This review is brought to you by forum sponsor Tetsuya Garage.. He offers amazing products from Japan.
RS Refine Gauge Rings for the NA(89-97).
What you get:
Two large aluminum rings
Three small aluminum rings
Two large clear acrylic lenses
Three small clear acrylic lenses
Tamiya Craft Bond
Pikal Care Metal polish
Japanese Floral print Fabric
Two Tetsuya Garage Stickers
Note: Gauge rings were also offered in Andonized Black.
(In my case I ordered two sets, and received double of everything above)
First impressions:
I was definitely surprised to see how every thing came presented. You can tell a lot of care was put into the product. Its not very often do I receive items as neatly and as beautifully packaged as these rings. Now a days, I count myself lucky that items I ordered didn't come in a dented and/or smashed up box. I also commend Rod (Tetsuya Garage) on the amazingly fast and well packaged shipping. It took less than a week to come from Japan to California.
Build Quality:
The rings felt VERY light, but sturdy in my hand. I was able to polish them using medium to hard pressure with out fear of the rings bending out of shape.
They come packaged a little dull and dirty, but after polishing them with the included metal polish. The shine is very noticeable. A+
Style:
These might not be for everyone. But I for one have always dug the retro styling ever since my youth. Paired up with a KG works panel and possibly a AWD gauge face, and you should be set.A+
Installation:
This is where it might get tricky. It includes taking out the gauge hood, which might be brittle from sitting in the sun for over 20 years for some. After taking off the gauge hood, you need to unfasten the gauge cluster by disconnecting the two harnesses in the back(three if you have defroster), the speedometer cable, and unscrewing the screws.
From there you'll free the plastic covering from the gauge cluster via the small clips. After separating the clear cover from the actual gauges, you can get to work separating the clear cover from the black panel. I was advised by RS Refine to use an acrylic knife. Others have used a Phillips head screw driver to more success, use what ever you feel comfortable with.
Once separated, I test fitted everything together. The larger rings were able to stay on using friction, the smaller rings not so much. I used the Tamiya Brand Craft glue to glue together the acrylic lenses to the aluminum rings, and used the glue again to glue the rings to the gauge panel. I was anal during the whole procedure and used latex gloves. I didn't want to take my panel apart again because of fingerprints. I let everything dry over night. A.
Usability:
No real functionality to this Mod. Its purely for aesthetic reasons. Though some might say the glare coming from the lenses might be a hindrance. I don't have any experience with that so far. The deepness of the rings do overlap some of the gauge face; but i can still see enough of the face so it doesn't bother me. A.
This was a dead on view, you can see how some of the tick marks disappear under the gauge ring.
Overall:
This is definitely a modification I would do to any other future Miatas that I might own. This product deserves a final grade of A+. The product, the presentation, the styling, the packaging, the included supplies, the customer service (although not directly related to RS refine) are what makes this an unforgettable experience. I've throughly enjoyed every minute of this. (Ok maybe not the waiting for the 12 or so people to get on the Group Buy.) RS refine and Tetsuya garage has set the standard for any future reviews i may do. And that is a pretty high bar to over come.
RS Refine Gauge Rings for the NA(89-97).
What you get:
Two large aluminum rings
Three small aluminum rings
Two large clear acrylic lenses
Three small clear acrylic lenses
Tamiya Craft Bond
Pikal Care Metal polish
Japanese Floral print Fabric
Two Tetsuya Garage Stickers
Note: Gauge rings were also offered in Andonized Black.
(In my case I ordered two sets, and received double of everything above)
First impressions:
I was definitely surprised to see how every thing came presented. You can tell a lot of care was put into the product. Its not very often do I receive items as neatly and as beautifully packaged as these rings. Now a days, I count myself lucky that items I ordered didn't come in a dented and/or smashed up box. I also commend Rod (Tetsuya Garage) on the amazingly fast and well packaged shipping. It took less than a week to come from Japan to California.
Build Quality:
The rings felt VERY light, but sturdy in my hand. I was able to polish them using medium to hard pressure with out fear of the rings bending out of shape.
They come packaged a little dull and dirty, but after polishing them with the included metal polish. The shine is very noticeable. A+
Style:
These might not be for everyone. But I for one have always dug the retro styling ever since my youth. Paired up with a KG works panel and possibly a AWD gauge face, and you should be set.A+
Installation:
This is where it might get tricky. It includes taking out the gauge hood, which might be brittle from sitting in the sun for over 20 years for some. After taking off the gauge hood, you need to unfasten the gauge cluster by disconnecting the two harnesses in the back(three if you have defroster), the speedometer cable, and unscrewing the screws.
From there you'll free the plastic covering from the gauge cluster via the small clips. After separating the clear cover from the actual gauges, you can get to work separating the clear cover from the black panel. I was advised by RS Refine to use an acrylic knife. Others have used a Phillips head screw driver to more success, use what ever you feel comfortable with.
Once separated, I test fitted everything together. The larger rings were able to stay on using friction, the smaller rings not so much. I used the Tamiya Brand Craft glue to glue together the acrylic lenses to the aluminum rings, and used the glue again to glue the rings to the gauge panel. I was anal during the whole procedure and used latex gloves. I didn't want to take my panel apart again because of fingerprints. I let everything dry over night. A.
Usability:
No real functionality to this Mod. Its purely for aesthetic reasons. Though some might say the glare coming from the lenses might be a hindrance. I don't have any experience with that so far. The deepness of the rings do overlap some of the gauge face; but i can still see enough of the face so it doesn't bother me. A.
This was a dead on view, you can see how some of the tick marks disappear under the gauge ring.
Overall:
This is definitely a modification I would do to any other future Miatas that I might own. This product deserves a final grade of A+. The product, the presentation, the styling, the packaging, the included supplies, the customer service (although not directly related to RS refine) are what makes this an unforgettable experience. I've throughly enjoyed every minute of this. (Ok maybe not the waiting for the 12 or so people to get on the Group Buy.) RS refine and Tetsuya garage has set the standard for any future reviews i may do. And that is a pretty high bar to over come.