Customer’s S13 Cluster Shroud

Finalized the work on a pretty challenging piece…. I would venture to say the most tedious work I have done with no margin for error. I removed the small vents that sit high on the shroud above the lower buttons on each side. That area is highly contoured, so I had to recess the gauges back in to clear the curve on the top edge. I first bonded in some 1/4″ thick ABS to fill the rectangular openings where the vents were. I sanded the ABS down to duplicate the OEM contour. I then filled the backside with Norton Speedgrip. I made a form on the backside and filled it about an inch deep. I then used a hole saw and made a precision opening just above the lower button openings. Anyone that has ever used a hole saw knows that the thing kind of wobbles around a little to make the hole. And as you can see in the pictures, I didn’t have much room for error above the lower button openings. Unfortunately the opening had to be big enough to flush a 52mm gauge in, which meant the contour at the top of the panel rounded over to fast and the hole saw opening had a weird cutout to it. So I molded in some visors on the top portion to take care of the issue. I think the final outcome looks very natural. Like most of my work, the final product looks simple, but the work involved to get said simple look is mind-boggling.

Customer’s S13 Cluster, Cluster Shroud and HUD Steering Column Shroud

Just finished up a pretty baller setup for a guy over in Australia. To start off, he had me make a cluster utilizing Blitz gauges: (1) 60mm in the center and (2) 52mm flanking each side. I also tossed in a pair of the Harley Davidson turn signal indicators. There will also be three more 52mm Blitz gauges in my center vent setup I do, but I haven’t finished that yet.

He still needed a classy location for his fuel gauge and Pivot push button start. The gauge he chose was a digital Autometer. It’s actually a very versatile fuel gauge that I would recommend for the Nissans… it’s completely programmable! However, it’s ugly as sin. So I disassembled the gauge and painted all the white text inside black. I then used a piece of smoked plexi over the front and rear mounted it behind the cluster shroud on the left side. I then flush mounted the Pivot start button on the right side. First I had to remove the OEM switches in those locations then fill and smooth the area. This left me with a perfectly flat area to drill my new holes in. I’ll simply post up some finished pics, but you can follow the link below if you would like to take a gander at the build process.

S13 Cluster, Shroud and HUD Build!!!

Last was the HUD… my standard fabrication that I perform to mold the Defi VSD-X into the top half of the steering column shroud.

I also finished off the bottom half so the top and bottom would have the same texture/finish.

MINT – DC2 1994 Acura Integra GSR For Sale

A good friend of mine and fellow enthusiast is selling his perfect example of a DC2. Dare I say this thing is cleaner than my S13!?! Fully built block, fresh paint… and I’m not talking about your local body shop down the street crap, I mean better than OEM paint. Please check the modification list below. He is asking $18,000. For more information or to make offers, please use this avenue to contact him: Mint DC2 For Sale You can also post/comment here and I’ll make sure to get you in contact with him.

MOTOR:

420WHP @ 18psi / 330WHP @ 12psi (Tuned by Dave @ Whip Factory)

sc61 turbo

Greddy Intercooler

AFI ram horn manifold

Jun valve springs/retainers

Jun cam gears

Ported and polished head / decked 30 thousands

Wiseco pistons

Eagle Rods

ARP Head studs

MSD Ignition

Skunk2 intake manifold ported/polished

RC 720 Injectors

ACT 4 puck clutch

Quaife Diff

Neptune software

3 in. downpipe

3 in. thermal R & D exhaust

Energy suspension motor mounts

EXTERIOR:

JDM metal front end

shaved antenna / trunk / side moldings

Granada Black Pearl is the paint color

Work S1 special edition gold (16*7 / 4*100)

Volk Lug nuts

SUSPENSION:

Ground control coilovers

Spoon front strut bar

ITR rear strut bar

Comptech Rear Tie bar / sway bar

Comptech steel braided brake lines

Skunk2 Camber adjustment A-arms

INTERIOR:

JDM Recaro front seats (Black)

Itr Rear seats

Itr door cards

Jdm non – srs momo steering wheel

Itr shift boot

Alex shift knob

Defi gauges (boost/egt/oil pressure/oil temp)

plx wide band

SOLD!!! – Selling My Custom Defi Gauge Setup – SOLD!!!

I am selling my personal Defi gauge setup. This is “thee” original Broadfield Defi cluster, HUD and center vent setup. This will be a direct drop-in for your S13. So the cluster, steering shroud and center vent plate are all ready to swap into your S13. I normally charge $635 labor just for the custom fabrication included in this package. Please ask if you have any questions or want to know how everything is linked together or how it works. Everything is in absolute mint condition… it’s just time for something different with the new LS3 coming.

Asking $1900 shipped to the continental United States.

Setup will include the following all in metric:

Broadfield S13 cluster:
-Defi Link Meter 52mm EGT
-Defi Link Meter 52mm Water Temp
-Defi Link Meter 80mm Tach
-Defi Link Meter 80mm Boost
-OEM Turn Signal Indicators
-Plugs into your OEM cluster sub-harness

Center Vent Setup:
-Defi Link Meter 52mm Oil Pressure
-Defi Link Meter 52mm Oil Temp
-Defi Link Meter 52mm Fuel Pressure

Broadfield Custom Molded HUD Setup
-Defi VSD Concept HUD

Includes all sensors, cables, Defi-Link Controller II and Defi HUD controller.

Tuck’N

I have been driving the 240 for the last couple weeks. No rubbing or any issues. However, me being me, I already have the thing torn apart again. It all started with an A/C leak. I found that the low pressure line that routes behind the motor had been rubbed through and pierced the aluminum line. A couple of years ago when I did the Full Race top-mount mani setup, I had to cram the line up against the driver’s side, rear corner of the head. Well, it officially rubbed all the way through. So I simply removed it to weld up the hole. However, I had to move some AN lines and wiring harnesses out-of-the-way to do it. Well, that’s what always happens with me. One little thing turns into another completely unrelated project. I decided that I would completely tuck the engine bay. A little back story to this is that a did a half tuck when I did the Full Race setup. I relocated the fuse boxes, tucked the upper engine harness etc. However, I still had the main engine harness entering the engine bay in the stock location on the firewall. And with all of my Defi gauges and other crap, I had a lot of extra wiring beyond the OEM stuff. I did the best I could with it and had one big loom of wires(OEM engine harness, gauge wiring, my Cusco E-Con damping wiring etc.) that routed along the upper firewall….. as seen in the following picture.

So that harness is completely gone now.  I cut a hole in the side of the transmission tunnel, then routed all harnesses up onto the top of the transmission.  Then simply routed them out right behind the block….. out of sight, out of mind.  I am almost completely done.  Just need to extend a couple of wires on the driver’s side and route them into the cabin via the fender location.   This is where I routed the harnesses through.  I drilled a 1-1/2″ hole and slapped a plastic grommet into it:

A couple of pics of some wiring that I had to extend.  These are all just for the sensors for my Defi gauges.  I didn’t have to extend anything on the engine harness.  Simply unplug it and re-route it through the new location.

A little closeup of the lack of wiring…. much better:

Now I just need to finish up the wiring and finally get some new pics of the bay and the exterior of the car.  I also have one more thing in store for the engine bay.  It’s probably what I’m most excited about.  I’ll post about it once I have them in my possession. : )

Broadfield Gauge Package

As I have stated before, I am making a Broadfield cluster, HUD, center vent gauge pod etc. for my boy Daoud.  I have been tremendously busy with my regular work, my car and his car.  He has been very understanding with the amount of time it has taken, but things are going well.  Like I said in an earlier post, he is buying the first official Broadfield Gauge Package.  Well, besides my own of course.  It looks like I have a couple more lined up, but they will be different than his and mine.  After all, it’s custom.  So I build to order.  I thought it would be a good idea to give everyone access to my Fotki album where I store the build pics of his gauge stuff.  Anytime I do custom work, whether it be interior accessory work or my job stuff(audio), I make an album on my Fotki and give the customer access to it.  I update it every few days, sometimes every day, then they can follow along as I build it.  So in Daoud’s album, you’ll see progress on the cluster, HUD and center vent gauge pod as of now.  Sometimes I’ll jump around a little.  For example, the cluster isn’t quite finished, I still have to make the turn signal housing for the back to hold the bulbs.  But I stopped and jumped into the HUD.  The HUD is done, just needs installed back into the car.  The center vent pod is getting there.  I am in the process of making the rear mounts to hold the gauges in the plate, then the mounts to hold it in the dash.  Those will probably be done tomorrow.  As you can see, he was able to source all of the old Defi white gauges except for one…. so he had to go with a black one.  It can then be swapped out for the white version if he ever finds one.  However, I may have him covered on this one…. we’ll just have to wait and see if my source comes through for me!  After his work is all done, I will probably make a massive step-by-step build thread on these products.  That way when I get the usual questions on how I did this or that, I can point them in the direction of my build thread.

Here is the link to his album, NOTE:  there are multiple pages.  Broadfield Gauge Package Build Pics Please feel free to check it out and stop by from time-to-time to check out the progress.  Here are a few build pics to add some eye candy to this post.

Recap # 1: Defi Gauge Cluster, Center Vent Pod and HUD 6/6/2007 Part 3

Part 3:  Vent Gauges

Since I could only fit four gauges comfortably into the cluster, I had to find a place for the remaining three.  I am generally not a fan of A-pillar setups, especially on the S13, as they have skinny A-pillar trim.  I also don’t like them below the radio.  They just look too crowded and they are too low in my opinion.  Never mind the fact that I have a double DIN radio there.  So the only logical place was the center vent area.  Now this wasn’t some cool, new Broadfield idea.  It’s been done a hundred times, but for good reason:  it’s a great place to put gauges.  I don’t mind doing the same thing as others have done before if it works for me.  I don’t believe in doing something different just for the sake of being different…… it has to look good and fit the theme of the car most importantly.  So in the vents they are going.  However, I wanted to make sure it didn’t look like I simply threw some gauges in there.  So even though it was going to be similar to others, it had to have just a tad of my attention to detail.

I don’t have build pics of the vent gauges at all, but will add some in when I do the setup for Daoud Sangwa.  I plan to take a ton of pics of the entire cluster, HUD, center console fuel gauge and center vent pod.

UPDATE: Here is the link to his album, NOTE:  there are multiple pages.  Broadfield Gauge Package Build Pics

I started off with a sheet of ABS plastic that I rough cut.  I then cut, filed and sanded until it fit absolutely perfect.  Perfection takes a tremendous amount of time and patience…… and to think I was only going to throw away this piece anyway.  I then transferred this shape to a piece of 1/8″thick piece of aluminum.  I marked the holes for the gauges then cut those out with a hole saw.  I decided I wanted the gauges to be angled towards the driver…. easier to see and to give the panel a little character.  I found some ABS angled gauge trim rings from Summit…. they even come in a pack of three!  They are only $10 and almost ready to use out of the package.  I sanded them a little to knock off some of the mold edges…. I’m picky!

Test fitting the gauges with the rings presented the issue that a round gauge inserted at an angle, does not fit through a round hole.  So I simply used a file to make the round holes a little oblong.  Also, the silver U shaped mounting clamps pictured above had to be modified for these particular gauges.  The posts were too long and needed an angle cut on them also.  Once these were all modified, I assembled everything for a test fit.  Next up was the task of figuring out how I was going to mount this plate into the vent opening.  I wanted it to be mega secure and suck up into the hole.  Luckily, once the vent is removed, there is a little lip that the plate rests on.  However, there is no way for it to secure in there.  I think some people simply glue it in or try to use some double stick tape.  I didn’t see either of these options as good ones.  So I drilled out the center of each U shape mount to insert a threaded stud.  I drilled the hole so it was perpendicular with the plate.  I then tapped them out and inserted a short piece of threaded stud…. about 1 – 2 inches.  Next I made three strips of  aluminum about 3 inches longs that were 3/4″ wide.  These were to serve as “washers” on the back side. Back to the mounting in a bit.

Now we are ready for paint.  First though I wanted to give everything a texture.  I like to use a SEM product called Texture Coat, part # 39853.  Comes in an easy aerosol can.  So with everything disassembled, I textured the rings and back plate separately.  I then sprayed them with a final finish coat of SEM Landau Black, part # 15013.  It is the perfect black paint for interiors and many other uses.  Literally dries to the touch in minutes.  I then assembled everything and used some yellow OEM hot glue on the backside of the gauges to keep them from spinning on the plate.  All that’s left it to mount this sucker into the dash.  I removed the climate control so I could have easy access to the back of the vent area.  Simply stick the plate into the hole from the front and put the custom “washers” over the threaded studs on the backside.  Then take wing nuts and thread those bad boys on nice and snug.  The “washers” will keep the plate assembly from falling out the front, and the lip on the dash keeps it from obviously falling into the dash.  So essentially you are sandwiching everything together.  You could pretty much hang on this thing.  I also want to add, that for obvious reasons,  I blocked off the vent tube behind the gauge plate.  A lot of people ask what the heat and A/C are like with the main center vent blocked off.  Really it’s not that noticeable.  Because it essentially forces more air through the vents that are still left.  Done!  As stated earlier, I will come back and add build pics within a month or so.

Recap # 1: Defi Gauge Cluster, Center Vent Pod and HUD 6/6/2007 Part 2

Part 2:  HUD

As stated in part 1, Defi doesn’t make a speedometer.  So I ordered up the new Defi-Link VSD X HUD.  This unit displays an image on a piece of plexi that is angled off the backside.   It is simply meant to be mounted on top of your dash.  My intention was to ditch the plexi and display it on the windshield.  I bought a piece of film from the old original Defi HUD VSD setup.  The old Defi HUD setup was basically the same as the new one, only it displayed on the windshield.  This was going to be perfect because I had sourced an OEM S13 HUD pod for the top of the dash.  My plan was to retrofit the Defi unit into the OEM pod.  Well, come to find out, there was no way I could get the angle correct to display on the windshield.  So I quickly came up with the idea to mold it into the top of the steering wheel shroud.  I felt it would be perfect for a couple of reasons:  1) The plexi is obviously clear, so I would still be able to see the main gauges in the cluster through it. 2) The top of the shroud has a natural notch in it where it comes up to the cluster.  So I would be able to simply extend the backside up to make room for the HUD module….. all the while keeping the overall OEM shape of the shroud.

I don’t really have any pictures of the process.  Since I do this type of stuff for a living, I usually just rock through it as fast as I can and don’t bother with pictures.  Although I am trying to get better about taking pictures of all of my custom work.  So I will try to briefly describe how I did it.  I wanted to keep the profile as low as possible, so I ditched the bottom plastic casing of the unit.  Here is a picture of the unit in it’s stock form for reference,

I then hacked a rectangular hole in the top of the shroud where I wanted the unit.  I took the guts out of the top half of the plastic casing, including the thin plastic film that the image shines through on the top.  The piece of plexi was simply bolted to the back of the casing.  I then super glued the top plastic casing onto the top of the shroud exactly where I wanted it.  I roughed up all of the surrounding plastic(the shroud and plastic casing) with some 36 grit sandpaper.  This would allow the bondo to adhere better.  I then simply slapped a bunch of kitty hair(bondo with fiber glass strands) onto the sides and front to build up the shape I wanted leading up to the plastic casing.  I basically faded the front edge of the shroud all the way to the front edge of the plastic casing.  Then filled in the sides and sanded it to have a natural curvature and OEM look to it.  Next up is a texture coat.  I love a product called SEM Texture Coating.  I use it on projects at work all of the time.  Depending how far away you spray the project, it will yield different textures…. big, small etc.  After that it’s time for a final finish coat.  I chose SEM Landau Black.  It is a very OEM’ish black.  Not too glossy and not too flat.  Simply reassembling the guts and reattaching the plexi to the back was all that was left.  As you can see I chose to do without the black rubber edging on the plexi.  I realize this writeup is very vague, but custom work is hard to put into words.  Some finished pics from different angles,

Stay tuned for part 3:  The center vent gauges and the digital fuel gauge in the center console area.

Recap # 1: Defi Gauge Cluster, Center Vent Pod and HUD 6/6/2007 Part 1

Preview of the end result,

Part 1:  Gauge Cluster

This project was a fairly quick one I did back in the middle of 2007.  I simply wanted something cooler than the OEM 240sx gauge cluster.  I had no idea at the time that it would garner so much attention from not only 240 owners, but I have also seen it posted on many other automobile forums.  So I am greatly humbled that others appreciate my hard work.  With all of the customization I do, whether it’s for my car or for my job, I like the OEM’ish look.  I want someone who knows nothing about cars to think nothing was done in my interior…. or maybe think that it’s an upgraded OEM option.  So onto the cluster.  First off the gauges:  I chose the brand Defi because, well, they are Defi!  They are of the utmost quality, they are the exact look I like, I have used them in previous cars, I like how the gauges are all linked together to a central control unit and I really like the brushed aluminum trim ring they use.  Another plus was that they came in various sizes:  52mm, 60mm, 80mm and 115mm.  Of course there are only a couple different ones that come in the two larger sizes….. so I was limited to what I got to choose for my two larger gauges.  I went with the black face because of my tradition of holding to the OEM’ish look….. especially since they had green illumination.   Blue illumination or white face gauges would of just looked out of place.  The only downfall to this entire gauge cluster idea is that Defi does not make a speedometer.  And since this car is daily driven in everything but snow and salt, I needed a speedometer.  I could of crammed a digital one in with only a small rectangular window to display the speed, but then it would of looked crammed in there.  I wanted a nice simple but not overly bare cluster.  So I got a hair-brain idea to use the Defi HUD and retrofit it into the OEM HUD housing.  I was able to find the OEM HUD housing for next to nothing… cool!  So I ordered everything up only to find out that the Defi HUD that displays on the windshield had been discontinued….not cool!  However, there was a new one that displayed onto its own back plate made of simple plexi-glass.  Sweet, I’ll take it and simply buy the old HUD film and display it on the windshield like I originally planned.  Well, not so fast…… more on this in part 2

Building the cluster was pretty straight forward.  I simply hacked up an old cluster to begin with.  I wanted to maintain the OEM mounts, black interior surround and the OEM clear plastic front.  The only part of the OEM cluster that had to be cut to perfection was the black surround, as this was going to be butt up against the back plate.  So in order for it to look as good as OEM , it had to be perfect.  Once that was cut, I made a back plate out of 1/4″ hardboard.  I cut the holes for the gauges and turn signals.  The gauges were to be flushed in to give a smoother look…. so those holes also had to be perfect.  To be perfectly honest with you, I HAD to flush them in.  The two big 80mm gauges would of hit the clear plastic OEM face had I not flushed them in.  So sometimes things just work out for the better even when you don’t plan on it.   For the turn signals I took the OEM arrow and mounted it underneath a piece of PVC to form the housing,  I then hacked out the white plastic area that the OEM bulbs twist into.  I glued these onto the back of the PVC and I instantly had turn signal housings where the bulb could be easily replaced.

The white housing back of the cluster just had to be hacked up good enough to clear for the back of the new gauges.  It didn’t need to be pretty.

The new plate that the gauges are mounted in needed to be finished in an OEM look.  So I used two of my favorite products.  I used SEM Texture Coat to get the texture I wanted.  Depending on how far away you spray it, you can get varied results with the amount of texture.  For the finishing coat, I used SEM Landau Black.

All that’s left is to glue the plate in, snap the back white housing on and attach the OEM clear front plastic.  Part 2:  HUD, coming soon!

The Beginnings

Well, here it is….. Broadfield’s Blog. I figured I might as well jump on the bandwagon. I’m always building/fabricating something, so this will be a nice centralized spot to showcase the progress and results. This will not be limited to building imports though. This will also be a great arena for discussing car audio, gaming and whatever else floats my boat at the time. Stay tuned for my first planned modifications for the S13 this year.  I will also be going back and doing recaps/write-ups on projects that I have done in the past.  Thee all famous Broadfield Defi gauge cluster and HUD, my interior in general, engine bay etc.

Comments are welcome!