Land Rover Dash Warning Light panel

[LandRoverTom]

Evening all.
Bear with me this will likely be a poor description of what I'm looking for...
Can anyone tell me what the material is called that is used for the dash warning light panel for a land rover defender?
Its the translucent(?) material that has the symbols and colour printed on it then the lamp shines though the back as required...

Next, does anywhere make/supply this stuff?

I'm thinking about a custom panel for my land rover when I get around to rewiring it/revamping the dash. But I'd like to keep it as simple to do as possible to thinking replacing the existing panel with something the same size but with the lights that I require e.g. I currently have a space for a cab tilt warning light but how do you tilt the cab on a land rover?! (short of rolling it down a hill)

Here's the current panel (also might help with my description)

 

[jsf55]

https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/electrical-warning-lights#/pageSize=20&viewMode=grid&orderBy=15

How about any of these, unfortunately not cheap but easily built to your needs ?

 

[James1979]

try vehicle wiring products. Used them a lot back in the day for mail order, but I believe theyve gone online now

 

[tom2207]

a bit of lexan would do , 1mm clear styrene will be too brittle. just a thought , but would the old transfers wash off the inside with acetone.
Cab tilt ?? thats a new one , do you mean body tilt , like a tipper , pto warning light .

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Cab tilt light was put on in preparation for the llama, that never came to fruition

 

[LandRoverTom]

Cab tilt light was put on in preparation for the llama, that never came to fruition

There we go, learn something new everyday!

Lexan sounds like it would do the job. Is there any way it can be printed onto or would some sort of transfers be a better shout?

Those individual lamps are handy but they'll work out a bit too expensive I think

 

[willie.macleod]

Get yourself a Car Builder Solutions catalog, good selection there of suitable stuff in there. You can buy sheets of the warning symbols that you could stick onto lexan. A raptor dash panel isn't a bad solution to extra switches/warning or replacing one of the gauges with a multi function display is another option. The dash is cramped and messy enough behind there to begin with, I prefer anything extra to go somewhere with a bit more space.

 

[LandRoverTom]

Thanks. I've already trawled through the selection from raptor engineering and definately going to fit one of their centre consoles and pods for switches and sone extra gauges plus cb and radio. Just need to figure the best way to get the warning lamps I want withing the limited space available

I've had a quick look through car builder solutions website but didn't spot any sheets of warning symbols (sure I've seen them somewhere though now you mentioned it) . A calalogue wouldn't be a bad idea though, I do prefer looking through them to websites.

 

[willie.macleod]

I've had a quick look through car builder solutions website but didn't spot any sheets of warning symbols (sure I've seen them somewhere though now you mentioned it) . A calalogue wouldn't be a bad idea though, I do prefer looking through them to websites.

Their catalog is far better than their website, try https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/self-adhesive-switch-legend-sheet-black-text

 

[hotponyshoes]

Get the shapes cut out as stickers (or print them out and cut out yourself.
Get a can of lense tint spray (the stuff the boy racers use)
Cut a bit of perspex to size and give it one coat of spray on the back side. When dry put the shapes on it as a mask and give it a few more coats.
Peal stickers off.
If you want them to light up red/blue etc just get some pre-wired leds to go behind each one.
Dont forget you will need to make up some little boxes or something to sit behind or the lights will bleed from one symbol to the surrounding ones at night.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Or buy something like this for 2 quid
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/113251415820

Stick onto a bit of perspex etc then put a bit of acetate sheet over the top

 

[stuvy]

And buy smoked Perspex to save the horror of spray tint












Ask me how I know....


In fact don’t, my tight ex boss ordered some to tint his headlamps instead of using tights... he later ordered new lights and used tights

 

[hotponyshoes]

Tint spray looks terrible on lights but if you spray it on the far side of something the back side of it actually looks fine.

 

[LandRoverTom]

Many thanks. Some great ideas here as usual!
I do like the smoked look of the original ones plus that stops them being too bright but still get your attention.

I wonder how many attempts it would take me to get stickers on straight...

 

[stuvy]

Many thanks. Some great ideas here as usual!
I do like the smoked look of the original ones plus that stops them being too bright but still get your attention.

I wonder how many attempts it would take me to get stickers on straight...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dark-Smo...tic-Sheet-Cut-to-Size-Tint-Cast-/161986910389

you can get small pieces as samples and test to see how bright or dark it is

I have upgraded a defender dash to LED’s before it makes a world of difference at night

 

[LandRoverTom]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dark-Smo...tic-Sheet-Cut-to-Size-Tint-Cast-/161986910389

you can get small pieces as samples and test to see how bright or dark it is

I have upgraded a defender dash to LED’s before it makes a world of difference at night

Yea I've added LEDs already which helped make them clearer (though I did read somewhere about remvoving the green tinting on the gauges to brighten them up but never got round to trying it)
Now that I've got sometime on my hands and I can work out a decent plan to re wire it I'm just trying to make best use of the space I have.

I have also just invested in a 3D printer so once I get to grips with that I'll have a play and see what I can do with that.