Not So Classic Cluster
Kickstarter details
Not So Classic Cluster

Digital instruments. Classic character.

Digital instruments / BMW E30

Digital dials.
E30 character.

A digital instrument cluster designed around the dials you know, with modern displays and a separate display knob.

Get launch updates Explore in 3D Kickstarter details
E30 project: In Testing
Developed at The Usual Suspects Garage, Naples, Florida.
Featured in The Drive
The E30 digital cluster prototype photographed on the workshop bench for The Drive, with all four displays visible
E30 prototype · Workshop photograph

The idea

An E30 layout, on digital displays.

The instrument panel is part of what makes an E30 feel like an E30. Speed, engine revs, fuel and coolant temperature stay in their familiar positions, with factory-inspired artwork on digital displays.

The real prototype
Bench demonstration · Development hardware

The layout you know

Speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature in their familiar positions. Choose mph or km/h at first setup.

Factory-inspired dials

The scales and graphics take their cues from the original instruments, now drawn on digital displays.

A separate display knob

Designed for the on-board computer or clock position, in its own bezel. It also works as an extra gauge or a clock.

WiFi and Bluetooth

The cluster has WiFi and Bluetooth. They are there for planned features such as updates and a phone app (listed below). Cluster rewards ship worldwide, with the required radio approval completed for each destination before shipment.

More from your engine computer

With a supported standalone engine computer on CAN, it can also show extra engine data such as boost, and oil temperature and pressure. Which engine computers are supported is still being tested. So far it has been driven on the road in Jean's BMW E28, which runs a MaxxECU engine computer. If you run a standalone engine computer, ask us about yours before you pledge.

Get a closer look

Explore it
from every angle.

Rotate the housing and inspect the instrument layout in the interactive explorer. Sign up for product updates to try display customization and the simulated drive.

Open the 3D explorer Free to rotate and inspect. No account required.

Start with your car

Fitment and installation.

The first production run is for the BMW E30. The production connection is being developed for the original cluster plugs; the current prototype is wired by hand.

Original connections

Batch One is designed to plug into the E30's original cluster connectors. The production plug-in connection is part of the work the Kickstarter campaign funds.

Installation

Designed to install with basic hand tools, like removing and refitting the factory cluster, plus fitting the knob. We will publish a measured time after installing production units, and an E30 guide with photographs of the connectors.

Returning to stock

You keep your original cluster. Going back means plugging it back in and refitting your on-board computer or clock.

Kickstarter / The Digital Cluster, Reimagined.

Be part of
Batch One.

The Kickstarter campaign funds the move from prototype to production.

Kickstarter launch planned for October 24. Pledges are not open yet.

$1,349 per E30 cluster

Limited to 500 clusters: 100 Founder's Edition rewards and 400 standard Batch One rewards. If the $400,000 funding goal is not reached, no one is charged.

Get notified when it launches
Car
BMW E30
Ships to
WorldwideShipping is charged after the campaign. Each destination needs its radio approval before shipment, so international deliveries may follow US deliveries.
Shipping estimate
First units: October 2027Batch One completion: November 2027. These are estimates, subject to testing, component lead times and each destination's radio approval.
Funding goal
$400,000
Every unit
Serialized and tested before it ships
What is still planned?

These features are in development and are outside the pledge. If we ship them, backers get them at no extra cost.

  • Firmware updates over WiFi, Bluetooth or USB, with a fallback to the previous version if an update fails
  • A phone app for setup
  • A self-test screen that shows what every input is reading
  • GPS-assisted speedometer calibration

Two ways into Batch One.

500 clusters in total. Both tiers include the complete E30 cluster, a control knob in its bezel, and access to the online installation guide.

100 clusters allocated

E30 Batch One: Founder's Edition

$1,349 pledge

E30 cluster, T-shirt, sticker and your name on our thank-you page.

One of the first 100 clusters.

400 clusters allocated

E30 Batch One

$1,349 pledge

E30 cluster, sticker and your name on our thank-you page.

The same cluster, from the same first production run.

Cluster rewards ship worldwide, subject to each destination's radio approval. Shipping is additional and collected after the campaign through Kickstarter's Pledge Manager.

Support the build from $5

Follow the project without pledging for a cluster.

  • Follow the Build

    Your name on our thank-you page and backer updates.

    Estimated delivery: Digital reward · December 2026
    $5

  • Follow the Build + Sticker

    Thank-you page recognition and a Not So Classic Cluster sticker.

    Estimated delivery: US shipping only · February 2027
    $10

  • Follow the Build: Shirt and Sticker

    Thank-you page recognition, a sticker and a T-shirt. Choose your size after the campaign.

    Estimated delivery: US shipping only · March 2027
    $45
Optional sensors and accessories

Available as add-ons to eligible Kickstarter rewards. Extra shipping may apply.

  • Dual USB-C Charger + Harness

    $130

  • Split Sensor: Pressure

    $120

  • Split Sensor: Temperature

    $120

  • Combo Sensor: Pressure + Temp

    $150
Estimated cluster shipping costs

Planning ranges in US dollars for the cluster reward. Final shipping is charged after the campaign when rates are known. International delivery can follow US delivery while radio approvals are completed.

United States
$15–35
Canada
$35–60
European Union
$50–90
United Kingdom
$50–90
Australia
$60–110
Rest of world
$60–120
The E30 prototype on the workshop bench, showing the original housing and circular displays
The E30 bench prototype. Hardware and testing are still in development.

The people behind it

Built from a love of these cars.

The project began at The Usual Suspects Garage, where Jean works on classic BMWs and Porsches. You may have known it as Classic Dash. It is now Not So Classic Cluster.

A working cluster has been driven in Jean's MaxxECU-equipped BMW E28. The E30 prototype is on the bench; our E30 test car is not driving yet.

Jean Stanis
Product & build
David Tanis
Business, backers & support

Where development stands

BMW / In Testing

First cluster in the lineup. Designed to fit the factory binnacle.

Step 4 of 7

Remaining production work
  1. Finish the production files for the main cluster board.
  2. Finish the production firmware for the E30.
  3. Bench and in-car testing, including the conditions a cluster actually lives with: heat soak on a dashboard in the Florida sun, vibration, a sensor that opens or shorts, the voltage dip while the engine cranks, and electrical spikes on a 12V system.
  4. Revise the design based on what testing finds.
  5. Radio certification for the United States and the other countries we ship to. Nothing ships to a destination until its required approval is complete.
  6. A written build procedure and a production test, so every unit is built the same way and checked before it leaves.

Before you pledge

Questions before you back it.

Have a question about your car? Contact usualsuspcts@icloud.com.

Which BMWs does it fit?
This campaign is for the BMW E30 only. Not sure about your car? Send us your car's year and model and a photo of your cluster at usualsuspcts@icloud.com, and we will confirm before you pledge.
How does it connect to my car, and how hard is it to install?
Batch One is designed to plug into your E30's original cluster connectors. Our prototype is still wired by hand, and the production plug-in connection is part of the work the campaign funds. Installation is intended to be about as involved as removing and refitting a factory E30 cluster with basic hand tools, plus fitting the knob. We will publish a measured time once we have installed production units, and before Batch One ships, a step-by-step E30 install guide with photos of the actual connectors.
Can I put my original cluster back in later?
Yes. You keep your original cluster, so going back means plugging it back in and refitting your on-board computer or clock. We know reversibility matters to classic owners and to resale value, so we will always say plainly what an install changes.
What exactly am I pledging for?
One complete, tested E30 cluster, the control knob in its bezel and access to our online E30 installation guide. Both $1,349 tiers include a sticker and thank-you page recognition; the first 100 Founder's Edition rewards also include a T-shirt. Firmware updates, a phone app, a self-test screen and GPS speedometer calibration are planned but not finished yet, and they are not part of what you are pledging for. If we ship any of them, backers will get them at no extra cost.
What warranty does it come with?
Every cluster comes with a 2-year warranty against defects in parts and workmanship. If something goes wrong, message us and David will work through it with you.
When will it ship, and can you ship outside the United States?
We expect the first units to start shipping in October 2027, with Batch One completed by November 2027. Cluster rewards ship worldwide. Each destination needs its required radio approval before shipment, so international deliveries may follow US deliveries. Shipping is additional and charged after the campaign through Kickstarter's Pledge Manager, once real rates are known. Timing depends on testing, certification and component lead times.
How long will you support it?
We plan to offer repairs for at least five years. Every cluster is serialized, and we record its firmware version so we can support the unit you own. Final assembly, testing and fulfillment take place at our shop in Naples, Florida.
What happens if you cannot deliver?
Kickstarter is all or nothing: if we do not reach our goal, no one is charged. If we reach it and then run into trouble, we will tell you as early as we know, with the reason.
Will you make one for my Porsche or another car?
Not in this campaign, which funds the E30 cluster only. The BMW E28 (with layouts for the E23 and E24) and the Porsche 930 and 964 are on our list, and the BMW E21, E36, E34 and E32 are planned for a later round. Each car needs its own dial art and sender calibration, and possibly its own wiring, which is why we build them one at a time. Tell us what you drive: owner interest helps us decide which car comes next.
Can I buy one on your website instead?
Not during the campaign. Batch One is offered through Kickstarter. If the campaign funds successfully, remaining standard Batch One rewards are configured for Late Pledges at $1,349. The Founder's Edition is limited to the campaign. Direct website ordering is planned for a later stage, at or above the Kickstarter price.