Snero

Hello all,

I just want to preface this by saying I have a professional and hobbyist background in CAD, CNC machining, and electronics design.

I'm interested in designing a replacement instrument cluster for the redesigned 90-96 C4s.

I personally find that the dashboard doesn't do the C4 aesthetic justice, with the way it looks and the way everything is laid out.

Today, taking inspiration from the 4th gen Camaro/Firebird and especially the C5, maybe even C6, I could give the C4 an instrument cluster I think it deserves.

I came about with this idea after searching for existing replacement clusters and found one that uses standard Autometer gauges, however I feel those give the C4 a rather C3 inspired look which to my eye, doesn't fit the style/era of the vehicle.

One area I'd address is potentially eliminating the center mounted DIC and integrating all those warning lights into the dash, as the C5/C6 does inside the speedometer and tach.

Another project that would tie into this would be redesigning the radio/AC control face to allow for a double DIN radio to be mounted up higher rather than down near the shifter.

I say "project" but I'd be looking to make at least a few of these for other C4 enthusiasts that want a better looking instrument cluster to compliment the C4s redesign.

Let me know what you think, I'm here gauging interest in such a product to see if it's worth starting work on.

BrandensBeast

I think this thread will get a lot of attention, I personally think the 84-90 display's look good, 91+ look boring, lack color and so on (just my opinion) curious to see more about this! Welcome to the forum

ghlkal

I'd be interested in seeing a prototype image of what you have in mind.

-=Jeff=-

Tom400CFI

X3, here.

Snero

Alright well, here's a very quick mock up I did using the drawings of the instrument cluster I found in the various GM owner's manuals.

Tell me what you guys think:

wideopen85

Looks good to me, I hope you can pull this off!

BLUDICE

and I hate the orange lighting too.

-=Jeff=-

Well I am fine with the orange lighting. But intrigued by your design. That would be cool

BrandensBeast

I feel like lighting would be easy to change, and that alone would give you a VERY big customer base if you could pull it off I would think, some people would like their cluster to match their interior or exterior paint If I had a white vette with black interior and the only thing that was white was the display, I think that'd look amazing. I also like where the fuel gauge is placed.

blue94

I like the look, is there room for oil temp in the corner by the column cutout.

BLUDICE

Would it be possible to make the lighting thing changeable like some of the newer cars?
Also I'm assuming the placement of the gauges have been selected based on the steering wheel.

Tom400CFI

Looks sweet though!

Roys92BlackRose

I like the thought of a redesign, but I'd like to see a center mounted tach ala Porsche. I always like that layout after driving a Boxster once. I do however like the digital coolant and oil temp readouts, and would like to keep the mileage/averages/economy calculators. As a matter of fact, I like everything about the current panel except for the analog temp pressure gauges. They're too small and inaccurate to be of any use.

Snero

Yes, there should be, doing so would throw off the symmetry of the cluster though, if you guys want I could put in a transmission temp gauge, or some other gauge on the other side to make it even.

Yes, I plan on designing this to use standard automotive lighting, I'd like to offer LEDs as an option, and multicolored LEDs are certainly available.

As of right now the mock up is really WIP and not at all final, but yes when I start grabbing measurements of the existing instrument cluster and start modeling it in CAD, I will make sure that the gauges are nice and readable through the steering wheel.

Snero

My plan is to have a similar text display to that of the C5/C6, any of the codes that the existing computer can generate will be fed into my dash's microcontroller and displayed on a 20 character LED display.

I plan to keep as much of the existing functionality of the 90-96 C4 as possible, while adding other modern features that people are interested in.

blue94

What about a fuel pressure or vacuum, don't know how hard it would be to get temps from a ZF6, if simple I would say trans temp.

Or just put LEDs on top and make speedo and tach bigger for those of us wanting oil temp we could put one on a piller

Snero

Here's a neat tech demo of the LED display I plan on using for the instrument cluster:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErBXyPE3YVg

DrDyno

Nicely designed but... I don't see what's gained. The thing I like about the existing display is (in my opinion) it's the only corvette speedometer that doesn't need a HUD. The large, digital numbers on the speedometer can be read almost as quickly as HUD numbers with a minimum of nano seconds taken from my view of the road. (Tach is larger, too.)

All other Corvette speedometers (round analog gauges) require too much time and concentration with my eyes off the road to quickly check my speed.

Just my 2-cents.

Snero

Hey man, different strokes for different folks. No need to hide, I don't think any less of you because you like the stock cluster.