Originally Posted by Dusterdude72

Also aside from the clear plastic colored stencil material I mentioned in my previous post.

I got to thinking about it ( I did custom vinyl graphics for about 5 years ). Why not a transparent colored adhesive backed vinyl? ( like what Is used for tinting headlights and fog lights...etc...etc...

It will give you the same result as the material I previously mentioned....EXCEPT if you went with the vinyl.....the adhesive back might aid in the installation portion of the project...being that you can just stick it in place and call it done basically.

I did a quick search on ebay just by typing in (transparent colored vinyl) and found this which would probably work for what your going after Video Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transparent-RED-Film-Sheet-Vinyl-Headlight-Foglight-Automobile-Car-Hobby-/151023338871?hash=item2329b14577&vxp=mtr ....And its only $6.00 shipped for 12"x9" which I would think would be enough for your project.

I am sure you could find a better deal if you looked harder. I just clicked on the first couple items on the first page of listings.

hope that helps.

Originally Posted by 04 F150

What year is your truck?

Originally Posted by Dusterdude72

I have also been curious about doing a cluster swap for quite awhile now.

Originally I wanted the lariat cluster because it had a more in depth digital information center. BUT I read alot on it and all the issues that came with doing the swap into an xlt ( I have an 05 xlt , 5.4 , 4x4 , column shift , manual air,power windows and locks truck by the way) proved to me more headache than I wanted to get involved with.

which is fine, because I actually prefer the look of the fx4 cluster. BUT I have read so many mixed things about the fx4 cluster swap. Some said it was a direct swap and everything worked except the mileage of course needing to be flashed (some however said that a dealer wouldnt even attempt flashing the mileage due to the circumstances....even when they had their original cluster in hand aswell. And some said that a cluster flash would cost equally as much as a fx4 cluster does).

I have also seen people say that the air conditioning didnt work, I have seen some say that dome lights didnt work, seat belt chime and warning light , door ajar notification , trip meter and I have also seen mention of the fuel gauge reading incorrectly.

With all those variables and not knowing exactly what to buy and not having the cash to gamble away on something like that I kind of just put it on the back burner. But I would still really like to do the swap if I knew some extremely definitive answers about what is an is not compatible.

I worked on a 02-06 style dodge ram before and I know they had all sorts of things that had to match up in order to work correctly. It had to be from the same year, the part numbers had to have a couple numbers that matched, If your truck was an auto,v8,column shift,power lock and power windows....then the replacement cluster had to also match all of that same criteria.

I wish it wasnt made to be such a complicated process, I am not trying to scam mileage as my truck has fairly decent mileage for the year (109,000). I simply want the upgraded look of the fx4 cluster.

Sorry, not trying to hijack, just interested in the thread and putting in my .02. Interested in seeing how your swap goes and also interested in the color conversion.

And I agree with the above post...I would avoid painting it!. If anything I would go to your local craft store and pick up some sheets of colored plastic film that is used for cutting out stencils and stuff (the same kind of film you find in old pairs of red/blue 3d glasses for movies). you could use that as a laminent film for the gauges which would work well for light transparency and would output good color ( I used this stuff long ago on a camaro gauge cluster that I converted to blue).

hope that give you a good idea of something to try.

Originally Posted by Thisguyuknow

If you have an xlt an fx4 cluster is a direct swap. The puerile who report the a.c. not working after an fx4 swap must likely swapped an fx4 cluster in from a truck with automagic air. So long as it is an fx4 with standard air everything should work.

The people who are reporting done light issues are the xl and lower guys. The writing in these sub models is different at the dash. I could never find a good wiring diagram of an xl so I was never able to I'd all the exact differences.

The lariat and Mark LT clusters are virtually the same, they will function fine on an xlt or higher with the exception of the previously mentioned a.c. issues and the feature that auto locks your doors when you start driving doesn't work. Never could figure out why the auto lock feature stopped working but I honestly don't miss it. The mpg count and ask the special display features do work.

Originally Posted by Uncle Pete

All this talk about changing instruments has me itching real bad to jump the gun and change mine today but I'm still waiting on a pigtail for the eatc and the blower speed controller from Tasca. Just want to do it once and do it right so that all the features and accessories function.