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Gauges Upgrade and EL Highlighting We install an A-pillar gauge pod and discover a new use for cup-holders. From "Tricked Out" episode DTRK-213

	The project car: a 1997 Honda Accord.
	AFTER the upgrade: high-visibility gauges are mounted on the driver-side A-pillar for easy reading.
	But where do I put my mocha latte? The gauges upgrade finds a new role for the Accord's cup-holder. The cool blue is courtesy of ectroluminescent wire that surrounds the new gauges.

In this project, Andrew Totolos tricks out a 1997 Honda Accord. The Accord offers more room, luxury and engine than any of its Honda siblings, but the late-90s incarnations traded more on luxury than performance, so some of the features that appeal to the tuner set are conspicuously absent. To help correct that, we add a set of custom gauges to this one to tech up the interior and provide better communication between driver and engine.

Two of the gauges get mounted in a custom pod on the driver-side A-pillar while two more get tucked cleverly inside the cup-holder compartment and ringed with EL wire for cool blue illumination. (And what self-respecting gear-head wouldn't gladly sacrifice cup-holders for a performance tweak?) Even better, the move up to the more advanced gauges will help ensure that additional performance mods can be safely added to this car later.

Materials:

In addition to standard auto-mechanic's tools (wrenches, ratchets, extenders, screwdrivers, nut-drivers, etc.), tools and materials used in this episode include:

digital gauges
permanent marker
electrical tape
two small blocks of wood
safety glasses/gloves
sending units
NPT connectors
A-pillar gauge pod
clear casting resin
electroluminescent (EL) wire
extension wire
soldering iron
solder
heat gun
heat-shrink tubing
drill and drill bits
400-grit sand paper (optional)
spray paint (optional)
wire ties
utility knife
grabber tool
jack stands
7mm socket
eyelet connectors
spade connectors

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The Project Car: 1997 Honda Accord

The Accord is a great project-car for Honda-enthusiast tuners who want to move up a level from the ever-popular Civic. Previous mods to this particular large-body Honda include a carbon-fiber hood and projector beam headlights, and custom-painted color-shifting grill.

The 17-inch open-spoke wheels look great against the emerald green factory paint while black chrome tail lights and a stainless cat-back exhaust bring up the rear. Under the hood, this Honda breathes through a short-ram intake, and the owner has painted the factory V6 strut tower-bar red.

The interior, including the factory gauge-panel, is all fairly stock (figures A and B). But not for long. Andrew begins the first phase of this project by installing digital gauges in the car's cup holder and surrounding the gauges with blue-glowing EL wire and clear resin.

Figure A

Figure B

Cup-Holder Conversion: Wiring

• To begin, remove the panel off the A-pillar. Work your fingers under the A-pillar trim piece and pop it off (figure C).

• Pop out and remove the cup holder (figure D).

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

• Take both the cup holder and the A-pillar trim piece to the workbench to mount the gauges.

• To mount the gauges in the cup holder, first take the supplied U-bracket and slide it on to the back of the gauges (figure E).

• Set the gauge into position in the cup holder, then pull it back out leaving the U-bracket in place and mark the location. Mark each the location of each hole in the bracket with a permanent marker (figure F),. Do the same for the other side.

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

• Remove the U-brackets and drill out the four mounting holes with a quarter-inch drill bit.

• Drill an additional hole in between each set of mounting holes for the wiring to pass through. After all the holes are drilled, thread the first set of gauge wires through the wiring holes (figure G).

• Next, thread a length of EL wire up through one of the wiring holes and pull most of it up into the cup holder.

• Push the mounting bolts through the bottom to hold the gauge in place and then wrap the EL wire around the bottom of the post.

• Loosely install the second gauge. Weave the EL wire under the gauges and around the posts twice for each side (figure H), and the push the excess wire back through the hole at the bottom.

  Figure G

  Figure H

  
  

• If excess wire remains, clip off the end (figure I) and tie it off with tape. Then start a nut on each of the gauge mounting posts and tighten them down.

• Finally, cut off the ends of the bolts with bolt cutters (figure J) so that the cup holder will fit back into the car.

Figure I

Figure J

	Figure K
	Figure L
	Figure M
	Figure N

Cup-Holder Conversion: Clear-Resin Surround

• Once the holes in the bottom are covered use electrical tape to cover the small gaps where resin can escape from the sides (figure K) and then gather up the wires and set the cup holder up onto two blocks of wood.

• Since the resin goes in as a liquid, check that the cup holder sits level (figure L) and use small shims to adjust the placement if necessary.

  Safety Alert: When working with these chemicals, wear safety glasses and protective gloves. Be sure to work in a well ventilated area.

• Pour eight ounces of clear casting resin into a measuring cup.

• Next, drop two to four drops per ounce of catalyst into the resin. Mix well with a stirring stick.

• Carefully and slowly, pour the epoxy into the cup holder (figure M). You want the level to slowly rise rather than build up on once side so that it forms a nice crisp line along the top of the piece.

• When you're finished pouring, you want to let the cup holder sit for about 24 hours to dry before you reinstall it in the car (figure N). Also, don't touch the epoxy for about three to four days after it's dry to avoid leaving fingerprints.
  
  
  

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  RELATED PROJECTS: HID Headlights: Aim Adjustment HID Headlights: Electrical Components and Wiring HID Headlights: Installing the Bulbs Installing LED Brake Lights Aluminum Floor-Mats: Electro-Luminescent Wire Install, Pt. 2 Aluminum Floor-Mats: Electro-Luminescent Wire Install, Pt. 1 Aluminum Floor-Mats: Installation Aluminum Floor-Mats: Tracing Templates

  
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Gauges Upgrade and EL Highlighting