I saw a digital dashboard in a 300zx any ideas where I can buy one from?

 

 

Wes

Hello and welcome to you too! You could have introduced yourself first. :rofl:

Welcome to the mad house and in answer to your question - no, sorry.

In the earlier model cars, eg the Z31 and also the custom jobbie in ChrissyP's (I think) car.

i bet you saw it in a chevy v8 one didnt you !

Hello and welcome to the nut house.

 

Chances are it was a custom made one.

 

Wasit this one by any chance.

 

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=82456&highlight=Digital+Dashboard

 

Darrell

Was the zed a black car?

 

I suspect it was Keiths car and he bought all the digital gauges and clocks from Demon Tweeks and intalled them himself to over come problems with power steering etc as he fitted a Supercharged Chevy V8 in and an Emerald ECU which didn't comunicate too well with the standard clocks

i saw this in one of the usdm spec ones when i was over there a while back .. looks really cool ... the z i saw was actualy driven by rockys wife in one of the movies! ha

i saw this in one of the usdm spec ones when i was over there a while back .. looks really cool ... the z i saw was actualy driven by rockys wife in one of the movies! ha

 

A z31 I presume (1984-1989).

i saw this in one of the usdm spec ones when i was over there a while back .. looks really cool ... the z i saw was actualy driven by rockys wife in one of the movies! ha

 

Would have been a Z31 as rocky V was released in 1990, Just at the time the Z32 came out.

 

Darrell

A z31 I presume (1984-1989). Never available for the Z32.

 

oh yeah forgot to say z31 yeah ;)

Sorry Okay My names Wes as you may have guessed ;) Been looking around for a 300zx for a while now. Saw the V8 one. I've seen quite a few of the Z31 models with digital dashes but not the z32 before now. I'll have a chat with demon tweeks I think. Thanks Guys.

 

 

Wes

The actual gauges I used in the digi dash in the black car were from a company called Nordskog, and I bought some from them direct and some from Summit racing, both in US.

Summit do their own cheaper range but the characters are smaller and look a bit crap.

Can't say the Nordskog ones have been ultra reliable, but they have stood by their guarantees.

Wes, just noticed your email via the Pistonheads site, asking where the dashboard was from. Well you know about the gauges now but the actual dash was made by me on the miller. It was hogged out of 1/2" thick ally plate to sink the gauges in nice, and the slots for the warning lights were milled in at the same time.

Then the instrument casing was milled flat and shaped to fit the ally plate properly so it sealed up all round nicely.

The centre console panel was out of 16mm plate so I could sink the gauges in, and also angle them individually upwards and to the drivers side. They looked a bit naff when I put them in on just a flat plate.

Then I spent a week wiring everything up!

Well it's looks like it came from the factory like it so Kudos to you Keith, really nice work. Shame you haven't got a how to guide ;) How easy was it to rewire? Where did you get the info on the wiring loom?

 

Does any one know how the Air Con is wired in I'd like to see if there was a way to add that to a digital display as well?

 

 

Wes

How to guide? Er, get access to a cad terminal and draw it all up, get some ally plate and a milling machine and spend two weeks chobbling away and finish by hand and ally oxide blast and paint and fit all gauges, and then spend another two weeks wiring it all up.

Seriously tho', it depends on your current level of skills as to how you approach something like this. If you're someone like me then you could try and copy what I've done. I have some cad drawings of the plates to start you off.

 

If you don't have engineering skills then you have to either get someone to make it for you or you could simplyfy the design by using say 3mm plate and mount the gauges just on the front. Then just chop the outer case till it fits.

 

An even bigger problem will be wiring it up. Mine was fitted to a different engine which didn't use the 300zx ecu. If you are using the 300 ecu, which you obviously will be, then the speedo will be the hardest thing to wire up. You'll need to find out the type of output from the 300 speed sensor and see if it's compatible with the speedo, or like I did, use a separate pickup from the propshaft.

Then you'll find the variable steering assist doesn't work properly as that uses a signal from the original speedo.

It's going to be a load of work so you need to think carefully if you really want to go this way.

As for the aircon, what do you want to display? just the temp figure or the whole thing, ie. all the little airflow and fan speed symbols? If it's the latter then good luck!

 

If I can't sell my car as it is then I may be stripping it, in which case the whole digi system could be for sale. I know Nick expressed an interest but think he has since decided to sell his car?

Well thankfully my dad would be able to sort out the CAD drawing and as he is just about to retire it'll give him something to do ;) so I would be interested in seeing them. As for the Air Con the air temp to start with would be interesting however the symbols would that a lot of work I should think need to look at the inputs and outputs of the switches and see what sort of stepping they have (varible resistors?) min and max outputs. That could become very difficult. As for the varible steering assist for the 4 wheel steer how reliable is it? I own a Mitsubishi Sigma which I wouldn't be able to tell if it was working or not ;) the 300zx has similar suspension as well doesn't it? (Varible ride heights) is it costly to replace. If you are selling it then I would be very interested.

 

Wes