I need some help with my gauge dilemna

[Sam K]

I'm making a few small cahnges on my bug this winter and the feature on T.Fabs' 67 inspired me to ditch my Autometer monsteer tach in favor of a set of EMPi gauges. I've had most of the gauges for years but I finally bought the proper senders and I also picked up the tach on the samba. Now that I have them all in the car I'm not sure that I like it. For one thing, the tach hooks up to the positive side of the coil so I'm pretty sure can't run it with any sort of ignition control box. Maybe I'm just used to the monster tach since it's been there for the 15 years or so. I welcome any opinions and comments.

Before:


After:

[danny gabbard]

Just a idea, But paint the 3 guage holder backgrown blue like dash and paint alum box under glovebox black, kinda hide it. Like the new look, they blend in like it would have been stock like that.

[neil68]

For one thing, the tach hooks up to the positive side of the coil so I'm pretty sure can't run it with any sort of ignition control box.

I run a 70 mm VDO tach and also the MSD 6AL ignition with rev limiter pills without issue.  What ignition control box are you using?
I have my tach mounted below the ashtray...if you look closely in this photograph:

[Zach Gomulka]

If it was mine... I'd get those stock looking gauge panels, paint match them and install the gauges in them. Also, use a 68 speedo with integral fuel gauge (looks just like the 67 speedo).
I'm not a fan of gauges hanging or sprouting from the dash

[Sam K]

Painting the panel to match the car is a good idea. The silver box under the dash is the outlet for the gas heater and it would look good painted as well. At one point, I had the 3 small gauges in a panel next to the speedo that was painted as well, but I like the chrome on the dashboard go all the way across. As far as the tach wiring goes, the pod mount tachs are like no other that I've ever seen. You hook keyed 12 source to the tach and the tach signal wire powers the coil. When I first got it, I wired it like a normal tach and it fried the electronic ignition. Decisions, decisions.

[fredy66]

 

[Jim M]

I painted the empi panels to match the rest of the car. I used an early ghia gas gauge, bottom right.

[volkskris]

here you go Jim

[typ34vienna]

Here is my solution for the gauges:
There are three VDO 52mm gauges mounted with a fastfab kit
[ Attachment: You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Here you can purchase it:http://www.fastfabonline.com/gauge-mounting-panel.html

and I have a Monstertach too. Its mounted near the mirror:
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Hope you like it!

[youngnstudly]

This is how I mounted the airplane gauges in my car. I don't have pics of it installed as I finished it a year ago and tossed it in my tool box drawer for now (car isn't running yet). You could certainly do something more simple in design though (like omit the stainless trim rings).




Here is the first edition I made from aluminum and polished. At that time I was running all VDO cockpit gauges. Obviously it was rough fitted in these pics strictly for mock up. I never liked how the shiney aluminum seemed to attract passengers fingers though! "OH MY GOD, SHINEY METAL! CAN I TOUCH IT?", followed by "Oops."




-Andy

[CHR!S/DVK]

i think i like the gauge holder in your car, but with the tach next to it, it might be a bit too much to be sticking out under the dash.

i always appreciate gauges well constructed in the dash.

i made the panels myself from plain ones. i cut out the contours of the gauges, stuck some wax to the back and filled the ribs on the front with filler and painted them.

quite some labour, but very rewarding to do it yourself, plus you can think of any design of the gauges. (and it's cheaper, but that's me as a student with not too much budget)

these are my panels:






might be a big rig of gauges but you can design your own setup.