Changing Early ZR-1 Instrument Panel to Late One

[-=Jeff=-]

Different strokes for different folks

I agree with Erik and did some of Marty's suggestions
I have a Hurst Short throw
C5 Shift Knob custom stitched by Flyman 27
Shift light, had one in my 89.. not really needed now for me
Changed to Later C4 seats
Never found a GOOD solution for a cup holder (would be useful for my Travel Coffee when I drive it to work)
No Radar detector
I have an Alpine iLX207, has XM, HD and Car Play..
replaced with Visor without Vanity Mirrors..
Tach, yeah mine is not off by too much
Rebuilt speaker? I replaced..

Again, I made my 1990 my own car..

[Erik]

Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-

Different strokes for different folks

I agree with Erik and did some of Marty's suggestions
I have a Hurst Short throw
C5 Shift Knob custom stitched by Flyman 27
Shift light, had one in my 89.. not really needed now for me
Changed to Later C4 seats
Never found a GOOD solution for a cup holder (would be useful for my Travel Coffee when I drive it to work)
No Radar detector
I have an Alpine iLX207, has XM, HD and Car Play..
replaced with Visor without Vanity Mirrors..
Tach, yeah mine is not off by too much
Rebuilt speaker? I replaced..

Again, I made my 1990 my own car..

Jeff, do you have any more pics of your car anywhere?

[-=Jeff=-]

What would you like to see?

I have a bunch of pictures not sure I have them all online.. tell me what you would like to see and I can get some

Here are some album of photos

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iCGWT985EAPe5mFn8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PGis9tpZn3dosVcD6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qkcWeK4K6ZKTgYVU9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NQSLn5eyemfDrxag9

I don't have many recent pictures though

[-=Jeff=-]

here is my Member Rides thread

http://zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=28765

It needs some updates too

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

Originally Posted by Erik

1) I like the stock shift knob
2) Never needed a shift light.
3) Thinking of removing the existing straps
4) Don't drink in my Corvette
5) Radar Detectors big time illegal up here
6) I've had XM in my last three cars and never used it. The sound quality is dreadful for music. And I do pod casts for talk. Bluetooth or an auxiliary input would be nice.
7) My visors are fine. No visor Viagra needed here
8) Never thought about it. Will have to figure out if mine is off
9) Rebuilt fronts in the garage awaiting installation. Rears and deck go next.

Nope. None of those will come close to making up for truly lousy gauges. Something that I use constantly.

Erik,
Very well, as you please.

Changing the color will not upgrade the performance of the gauges as I am sure you know.
Might be easier to change the color of the lens on your sunglasses and as suggested improve aspects to make driving the car more FUN.

As you own the car longer, your focus on the gauges will lessen.
After 25 years with my current one, rarely have the gauges ever alerted me to anything of import, other than excessive speed. Therefore a quick glance is all that is needed at this point.
Perhaps that is why the orange fails to annoy me.
Might also have to do with owning an Atomic Orange Pace Car, as well as loving the 1700 mile Brazen Inferno Orange Solstice I just scored for the dealership yesterday.

At any rate, CHANGE AWAY!

Life is preciously short.

If white paint on gauges will make you smile more, then have at it ASAP!

ENJOY that ZR-1!


Marty

p.s.
You failed to mention the shifter. That means more to me than my engine mods or any other mod. I LOVE IT!

[Erik]

Originally Posted by DRM500RUBYZR-1

Erik,
Very well, as you please.

Changing the color will not upgrade the performance of the gauges as I am sure you know.
Might be easier to change the color of the lens on your sunglasses and as suggested improve aspects to make driving the car more FUN.

As you own the car longer, your focus on the gauges will lessen.
After 25 years with my current one, rarely have the gauges ever alerted me to anything of import, other than excessive speed. Therefore a quick glance is all that is needed at this point.
Perhaps that is why the orange fails to annoy me.
Might also have to do with owning an Atomic Orange Pace Car, as well as loving the 1700 mile Brazen Inferno Orange Solstice I just scored for the dealership yesterday.

At any rate, CHANGE AWAY!

Life is preciously short.

If white paint on gauges will make you smile more, then have at it ASAP!

ENJOY that ZR-1!


Marty

p.s.
You failed to mention the shifter. That means more to me than my engine mods or any other mod. I LOVE IT!

Marty, I'm guessing you are trying to be helpful, but you are coming incredibly close to sounding really condescending.

This might amaze you, but this is not my first car, my first performance car, my first Corvette or my first C4. I'm driving it daily right now, in New Brunswick, in December, to learn and connect with the car while I can before the snow hits. I'm looking for flaws, weaknesses and things to be corrected over the winter. There are actually very few things about it from a design perspective that bother me. But yes, the instrument panel colour choices are just plain stupid and don't work. You know who agrees with me? The Corvette team at GM. They walked this colour combo back almost immediately and stopped tinkering once they got it properly sorted, in white on black. Not coincidentally, the same colour combo used in every other serious performance car. Why? Because it works. It's quick and easy to read at a glance. Which is the goal of any instrument panel, especially in a car you are driving fast. Plus, that grey plastic just looks cheap.

I've never been a NCRS kind of guy, so I'll never take it for judging. If I can do some minor tweaks to make it work better for me, then I will. And yes, popping out the gauge cluster from and earlier C4 and popping one in from a later one is not a major mod. It will look factory, because it is factory. I've been looking at pricing already, and it won't be expensive. So I get to tinker with my car, I get to do it pretty inexpensively, and I get a car that works better for me. How is this a bad thing?

And the shift knob? I'm undecided on that. I'm just enjoying the wonderfully mechanical feel of operating the transmission right now.

How about you do what you consider to be fun and worthwhile with your car, and I'll do what I find to be fun and worthwhile with mine. And I promise, I wont pop by your threads a tell you why what your doing is wrong.

[Erik]

Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-

What would you like to see?

I have a bunch of pictures not sure I have them all online.. tell me what you would like to see and I can get some

Here are some album of photos

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iCGWT985EAPe5mFn8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PGis9tpZn3dosVcD6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qkcWeK4K6ZKTgYVU9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NQSLn5eyemfDrxag9

I don't have many recent pictures though

Nothing particular. Sounded like you had done some cool mods and I was just curious how the whole car looked. Thanks. I'll take a peak.

[-=Jeff=-]

The LCD info is not there, I will post some info and pictures

Oh I might have the C68 controller and Headlight switch if you go to white/black

[Erik]

Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-

The LCD info is not there, I will post some info and pictures

Oh I might have the C68 controller and Headlight switch if you go to white/black

That would be awesome. Would love to have those! Let me know what works for you.

[Erik]

Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-

here is my Member Rides thread

http://zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=28765

It needs some updates too

You have done some incredible work on that car. Nicely done. I can't imagine I'll ever get anywhere close to that. Hope to see it in the flesh next year, if the world returns to normal.