This seems like a lot of work for just a little bit of benefit. But I have an idea. Instead of everyones ideas of swapping to a 4thgen dash(which DOES look awesome) I just replaced the stock guage cluster (120mph speedo) with my spare 140 speedo guages and had an epiphany. I want to re-arrange the guages.

Okay, let me explain why. I want mount a laptop shell in the trunk for basic tuning and scanning issues. (and I like gadgets). I had this idea of mounting a 6 or 7" LCD screen connected to that laptop where the HVAC and headunit controls are. (there is a perfect place in the 4thgen console for a touchpad) I would then move the HVAC and stereo up into a custom flush bracket where the auxilary guages are (fuel, oil pressure, water temp, volt). I would then have fuel, oil pressure and water temp in a 3 guage a-pillar pod and anything else I'd need would be accessable through the LCD screen and a hard wired scan cable and scanning software. Do you guys get what I mean? Lemme draw something up in paint...Or try to find someones interior shot to mess around with.

I like the 4thgen dash swap with all those aftermarket guages able to be put in the round vents but I really love the idea of keeping my stock 3rdgen dash and just modifying it to suit my needs.

EDIT: Now looking at it....it looks more like a camaro dash... eh, oh well.

 

sounds cool

def be different

 

Has anyone ripped apart the dash enough to know if the HVAC controls would be able to be moved up farther without having to chop and extend the wires/vacuum lines/cables?

 

i have had my guages out, and i am not cetain on this but i am mor than sure that there is not enough room depth wise wiht out cutting and modifying the dash alot.

 

I'm sure of that. I already know I have to completely modify the stock guages cluster, the connector for the guages is right where I want to put in the HVAC controls. So i'd have to AT LEAST rewire the stock guages and mess with that whole "plastic flexible circuit board" thing on the back of the guages. Eh...one step at a time.

 

BTTT; any other opinions, suggestions, comments?

 

if you are saying that you will have the laptop screen up front, and the laptop itself in the rear of the car? That would not work at all, because the ribbon cable that attaches the lcd screen will probably not transfer very well after more than one or two feet.

Even some rca cables that are not shielded very well will lose a lot of signal through that distance, which is especially bad with engine noise etc....

the ribbon cable for the laptop usually has ZERO shielding.

but you may be able to mount the laptop under the seat, or in the dash somehow... I don't know how you can do it, just that I find it hard to have the lcd 10ft from the laptop.

the only option you have if you want the screen so far away, is to use the VGA-Out on the laptop, and use a secondary screen. You can buy one for less than 300 bucks.

 

is there any way to use the lcd screen as the guages? then you could put the screen in the guage cluster. or you could do that and just have the heads up display reflecting the speed onto the windshield

 

do it. figure out how to do it. it would be so cool to see it.

 

for the distance from the computer to the screen. If you use a standard vga input LCD then you will need a signal booster for the vga signal. The signal booster may or may not be needed I have used vga cables that were 15 feet long. If you are using a RCA type, which will give you horrid resolution it will work fine I had a set up like that for mp3 but took it out a while back. but I had a full atx computer not a laptop. You will need to get you a optima battery back there to run it otherwise you will probably burn out your alt. if you have amps also.

for the hvac you will need to atleast get a new control cable for the flap on the blower box or get creative in the routing of it, you can make one using solid core bike break/cluch cable to the lenght to meet your needs. For the wireing it comes down into the radio pod, so by cutting the wraping off the harness and re routing the wires I think they will be long enough to get there, I could be wrong but extending wires and vacuum tubes isn't that big of deal after you get done makeing all the computer hookups.

Or if you are real ambitious do like I was thinking about doing to get a biger screen in my car and make the computer control the hvac, but I never got around to actually making anything. Should be straight forward for a serial connection. some relays and servos. If I were you instead of a touch pad get a touch screen instead.

 

My brother is putting an LCD screen in his '74 nova pretty soon instead of his gauages... at his work they use the microcontrollers that are well suited for this, and hes just going to buy a nice lcd off the net.

I am using a similar microcontroller in my car soon to control all of my lights (interior and exterior), radio, connect to car car alarm to send alert to my cell phone, stuff like that. Basically stuff that my car alarm won't do easily. The only problem is getting an LCD bright enough to see in daylight, maybe you could find a reflective-type (kinda like motorola monochrome cell phones- with the orange/green look) that way, the more sunlight there is, the better you can see it... then you lose all color, oh well... I'm sure there is some alternative.

 

2.5% tinted windows

 

make sure you get the 2.5% windshield tint as well...

 

this was my bro's car no4njunk.. now its mine but here are some pics that might help..

 

2

 

How does that tach fit in there? That's the 5" right? How does it mount, have any pictures of behind the dash, etc?

 

yeah that tach looks slick in there like that i like it alot more in the dash instead of on it ........and back to the original question ...if you decide to run the lcd screen u pthere like you put it in the original drawing you posted that would be awsome ..talk about tuning on the fly man that would be sweet ...

 

You can go aftermarket with all the gauges and that should give you room to put the hvac and deck up top.

This is my friends 82 that we did up last year. I had the honor of wiring up the engine, fans, waterpump, and all the gauges.

 

That's what I was thinking about, and not having to worry about tearing about a guage cluster...

Zepher, do you have pictures of installing those guages? Maybe mounting shots?

 

 

I like things to look more "fitted" and "custom" then just mounting gauges on a plate and leaving it at that...that's just my opinion of course

 

I think the speedo and tach look pretty fitted to me. Looks good. I'm not too fond of the other four guages though. But that's where I'd be putting the HVAC controls, etc.

Thanks Zepher!

 

I wanted to stagger the 4 gauges but he wanted them straight across. couldn't argue with him since it's his car.

 

What type of microcontroller are you using??

 

i like them either straight or with a steady curve, the only thing im going to sugest to anyone putting in gauges is that you put the gauges so that when whatever they are monitoring is in its ideal range the needle is pointing straight up and down. This is really nice because you dont need to read the gauges you just look straight across and if they are all pointing straight up youre good to go

 

I want to put this LCD Screen in my 4th gen dash so it will look like this.

 

Hey Zepher,
What program is that that you're running there? It looks like thats part of a carputer. Is it??

 

It's the Motec Telemetry software running on my XP machine,
http://www.transamws6.com/pics/motec_telemetry.jpg

 

PIC18F452-I/P

It's not the greatest for VGA... but I may be wrong. It should handle my GPS and cellphone stuff, along with all my lights..

People will think I'm weird, but I've already purchased 400 12,000mcd leds... I'm replacing my current leds (autozone style) with my own custom panels... They just weren't bright enough for the daytime. I am making the controller capable of lighting ANY combination of lights, which isn't all that hard. This means I can do all sorts of settings for the tail lights etc... like emergency lights the blink like strobe lights... or flashing 3rd brake light... All of this can be intelligently done, through the menu on the small lcd I have, and also different settings depending if my headlights are on... for example, I am going to have chasing blinkers, but during the day I might not have them on, if the leds aren't bright enough, get it?

 

zepher: when you put all auto meter in that bird, did you use the stock sending units and wiring, or did you have to make a whole new gauge wiring harness?