Sideways Tach, needle painting questions

[ipronoun]

this is going to come off as a stupid question to some of you, since I have yet to actually take a cluster apart and do not understand the mechanics.

is it possible to tilt the OEM tach (0 RPM rest would be @ 6:00 position) and have it function correctly along with the mpg meter?

there's little mention of the variability in terms of angle of placement of the OEM piece (I understand that you can take out the needle stop and customize the sweep range of the needle with a custom face)

this is, of course, inspired by air-cooled carreras, and i have done this in the past with 944's.

also, needle colors. i take it the needles are not removable themselves and must be painted. for this task, i see many are doing the sharpie technique. what other methodologies are used for a more professional look? wrap whole thing and spray the needle?

CA Tuned needles look incredible, and I feel they use this method, but they end up painting the entire needle as opposed to OEM with just paint on one side of the clear plastic needle. does this follow the aftermarket gold standard (ie alpina, etc)?

thanks

[ipronoun]

fukin really ttt

[AndrewBird]

The gauge itself can't be turned, but I have seen people make a custom gauge face and just rotate the needle.

You can pop the needle off, it's just pressed onto the shaft, but there is potential for damaging the gauge if you aren't careful. I've heard of people using a fork to pry it off.

I think most people just mask the entire cluster except for the needles and spray paint them. I used a red marker in my E34 and it looks ok for a year or so before it fades enough to need a reapply. I initially did it as a test, but was satisfied with the look enough to never go back and do it "properly". A paint touch up pen would be the better way to go.

[jrobie79]

i used fingernail polish to paint mine. it self levels so it looks 10x better than spray paint, and less masking/prep involved