a white layer again to help block the light. I considered trying to scrape off some of the white layer but I don't think it would be possible without damaging the color layer underneath.

I'd take some 360 grit sandpaper and knock the white off the back...maybe even down into the blue...depending on if it's a thick layer or not. I know when I customized my 99 gauges, the green color was a very thin layer and was easily removed. The blue came from painters tape applied to the back of the gauges. I'm wondering if the numbers/letters on yours are printed blue on the front as well, that could block a lot of light as well.

I'm also going to guess that you have the gauges on full bright just to get some light through the gauges...and with the bulb covers off, it's bleeding a lot of light into other areas of the gauges.

[lazybones]

I'll try and get a picture of mine tonight and show you. Mine definitely aren't dull. They're pretty blown because the brightness of the blue LED's and the blue film for the symbols. It doesn't look horrible though I guess. I'm fine with it. As for the instrument cluster, I just have the white "indiglo gauges" from eBay. Honestly, I actually really freakin like them. And during the day the faces are white, so it matches my HVAC panel.

[Dr.Drew]

I'm also going to guess that you have the gauges on full bright just to get some light through the gauges...and with the bulb covers off, it's bleeding a lot of light into other areas of the gauges.

Exactly, when I just had the uncovered bulbs the entire gauge lit up. Unfortunately there was very little contrast between the numbers and the rest of the gauge face and the middle of the faces were glowing white and not blue.

But even the color itself is not even. In some places it's a nice deep blue while in others it's a lighter shade. Look at the "6" in the last pic and you can see what I mean.

[Doppelgänger]

I'll try and get a picture of mine tonight and show you. Mine definitely aren't dull. They're pretty blown because the brightness of the blue LED's and the blue film for the symbols. It doesn't look horrible though I guess. I'm fine with it. As for the instrument cluster, I just have the white "indiglo gauges" from eBay. Honestly, I actually really freakin like them. And during the day the faces are white, so it matches my HVAC panel.

I had those in my NA and liked them. Don't mind the blue under around the needles..those were the IL gauges underneith (don't ask..this was years ago and I wasn't all the big a fan of them)

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/990/4661/2474830136_large.jpg

and the IL gauges I covered up...little did I know at the time what they were and how much they were worth...mind you this was like 8 years ago.

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/990/4661/2474830069_large.jpg

[Dr.Drew]

I had some of those in my first NA as well. I liked them overall although I did find that I had to pull the bulbs to keep the illumination even but that caused the needles to not light up. I may order a set and go to town with some white-out around the centers.

I want a dark blue/red thing inside the car but it may take some time to get it right.

[lazybones]

Yeah I took my bulbs out, so my needles aren't lit at night..haha. Oh well.