Question about digital clock

[ravecrocker]

Hey guys first time posting here sorry if this is in the wrong place but does anyone know the size of the little screen used for the digital clock?

[Mario]

The digits or the whole glass tube? I believe the tube is 58x28.5mm or so.

[ravecrocker]

Actually i need a diagonal like a digital screen

[Nicholas R]

Oldest theorem in the book: A^2+ B^2= C^2

Based on Marios dimensions its 64.5mm.

[DMCMW Dave]

Just knowing the diagonal does not allow one to know the dimensions of the hole.

[ravecrocker]

Well i was hoping to at least fill the hole with a digital screen what would you suggest then?

[Bitsyncmaster]

It also depends how close to the surface of the "hole" you can mount your screen. Remember your looking at the screen at an angle in the drivers seat.

[ravecrocker]

hmm true i didn't even think about that, i saw a picture of a DeLorean clock replacement where you could play pong, so I am building my own using an AY-03-8500 chip

[Bitsyncmaster]

hmm true i didn't even think about that, i saw a picture of a DeLorean clock replacement where you could play pong, so I am building my own using an AY-03-8500 chip

Good project. Nice that another electronic person is interested in the D.

[ravecrocker]

I'll probably sell a kit to install once i get my Del but until then i'm basically relying on community interpretation

[mluder]

Oldest theorem in the book: A^2+ B^2= C^2

Based on Marios dimensions its 64.5mm.

Pythagorean is my favorite of all the Euclidean geometry theorems.

Cheers
Steve

[DMCMW Dave]

Well i was hoping to at least fill the hole with a digital screen what would you suggest then?

Find a screen the right width and then cut the hole taller. Or vice versa.

[ravecrocker]

If i need to have custom screens made i will but i am not going to cut into the hole

[ccurzio]

You should see about getting a car first. Some DeLoreans don't even HAVE that clock hole, and you really can't let that be your deal breaker on whether you get the car or not.

[Shep]

I don't want to cause conflict here, I really don't, but I'm seeing an increasing number of posts about the electrical mods you're going to do to your DeLorean, when you don't even have one? I'm with Chris on this one, get your DeLorean first, then worry about mods later. Especially since you're "saving" up for one and most likely won't have the funds to do all these mods right off the bat.

Who knows, maybe your DeLorean won't be stock and will have some of the mods you're looking for. But saying things like you won't cut up a clock hole on a car that you don't even have just sounds very "hopelessly ambitious" for lack of a better term. Good luck finding anyone who will custom make a screen in the proper dimensions, I've literally spent months searching for an eerily similar project and haven't found anyone willing to do that.

Don't get me wrong, hope and goals are good! :) But take it one step at a time. The chess idiom of "always think three moves ahead" doesn't apply too well when your first move is yet to be done. You seem to have an "ideal" DeLorean in mind, which is good, but may not necessarily be obtainable for the price (or timeframe for that matter) that you're looking for. Please don't let me deter you from your dream however! Just keep in mind that until you have one in your posession, there's really no telling what kind of issues you'll find that will need to be fixed first. What's the point in a fancy clock if it doesn't drive, you know?

[ravecrocker]

Oh i didn't mean to sound like that i know allot of people say they are going to get a DeLorean and never commit to it and i don't care if my model has the clock or not in the beginning but as far as not wanting to cut into a csr i dont have thats because i cant imagine destroying a classic like that

[Shep]

as far as not wanting to cut into a csr i dont have thats because i cant imagine destroying a classic like thatAll depends on your definition of "destroy" ;) (Seriously, "BTTF replica" discussions have been known to start flame wars here, with one side saying it's destruction, the other construction. I try to stay away from those.) Just remember this: when you have a DeLorean, it's yours to do whatever you damn well please with it. That's the approach I take anyways, much to some others' dismay.

Have you thought about getting a screen that fits directly on top of (or underneath) the hole for the clock? The panel does have a cutout, however there's room around said cutout to put a screen. "On top" is the approach I'm looking into now. If it were below, it wouldn't fit the bill for my use case, but might work for you if you're okay with some screen obstruction.

[ravecrocker]

well I think if I had a time machine conversion i'd let someone else do it that knew where holes were cut and how its done I'm more afraid of myself breaking something

I thought about that but I don't like the idea of a screen on top because it'd look like I just stuck something there, maybe a rubber gasket around the screen and hole to fit the contours of the plastic

[Shep]

I thought about that but I don't like the idea of a screen on top because it'd look like I just stuck something there, maybe a rubber gasket around the screen and hole to fit the contours of the plasticA bevel as you describe wouldn't be too hard to do depending on material and available tools. The surface around the hole is fairly flat actually, so if you can make a frame that fits the necessary buttons and such (you mentioned pong, so I'm assuming there's buttons somewhere) and fits flush against a flat surface, it'll fit once installed.

CNC, 3D printed, or just small-scale plastic you may have lying around might work best. A softer material and an exacto knife would also work. It wouldn't be too hard to replicate the conditions either -- get a piece of metal/cardboard/etc., cut the hole to the same dimensions, and you've got yourself a testing ground for it. Keep in mind that there are a couple mounting studs on either side of the hole that the OEM clock uses to mount to, so don't get too crazy with the width of the electronics (a full-sized arduino board wouldn't fit for example, but something like an Adafruit arduino clone would fit fine).

Anywho, if the dimensions don't need to be an exact fit, I would also suggest getting a slightly smaller display that fits in height and using buttons to fill the width. Might be a cleaner look overall if done right now that I think about it.

[ravecrocker]

I am actually building the boards from scratch they will be really small and the controllers will be wireless and able to place in the glovebox

[ccurzio]

You're not going to want to put them in the glovebox. If anything they should be tucked into the center console.

I'm sure it's a fun project and you should definitely do what makes you happy, but you really do need to get the car first. Planning something like this is impossible without it. Working on mods before having the car is... odd, to say the least. And it won't work out well.