SolaraGuy.com

Instead of sanding down the color, you can dip a q-tip in nail polish remover and gently rub underneath the needles until the color comes off. You will need to put some plastic wrap before you do it because the acetone will mess up the gauges (note in the picture the black on the gauge looks blotchy) I thought this might be a easier and less barbaric alternative to sanding lol

any nail polish remover should do, but just in case you guys still have no clue i used Salley Hansen Extra Fast Polish Remover with Vitamin E

hanatsuki wrote:any nail polish remover should do, but just in case you guys still have no clue i used Salley Hansen Extra Fast Polish Remover with Vitamin E

LOL!!

It must be the Vit E that really makes it work!

So straight Acetone just might work as well then too, right?

Nice.

Yeah, but what does it look like at night?

did the acetone make the plastic foggy looking?

Take pics of this at night for us.

Damn it! I wish I knew that before I sanded mine. Those things look rough as hell.

Definitely take some night shots though.

Thanks for the tip.

SolaraGuy22 wrote:Damn it! I wish I knew that before I sanded mine. Those things look rough as hell.

Definitely take some night shots though.

Thanks for the tip.

I agree. I sanded mine and I don't like it.
Well, live and learn.
I'll have to buy a new gauge cluster now and try that.

wondering how it lok like at the night time ~! :p

i havent done this on my actual gauges yet, i'll do it next weekend after finals. I should also be getting the led bulbs for it too by then

any one have pics of this done yet

I went to the Pick 'n Pull a couple days ago with a friend of mine and found one Gen 4 Camry - with its gauge cluster. The 97-01 Cluster is interchangeable with the 99-03 'lara; the only differences are 1) the font on the tach/speedo numbers, and the needles. The Camry gauges have white needles (white paint instead of the orange - NOT clear). I pulled my needles and replaced them with the white ones (still using stock bulbs, need to order some replacements!). All in all, it looks nice - it's classier, I think. I'll get some pics tonight and put them up. If you're not wanting to sand or chemically remove the paint, this is an alternative (I also wanted the spare cluster to experiment with, lol).

I broke down and took some acetone to the red needles I had. The results were good, but not perfect (the acetone etched the plastic of the needles slightly). Also I was thinking - if they can put a colored paint on a needle, why can't we? It would be a simple matter of getting some thin acrylic paint and painting the back of the needle. It would take a steady hand, as they're pretty small, but I think it could be done.


Anyhoo, here's pics of what I've been playing with thus far:


White 97-01 Camry Needles on Solara Gauge Cluster, Daylight



White 97-01 Camry Needles on Solara Gauge Cluster, Daylight Detail



Orange 99-03 Solara Needle Backing, Detail


White 97-01 Camry Needles on Solara Gauge Cluster, Lit (Stock Bulbs)



White 97-01 Camry Needles on Solara Gauge Cluster, Lit Detail (Stock Bulbs)



Stripped 99-03 Solara Needle on Camry Gauge Cluster, Detail



Stripped 99-03 Solara Needle on Camry Gauge Cluster, Better Detail

Hmm not too shabby

Duffman wrote:Orange 99-03 Solara Needle Backing, Detail

hey have you had any problems with the calibration of the needles when you take them out? I took them out on my spare cluster and wiped off the orange color and painted silver nail polish on the back but havent tried them out yet...

as for the splotchiness/etching the acetone leaves, you can try coating the needle with clear nail polish or varnish, which should make it nice and shiny