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Restoring the face of a trip computer?
I'm impressed with your efforts. I have an 86 SEi and would be very interested buying a plate from you if you are successful.
Thanks for your efforts.
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#31 07-10-2008, 03:51 PM,
RustyTheDog Wrote:Wow, that didn't take long. In under an hour I sent 10 emails to 10 companies requesting quotes to reproduce these overlays. There are so many companies that make "graphic overlays" I could have kept sending the same email for hours, but I figure 10 should be enough that somebody will quote a decent price.

I asked for quotes in quantities up to 100. 100 might be too many, but heck, if I can get them for $10 each, this could be a marketable product for restoring the look of trip computers to "like new" condition.

I will be doing it for sure, but I'd like to know if there's interest in this. (Assume I will post photos of my computer with the new overlay, looking like a brand new computer with working backlighting before you buy.)

Anyone? Please let me know. There's no commitment by expressing interest of course.

i would be interested in one. i have the 85 LTD. it is aluminum finished.
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#32 07-10-2008, 07:49 PM,
a while ago i got a msg from Paul, he had a new job that was keeping him really busy, i guess he is still working on that as he is still away from here, he was a very active member, you should try sending him a PM
85' GL 1200 Interstate - My Picture Thread
[Image: signaturebg4.jpg]
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#33 07-10-2008, 08:15 PM,
Did this project come to fruition? I'd sure like to buy a new faceplate !!
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#34 07-23-2008, 01:13 PM,
I would be interested in one for my 85 LTD
Thanks
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#35 07-23-2008, 01:59 PM,
Rusty the Dog (Paul) has been in contact with me and told me that he is so very busy with his new business that he has not had the time to follow through with this project but he did offer me the graphics which he says are very good. If anyone is interested they could take these graphics to a print shop, specify the color, shading and texture and end up with a decal that would make their panel look like new. If interested send me an email at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:goldwinger1984@yahoo.com">goldwinger1984@yahoo.com</a><!-- e -->
Ed (Vic) Belanger - 1954-2015
Founder of gl1200goldwings.com

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#36 07-24-2008, 03:20 PM,
Hi folks.

Long time no... anything. I've been so excruciatingly busy with my new business that I hardly have time to sleep. I've provided the artwork to Vic hoping someone can take it over. The artwork is done, and although I did get a shop to make a few, the results were disappointing. What they made was a "sticker", not a "faceplate", (very thin) and the color was all wrong. When I told them I wanted the backlighting to work, they made it so thin that light shines through the whole thing, and because it's thin it shows ripples once it's applied.

BUT... In spite of the poor results I got, the graphics I made (after a few rounds of prototypes) produce results that fit perfectly and can easily pass for original artwork.

So, if someone can take my artwork (which Vic can supply) to a shop that can do the job right, you should have an excellent product! (And possibly a marketable one too, with very low cost per unit once the prototyping is worked out.)

One of the challenges will be getting a material that can be bent, but will still be "rigid" once applied, like the original. I would have preferred working with a company where I could see the people in person. Hopefully someone knows of such a shop.

By the way, it's both faceplates, not just the lower one. So even if it's a little off, they should match.

I just rode my wing today, after about 2 months. The business I bought is a driving school (for four wheelers) so I can only drive the training cars to work.
Paul
'86 SEi
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#37 07-24-2008, 11:49 PM,
RustyTheDog Wrote:Hi folks.
Long time no... anything. I've been so excruciatingly busy with my new business that I hardly have time to sleep. I've provided the artwork to Vic hoping someone can take it over.....

Paul, I want to thank you for all of your effort on the faceplates. If it weren't for us who own the LTD/SEis sharing information and coming up with replacement parts as you have done, I suspect that most of them would be parted out by now.

Good luck with your business. I was just talking to a small local builder who is building a garage for me. He also does the 60-80 hour weeks, but he said it sure beats working for "the man."
Paul from Ohio
85 LTD
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#38 07-25-2008, 06:22 AM,
Paul, thanks much for the efforts on the template. I think I'll take a stab at having some made up. Please send me an email with the digital artwork.

Later, Brian.
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#39 07-28-2008, 01:05 PM,
Brian, the way that it works is that you send me an email with your request as it states in the post a few up.
Ed (Vic) Belanger - 1954-2015
Founder of gl1200goldwings.com

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#40 07-29-2008, 03:46 AM,
PaulN, thanks for your best wishes. I still work for "the Man". His name is "California DMV". Some say from a business owner's perspective, the customer is the boss. But it sure feels like DMV has me jumping through all the hoops. ;-)

With that said, even though I'm still losing money, I'm loving every minute.
Paul
'86 SEi
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#41 07-29-2008, 10:23 AM,
RustyTheDog Wrote:Hi folks.

Long time no... anything. I've been so excruciatingly busy with my new business that I hardly have time to sleep. I've provided the artwork to Vic hoping someone can take it over. The artwork is done, and although I did get a shop to make a few, the results were disappointing. What they made was a "sticker", not a "faceplate", (very thin) and the color was all wrong. When I told them I wanted the backlighting to work, they made it so thin that light shines through the whole thing, and because it's thin it shows ripples once it's applied.

BUT... In spite of the poor results I got, the graphics I made (after a few rounds of prototypes) produce results that fit perfectly and can easily pass for original artwork.

So, if someone can take my artwork (which Vic can supply) to a shop that can do the job right, you should have an excellent product! (And possibly a marketable one too, with very low cost per unit once the prototyping is worked out.)

One of the challenges will be getting a material that can be bent, but will still be "rigid" once applied, like the original. I would have preferred working with a company where I could see the people in person. Hopefully someone knows of such a shop.

By the way, it's both faceplates, not just the lower one. So even if it's a little off, they should match.

I just rode my wing today, after about 2 months. The business I bought is a driving school (for four wheelers) so I can only drive the training cars to work.


I have an 85 LTD and would like to help out on this. If I can get the graphics I have someone who might be able to produce the templates. I just need to get him the template and I have a spare trip computer to take to him for fitting.
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#42 07-29-2008, 12:11 PM,
>>>What they made was a "sticker", not a "faceplate", (very thin) and the color was all wrong. When I told them I wanted the backlighting to work, they made it so thin that light shines through the whole thing, and because it's thin it shows ripples once it's applied.<<<


Great effort on this project from what I have followed. What if,......this "sticker" that they came up with, could be applied as an overlay to the existing faceplate. Thus enhancing the faded areas. If it is thin enough to shine through all the backlit areas, then perhaps it would merely "color" the areas that are not lit as well. Just thinking out loud. I also believe the LTD was a lighter color originally than the SEi.

[attachment=0]-LTD


Attached Files
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#43 07-29-2008, 09:45 PM,
I see where you're going, but here's the thing: What I received are four prototypes. Two with black lettering, and two with an attempt to make the backlighting work with white lettering. All four are BRIGHT silver in color. Although the finish is "flat", not mirror like, it is bright enough that an unexpected reflection from the sun would distract a rider. It is also so bright that the white lettering barely shows. (i.e. way too bright.)

I must now confess, I'm sure there are people who would love to have these prototypes, and they would use them. I applied one already to my "spare" trip computer, but I consider it inferior to the stock faceplate I have now (which looks pretty good) so I won't use it. Maybe I'm too picky.

So, what I have left is one with black lettering, and two with white lettering which is inferior in two ways: not only that it barely shows during the day (because it's white on bright silver), but also at night it would just show orange and green rectangles because it's too thin.

The black one is the one someone would really love to own. But well, frankly I'm not interested in entertaining a begging or price war for the one "decent" one that exists. I just don't have time. But I would like to see this project come to fruition.

BUT... It fits absolutely perfectly so if someone else gets it into their hands, they will have confidence in the graphics I made. That is, it fits perfectly if you remove the original and all the glue with GooGone first.

Forgive me Vic, but I'm gonna put the burden on you to decide who gets the prototype... I figure it should be the person who appears to have the best connections with a company that can do the job right, and the ambition and time to follow through, and maybe someone who can show the original piece from their bike to the company who will duplicate it (in person) where they will use thick material (not just a thin sticker.) I think the material should have a brushed metallic face, in a bronze color like the original.

So, although I think some people would be satisfied with what I got, I didn't want to order a larger quantity of that design because I'm SURE it can be done correctly by a different company.

Am I making sense?
Paul
'86 SEi
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#44 07-29-2008, 10:16 PM,
My thoughts expanded whilst I meandered around tonight. I realize the end product would be ideally a remove and replace piece. If I understand correctly, the "sticker like" pieces you received are very thin and have the base color that is too bright and too flat, with white or black colored lettering. The black doesn't have any appeal to me. Enhancing the back lit lettering with white might. Where I was headed with this line of understanding the prototype was to imagine an adhesive type of "decal" that has the back lit areas stamped out. Imagine a translucent "decal", for lack of a better word, that has the LTD or SEi color as a its tone. This would have the back lit lines and letters stamped out to match the OEM face. The back would peel off to adhere to the existing face. The letters and lines from the existing faceplate would not be covered by this "decal" and shine as normal. The face of this thing would have a protective layer to hold it together while installing. After aligning and smoothing the do-whopper onto the OEM faceplate, this protective layer would be peeled off to expose the color. Basically, like the 3M or similar product used by U-Haul for the murals on their trucks.
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#45 07-30-2008, 03:08 AM,


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