Bride and I were discussing priorities and wish lists for changes to our 1997 U295. One of her complaints is the unreadable marks on the dash for various controls. They are small and the contrast is low. She can't see them at all when she wears sunglasses. She can read the instruments, but has trouble identifying the knobs and switches.
I expect we could find a custom car shop that could build a whole new panel to hold the gauges and controls. What other solutions might there be? Can anyone share experiences in "spiffing up" the dash on the '90s Unicoaches?
Maybe not spiffy, but stick-on labels made on a Brother label maker would be very readable. I could make some and send them to you if you want to give it a try.
This is what I did for the Pacbrake exhaust retarder switch which was unmarked on the dash. Looks almost like the rest of the dash labels.. maybe a little crooked though. LOL.
Craig
That's been on my mind also though it's a low priority item at this point. I've thought that consolidating the ac switches, relocating the radio might give room for a large multifunction display.
Draw it up in CAD and if it's really appealing I'll cut it out in aluminum for you on my cnc table. Can also engrave any labeling in the font and size of your choice. Have it anodized, contrasting color on lettering, it could be pretty sharp. And I could cut myself one also without having to go through the design process ;D .
We make labels with Microsoft Excel on printer paper, cut them out & stick them on with 3M Post It glue stick. Any font, any size, any color including white letters on a black background and with or without borders.
Man, I wish there was some crazy forum member that would take Chuck up on this. I'm thinking of how great that custom dash would look right now!
jor
Chuck,
I like the idea. Jor likes the idea. Would there be a good way to light the panels for visibility at night? Are we talking about $100s or $1000s (a.k.a. coach bucks). The "coach bucks" can quickly become "choke bucks." :D
I am comfortable with the current layout. However, there may be better layouts to accommodate radios and information screens that are currently available. I don't have confidence in my ability to produce a good design. Perhaps there is enough interest among to owners of the affected coaches to execute your suggestion.
How about zero bucks? I have plenty of aluminum left over from boat building projects if that's the mtl of choice and a seriously underutilized machine. The thinnest stuff I have, tho, is 1/8" which might be a bit on the thick side. I don't have any anodizing capabilities but that, or powder coating is available from numerous services. The alum could also be polished, painted or swirl finished easily enough by anyone. Tinted plexi or polycarbonate might work also, coupled with cold cathode lighting... or aluminum panel with cutout lettering and matching plastic insert letters, backlit........ Draw it up man, I need a DFX file and can take it from there. Chuck
Wow! I'll check with the bride and think about this one. I am not qualified to do much with the idea, but I can study and learn. Help from more fertile minds is welcome!