Dictys

Jerry, with regards to the lights it does seem a lot of effort on something that does seem to appealing to many folk.

I was thinking more about an illuminated flush gear indicator, rather than that each gear being illuminated when selected.

Would it be easier to have a long rounded rectangle lit from behind with the gear inidicators on it rather indivual button lights for each gear?

I think with nothing there it will look bare and a little strange.

Mark

M. Requin

To me this makes the most sense, for the reasons Nicole and Stan give. The indicator lights on the tach are enough for me. More than enough actually, when D burnt out I didn't replace it. If all the others work, what's off is D by default.

Jerry Feather

WOW, this is all great feedback. I hope to get as much or maybe more in regard to some of the other few options relating to the lower trim piece.

For example, Clock-in-or-clock-out! If "in," which one and where to put it.

Another is the power outlet. In or out and if in, where, and which one. I just bought another one or two on eBay because the one I bought before was not the quality I thought it was going to be. I want one with a nice hinged lid, not the kind with the crude flexible plastic strap that functions as a hinge.

Then, where to put the rear AC controls if they apply.

All of that doesn't sound like much, but just working around those three considerations makes a lot of possible combinations. Actually, I suppose all of these will be worked out on an individual basis with each potential user, but it will be helpful to have some ideas ahead of time as to what the combinations and placement wishes are.

Thanks for all the input.

Jerry

Jadz928

Clock - out (the double-din head will have a clock)

Power outlet - out (there are better, inconspicuous places for it)

Shift indicator - out (most will refer to the pod gage, for those without said gage will want thei own custom solution)

I've been following closely and it appears you my be "in the weeds" w/details which may only satisfy a small segment of your market.
I suggest you focus on core product, and get it on the market. Your best market research will be your first customers.
After core product has been established, and you have revenue from sales... you can then consider more integrated product solutions which may appeal to a larger segment.

Re AC *****, put 'em where they fit, or leave it up to the end user.

tmpusfugit

Maybe it is just me but the clock is redundant in many cars, what with digital clocks on most all car stereos of the last xx years. I have 2 '84's, and neither LCD clock works, in addition to being redundant. I personally do not care for the oval Lexus clock either. Just a personal dislike. If one has to have a clock in the panel I do prefer the round VDO clock as to appearance, but also recognize many will consider that look to be "too old".

I also recognize not all will have this issue/problem/opinion but I would like the no clock option.....

By the way, very nice job you are doing on this project. And you may want to keep in mind the suggestion that a Platypus was designed by a commitee....all our thoughts and opinions considered and you may well have something similar if you try to meet all our needs!

Jadz928 hits the nail on the head......deliver the base product and then consider options and the cost of those options and the difficulty of delivering them and price the options accordingly. I would not burden the base product with options costs.......IMO

z driver 88t

I hadn't thought about the clock, but I agree its probably redundant given most stereo / multi media displays have some sort of clock.

Jerry Feather

[QUOTE=tmpusfugit;. you may want to keep in mind the suggestion that a Platypus was designed by a commitee [/QUOTE]

Thanks Stormy, and I am cognizant of the phrase " Jury rigged" often mistated as "Jerry Rigged."

Jerry Feather

81Euro

Greetings Jerry. For us older models (81 without rear AC) I'm sure you know my preference for gauges in what space may be available. IMO clocks are a lower priority to an air/fuel ratio, etc. Of course the nice gauges are at least 52mm. But I'm a beliver in JF and if there is a way, you'll figure it out. I like the shift lights, question is long term reliability. Jimmy.

Jerry Feather

I have been working on the idea of having the indicator lites for the Auto Shifter position mounted flush rather that setting up a little like the previous pictures show. I have been making several of the new version of the lenses and working on the design of the assembly to mount them in under the lower shifter trim piece. I have made a bunch of the lenses and just made a mock up of the kind of set-up that I will have for having them flush which means that they will have to be put up through the leather covered trim piece from underneath.

Here are a few pictures of the mock-up. The lenses shown here are not complete since I still have to cut then to the correct height and put a tiny bevel around the upper edge. Nevertheless, this gives you an idea of how they might look when complete.

Bill Ball

Jerry:

I think the lenses just don't fit well, flush or not, in the smooth, simple design of your panels. I have gathered that you like a challenge, and making them flush was a good one. You've done it, but as others were saying, this is probably more of a distraction than anything else.

Nicole

Jerry: I think it's amazing that you go the six extra miles to make these flush. It was not a requirement, but it will be nice to have this option.

What could make it really perfect, is to have the exposed area of the white inserts be a bit larger and taper off underneath, so there is no big gap between leather and insert.

Then, I assume, you will have the insert painted black, have the lettering lasered out, and then coat it with a matte clear coat. Correct?

Jerry Feather

WOW, Nicole! You really have a creative mind! Of course, that's what got me started down this road in the first place, so I sould not be so surprised. I would be interesting to know what you are able to do with all of your imagination in your own right.

As to the apparent gap between the lens and the leather, in reality that is actually not even noticable. I was quite surprised to see how that gap shows up in two of the recent pictures, and even looked more closely at my mock-up to see of somehow the lenses had jumped up above flush a bunch. They had not and I think the lenses look just fine the way they are.

On the other hand, to make the lenses the way you suggest to eliminate what gap there is would then require that the lenses be inserted individually from the top rather than from underneath. What I am developing is a little lite assembly that will have the lites along the top inserted into their own frame and will have the micro switches mounted to the same frame and wired together. Then the lenses can be inserted into the holes for them all at the same time and the assembly fastened to the underside of the trim piece. I am also going to put a little rocker switch there in the trim piece someplace to turn these lites off when desired.

As to the other suggestion about the finish of these lenses, you are out a little bit ahead of me. I have been planning to leave these lenses white and have the letter designation lazer engraved in the top face and then black it in with paint. I may still do them that way. However, I had also just recently been considering that when one lite is on the lite underneath might bleed over into adjacent lenses underneath; so I was thinking that perhaps I should paint the underside of the lenses black to eliminate that problem, if is turns out to be one.

Now your idea about painting them black and engraving the letters out is going to deserve some serious consideration. Actually that will solve another small issue that I wouldn't even mention , except for this discussion, and that is that the little rocker switches I found are black. I was thinking that finding them in white would match the lenses better, but I doubt that I could find them in white. Black lenses will match the black switch better, and will match just about everything else in this whole converstion project.

Thanks for your input. Jerry

Jerry Feather

Another thought I had about the apparent gap between the lenses and the leather is to simply mount the lenses a little below flush. That way the nice curved edge of the leather, which I favor, is still apparent, but the upper edges of the lenses are less obvious. Here is a picture.

Jerry Feather

To the extent that I may appear to some of you as if I am "in the weeds" with this indicator lite effort, I have also been on track with the overall development. I have finished the tooling for the 5-speed version of the forms, put it in the machine, and tuned it up enough to for a few of those. They are out in the shop and I have to go to work shortly, so it will be this evening before I can post some pictures of that component.

Jerry

Jerry Feather

Here is a picture of the 5-speed version of the lower trim piece together with the one I have previously made, now modified, for the auto version.

I have also included a picture of the little rack I made to hold the lenses so they can be lazer engraved; and a picture of the bucket of remaining lense I have spent a little time making. I have about two and a half dozed lenses made, so that will probably be more than enough to fulfil whatever the interest might be in this conversion.

Jerry Feather