1993 Porsche 964: a Backdated Set for an Early 911S Build
A Custom Dial Set for a Backdated 964
A complete custom dial set for a 1993 Porsche 964 being backdated to look like an early 911S, designed from a mock-up and built with lighting that brings the badging up at night.
What the Customer Wanted
He came to us for an opinion rather than an order. His 1993 964 was going through a complete backdate to look like an early 911S, and he wanted to know what could be done about the gauges.
His first thought was backdated faces, and we told him that part is straightforward: change the numerals, change the color to Porsche green, and replace the 964’s fluorescent red-orange redline with C32 red, which is the Porsche red of the period.
What We Suggested Beyond That
Once you are backdating faces, there is more available than most people realize.
Back in the day those gauges carried chrome rings and chrome trim, so we offered to put that back. Chrome caps on the pointers go further in the same direction and read as period immediately. The early 911 font can go on every gauge rather than just the one. And the oil temperature gauge can take a numerical ten scale, as it would have had.
We designed all of it and sent him a mock-up.
What He Added
Seeing it laid out, he spotted room we had not used.
He asked for a custom 911 in the font used on the badging of his own car, on the tachometer. Then Porsche text alongside it, again matching the badge on the back of the car. And a Heuer logo on the clock.
All three went in. The point of a mock-up is that the customer sees what is possible and asks for something better than what we proposed, which is what happened here.
What Arrived, and the Mechanical Work
The gauges were in typical condition for 964 instruments. Every case was cleaned and every gauge disassembled, with the repairs each one needed.
The tachometer had components replaced, including components on the circuit board. The clock had its circuit board serviced. The speedometer had its circuit board serviced, and the odometer gear and odometer gear carrier replaced. The combination gauges had all of their coils dampened and serviced.
The Build
We manufactured chrome caps to sit on top of the pointers, since they are not something you can buy. The pointers themselves were painted white to match the early 911S.
Chrome trim was applied to every gauge, and chrome bezels attached.
The Lighting
Everything was shaded properly so the dials light correctly, running bright white LEDs.
And because the shading controls what lights and what does not, the 911, the Porsche text and the Heuer logo all illuminate at night. They are not just printed on the dial, they come up with the rest of the instrument when the lights go on.
This is the same design process described on our custom gauge dials page, and the Canyon Carver set is the other car on this site built the same way.
This is one of the jobs that has come through our bench. More on how we approach this work: how we design and screen custom gauge dials. You can also see more of our Porsche instrument work, or send us an inquiry about your own gauges.