Custom Smart 451 Speedo DIY

[cubefx]

Instead posting here I decided to upload images to my page.

Here is detailed step by step DIY guide on how to customize your stock speedometer face. In the near future I hoping to update it with custom Tach/Clock faces.

CUSTOM SPEEDO FOR YOUR SMART.




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You will need to know how to use Photoshop or any other photo editing software in order to modify the gauges. You can change the font, color, add logos and even the photographs.

I created 6 different speedometer faces with various paper and layering combinations. Also I took my instrument cluster at least 10 or more times.

So, it was extensive R&D.


If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me or post it here. If anyone will decide to do it, please post the final result here. Also if anyone want to contribute the different designs or file formats I would appreciate it.



CUBE

[Turbo42]

Very well done Aydar. When can we do mine?

[Kermit]

You are AWESOME Aydar!! I was discussing this with my wife on the way to work this morning telling her about it - I think it was more of a one sided conversation.

Good job on doing up a template. I also LOVE your disclaimer!!! Oh boy, I can't wait to do this one! I thought for sure it was done with water slide on transparencies. I am dying to ask the wife to let me use the new $30k+ printer at her work (for which I know the answer is no)

[cubefx]

Originally Posted by babybenz

Very well done Aydar. When can we do mine?

Not a problem at all. Just let me know what design do you want.

Originally Posted by Bum-bling-B

You are AWESOME Aydar!! I was discussing this with my wife on the way to work this morning telling her about it - I think it was more of a one sided conversation.

Good job on doing up a template. I also LOVE your disclaimer!!! Oh boy, I can't wait to do this one! I thought for sure it was done with water slide on transparencies. I am dying to ask the wife to let me use the new $30k+ printer at her work (for which I know the answer is no)

If you know how to work in Photoshop you can create some cool designs!
I tried "few" types of papers including translucent vellum paper, it looks kinda cool, but you will need way more then two layers of black transparencies to stop bleed from the back.
Also I tried to put color transparency "gel" paper (blue) as one of the layers, but unfortunately it is not changing the color of the backlight.

CUBE

[sato7]

Cube you are truly a great asset to the smart comunity... great website too!

[John_H]

I saw a post around here showing how to swap blue LEDs in for the switch-panel and window switch backlights. While you may not be comfortable reworking your own electronics, swapping to blue - or other colors - is doable. But since LEDs typically generate narrow spectrums of light (white LEDs are an exception) you don't gain anything from trying to filter out colored LEDs - the color will just be attenuated more or less.

[jwight]

Originally Posted by sato7

Cube you are truly a great asset to the smart comunity... great website too!

Absolutely! Excellent job as usual and I like the racing stripe to match your car.

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by cubefx

If you know how to work in Photoshop you can create some cool designs!
I tried "few" types of papers including translucent vellum paper, it looks kinda cool, but you will need way more then two layers of black transparencies to stop bleed from the back.
Also I tried to put color transparency "gel" paper (blue) as one of the layers, but unfortunately it is not changing the color of the backlight.

CUBE

Personally, I am "OK". The wife however is a professional graphic artist (over 10 years professional and lifetime amateur). "IF" I can motivate her I suspect I'll come up with something awesome which she can do the design layout. There have been a few projects we've worked on together that were car related but a lot of times we'll disagree - I come up with the initial design, she does layout and final design and I do production.

Hopefully I can get her to do something up - for starters I'll have to get it in something other than Photoshop...she hates Photoshop. I have some ideas of what I want.

This will have to wait and be put in line behind my current project though.

[smcnally]

That came out really nice! Another way to do this would be to do a multi layer silk screen on clear plastic film. That would be a great way to mass produce them and sell them if there were enough demand.

[smartHHO]

Looks cool, but I don't have the patience for doing that. I probably would have to buy a new speedo and experiment first hehe so I don't break anything. But more power to ya. Looks real cool. Nice Job.