Looking For Some Custom Gauge Needles
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Western Kentucky
Looking For Some Custom Gauge Needles I'm looking for some custom Guage needles, similar to the ones that were sold be 6LE at one point. Unfortunately for me, they no longer carry the needles so I'm stuck with my stock orange ones right now. I was told I could paint some from a Chevy Venture with a special kind of paint but I can't seem to find just the needles from a Venture. Does anybody know where I would be able to find some custom needles that would work with my TAs Cluster? I seen some by a company that mainly does custom truck cluster work and according to them, they have a 7 piece needle kit that'll work with my car but I don't want to jump the gun and buy them if they aren't gonna work for me. I'm wanting either blue or white needles by the way. So if I could find 6 Chevy Venture needles, that would be perfect. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
You need 2 sets of venture needles, they came in white and orange. You need to look for the white ones. If you can't find just the needles locally, you can find the whole venture clusters for as low as $25. Two whole clusters and you have enough needles cheaper than 6LE sold a set for. From there you can paint them if you want with tamiya polycarbonate paint if you want to change color.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Western Kentucky
I don't reckon there is any way to go about just getting the needles from the venture is there? Lol. It's always got to be a PITA to do somethings. Oh well, I'll probably break down and end up getting them and doing that.
Some junkyards have pick a part bins and you might be able to find just the needles. My main point was that you could buy a whole gauge cluster for $25 maybe less if you find it locally. Buying two whole clusters would give you the 6 needles you need and it would be cheaper than 6LE charged for a set anyway. I haven't done it yet myself but I figured destroying a cluster for the needles would be easy and maybe fun.
If you go with the Venture needles, make sure they are from a cluster that had a Tach. The non tach clusters will leave you only being able to use the speedo needle. A Oldsmobile Silhouette will have the same needles as well. Also make sure they are the thin needles like the f-cars. Im not sure what year GM changed the style. I think 2000 and newer have the thin needles and 99-older clusters have fatter needles that werent like ours.
You need to swap the cap/stems as well. On the venture the stems are longer. This pics shows the differences.
Heres a little motivation for ya. Mine completed needles. I used Tamiya PS-39 transparent blue. Followed by a clearcoat, then wet sanded and buffed.
You need to swap the cap/stems as well. On the venture the stems are longer. This pics shows the differences.
Heres a little motivation for ya. Mine completed needles. I used Tamiya PS-39 transparent blue. Followed by a clearcoat, then wet sanded and buffed.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Western Kentucky
Some junkyards have pick a part bins and you might be able to find just the needles. My main point was that you could buy a whole gauge cluster for $25 maybe less if you find it locally. Buying two whole clusters would give you the 6 needles you need and it would be cheaper than 6LE charged for a set anyway. I haven't done it yet myself but I figured destroying a cluster for the needles would be easy and maybe fun.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Western Kentucky
If you go with the Venture needles, make sure they are from a cluster that had a Tach. The non tach clusters will leave you only being able to use the speedo needle. A Oldsmobile Silhouette will have the same needles as well. Also make sure they are the thin needles like the f-cars. Im not sure what year GM changed the style. I think 2000 and newer have the thin needles and 99-older clusters have fatter needles that werent like ours.
You need to swap the cap/stems as well. On the venture the stems are longer. This pics shows the differences.
Heres a little motivation for ya. Mine completed needles. I used Tamiya PS-39 transparent blue. Followed by a clearcoat, then wet sanded and buffed.
You need to swap the cap/stems as well. On the venture the stems are longer. This pics shows the differences.
Heres a little motivation for ya. Mine completed needles. I used Tamiya PS-39 transparent blue. Followed by a clearcoat, then wet sanded and buffed.
Last edited by Luckyzach; Jul 30, 2016 at 12:57 PM.
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Right, the 4 needle cluster. You cant use the tach needle but that cluster has the correct size auxilary needles. I would try white first. Itd be a nice contrast.
If you paint, an easy way to stand them up is run a zip tie through the holes.
If you paint, an easy way to stand them up is run a zip tie through the holes.
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Staging Lane
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Western Kentucky
So I would need to use two speedometer needles and four auxiliary needles? That doesn't seem too bad. Now it's just finding them for cheap, lol.
I'm looking for some custom Guage needles, similar to the ones that were sold be 6LE at one point. Unfortunately for me, they no longer carry the needles so I'm stuck with my stock orange ones right now. I was told I could paint some from a Chevy Venture with a special kind of paint but I can't seem to find just the needles from a Venture. Does anybody know where I would be able to find some custom needles that would work with my TAs Cluster? I seen some by a company that mainly does custom truck cluster work and according to them, they have a 7 piece needle kit that'll work with my car but I don't want to jump the gun and buy them if they aren't gonna work for me. I'm wanting either blue or white needles by the way. So if I could find 6 Chevy Venture needles, that would be perfect. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
LT4vert got back to me. Here is the proper procedure for removing the needles from the cap:
Originally Posted by LT4vert
On the back of the needles you will see what look like circles in color of cap. There's 2, 1 at each side. It is a plastic weld. You need to take a really sharp exacto knife and shear off the top surface of the plastic weld. Its very thin so its not that hard to shear off the top of the weld. If that doesn't make sense imagine a common house nail, your shearing off the head of the nail. When that's done you can wiggle the needle bodies out of the caps. To retain the needle bodies once re-installed, I just put a very small dab of clear epoxy where the plastic weld used to be.