The Cal-look Lounge

Give me some feed back on what you think of these dash layouts. Gauges will be Speedo, fuel, head temp, oil temp & oil pressure. (Tach will be mounted on top of dash in center.)

This is my favorite so far:

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481267.jpg)


This one is not bad either:

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481268.jpg)


My least favorite:
 
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481269.jpg)


Thanks,

--louis

the last one , but i don't like autometer or modern gauges i'm for old models gauges  ;D

I'm not a big fan of Autometer gauges too, I find that the dash is very "empty" like this. I'd keep the grills, buttons and maybe trim.

I like symmetry... why not two gauges on each side of the speedo, either side-by-side, stacked, or possibly even canted?

Yeah, its not for everyone. I just have always really liked Doug Mische's dash in the red car dut didn't want to copy it outright.


This is something I am struggling with too. I want a nice clean dash but it does seem sort of plain.


I tried it but it leaves a huge empty space in the middle of the dash. Guess I could do like the tuners and throw a DVD player there.  ;D

Thanks for the input, keep it coming.

--louis

I was thinking about maybe having a spear pressed into the metal that would mimic the stock trim. Something that would give the panel some detail.

--louis

Mine. (2 cts)

it will keep looking empty until you know what kind of switches you are going to use.

i never thought it would be this difficult to figure out the best layout either (i have plans of my own too ;) )

my favourite would be to have the gauges stacked to the left and right of the speedo and see where you'll place the switches etc. having a monster tach in the middle with 3 gauges where the radio plate was would crowd the center of the dash too much in my opinion...

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481276.jpg)

Here you go Zach.

--louis

I am thinking of going with all toggle switches like the one in the pic FDK/Hurry posted. Probably located where the ashtray used to be. Yeah, I have been going over this for a while. It would actually be easier with only 3 gauges.

--louis

That is a nice dash layout.

--louis

Coool! But a ton of work Louis. Do you mean to that in metallll?

I like my idea, but it still looks a bit empty. The lack of a wheel isn't helping though, either. Could you go for one more gauge on the right side, and space them all out a little more?

One more gauge on the right? as in 3 on the right or all five on the right?

--louis

And why not keeping the radio plate, and the grills but you blank the grills in the middle, to keep only the shape of them visible ? You see what I mean ? Without trim and with the glove box door it would be clean but not empty.

Louis you must be getting crazy of this Dash stuff right now. PM Me your address and i will start burning stuff for you and Jim Ratto in October. I got 3 weeks off. ;D But also working on the House and Car...

Here is the old dash which is close to what you are talking about. I want to get rid of the stock Speedo and gas gauge though.

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481281.jpg)


(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481280.jpg)


(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481279.jpg)


The chrome tach is getting replaced with a matching Autometer Sports Comp  3 3/8 inch mini monster tach.


You da man! Its on its way.

--louis

I see, my idea could looks nice ! ;D
Another idea I got : try to insert the tach next to the speedo and reorganize gauges and buttons/switches with this. But it's true that the lack of steering wheel, seats etc.. make it look more empty than it could be for real.

Keep that last lay-out, but welded.  So cool and basic. THE STOCK GAS GAUGE !!!

2 on the left, 3 on the right. Just a thought...

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/481291.jpg)

Here is one with the vents in place but the radio hole filled. This I really like. Simple, clean, but not boring.


--louis

Stock gas gauge you say. I will think about it.

--louis

I like it too.

It's been a really long day at work.... I just had to do it!  :P

ROFL! Just because you have a killer dash in your car doesn't mean you can make fun of us less fortunate people.  :D

--louis

How about having the tach and speedo side by side in the dash? My opinion is if you're going to built custom dash and put effort to it, then the tach that is mounted on top would look like it has been added later and not being thought when you built the dash. What were your plans about warning lights?

I am not big fan of custom dashes, occasionally they look as good as the factory ones or even better like Roland's below, maybe some of the elements here could be re-used?

I am planning to use flush mount LEDs for signal indicators. After sleeping on it I think I am going to go with the last option. Keep the grill vents and just fill in the radio hole. I will drop the CH temp gauge and use 3 gauges. Its a nice clean look. Thanks for all the input.

--louis

Louis, if you get a smaller tach (80mm) you could fit that and two small gauges stacked vertically in the larger speaker grill and mirror the two vertical gauges in the smaller one. Obviously you'd need blanking plates rather than the grills - I think Flat Four do them. Then you've got the radio slot space to fill with switches! :)

<sticks fingers in ears> nananana I can't hear you, I can't hear you.  :D

Seriously though, I think I have decided what I want to do. Plus I want the tach mounted on top of the dash. I just like that look. Its easy to see and from the outside it gives a little hint that the innocent little VW with the odd sounding engine in the lane next to you may not be what it seems.  8)

--louis

It kind of reminds me of one of the Japanese Cal-look cars with all the instruments. Some of those things look like the inside of the shuttle.

--louis

Actually, there is a rather large VW - Cal-look movement in Japan. They turn out cars on a level with anyone on this forum. But the Japanese seem to have a thing for gadgets so they go a little over board with the gauges some times.  :)

No to the stock speedo and fuel gauge and fill the radio hole, but keep the stock vents. (All of it dechromed of course.)

Check out Doug Mische's dash some time to see what I am talking about. His is done the same only he replaced the speedo with a tach.

--louis

CHT gauge for each fin on the heads.  Brilliant!

Here's mine, very plain but in my eyes not boring, glovebox will become a black plexi with dashplaques.
Worst pic but the only I have at the moment.

Jelle

Here´s mine...

Tobi

Thanks, Fred! It´s an aftermarket VDM steering wheel. I guess it was available in the late 60s / early 70s but I´m not sure. The only thing I had to do was fabricating a hub to make it fit the oval steering.
Bye,

Tobi

Tobi, how did you do that? Out of a early-Oval/Split steering wheel or are you able to machine the needed splines etc by yourself?

Hi Tero,

I took the splines from an old batwing steering wheel and shrinked them in a custom made aluminium boss. Then I securde both parts with 4 screws.
On my former steering I had to fabricate a boss as well but in that case the splines (once again from an old batweeng steering wheel) were welded in a custom made alumium hub. The strange thing was that the lower part of the splines was magnetic while the upper part wasn´t!? So the guy who welded the parts together told me it would be aluminium on top and steel on the lower part. For that reason the boss was made out of aluminium and not from stainless steel as I originally planned. very strange! ???
Bye,

Tobi

(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p82/rocketron_photos/4thfebguages005.jpg)

(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p82/rocketron_photos/beetlepictures006-1.jpg)

Ron, pls explain me how you make a Autometer speedo work, elctronic or cable ? If by cable, i reeeally would like to know. Tx.

Harry

Harry, if you use a mechanical speedo you just need to get the right adapter. The threads on the back of th3e speedo are set up for GM cars.  You can use one from a GM tranny and ream out the hole so it is big enough for the cable. Or you can contact a Speedo shop and get one from them that will allow you to recalibrate your speedo so it shows the correct speed. (What I plan to do.) For electrical Speedo they make an adapter that will work. aircooled.net sells them.

--louis

Tx. ;)

it needs a cable making with the vw end one end and a conversion box on the other,I got mine made by a company in Bristol UK