Gauge surrounds like powermites.
 

i would like to buy some of the gauge surrounds like the ones powermite has. I think they would look great , i would spend a hundred bucks on something like that .

Sorry to be off topic, but what kind of seats and center counsol are those?

cobra seats, stock center console with fabricated upper plate.

Cobra, like mustang cobra???

Really, cause they look really cool. I have been long considering making some aluminum plates to go in place of the stock plastic pieces around the shifter and radio. I would like to add a cup holder into the center console as well....

Thanks

Good luck finding them, Im almost positive he made those. So unless he's willing to make you a set (which would be awesome), doubt you'll find something like that.

BTW, I've seen his thread with all his custom-machined parts, and his work is amazing. Wish I had the time/patience/skill/equipment to do that.

Thanks for the link. Found a company out of CA that sells the Cobra line of seats. I don't know $650 a chair seems kinda steep to me. Then again, I was looking at some Recaros that were over $500 a chair. Maybe just having my stockers re uppolstered is sounding better....

They do like killer though...

I'm designing some aluminum parts in CAD right now and the trim rings are one of those items. I'll keep you guys filled in...

vic hubard sells tehm here in cali not that cheap tho:( but they have anodized in all colors so thats sweet. i could buy you it and you send me a check for em

Who makes that steering wheel?

It looks like a MOMO

jocww- do you have any pics of the pieces that he sells, i dont wanna buy anything before i see it.

86WS6_T/A- yes , def. keep me informed , i want a set of those. i should become a machinest, that would be cool .

Its a Momo Millenium: http://www.shopmomo.com/momistwh.html

ttt

Guage rings
 

Try looking for them at larger truck stops that have chrome shops. You'll find them in several sizes

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33701
syn leather in almost any color..whole sale posting on ebay..$369.oo/pr free shipping in the 48 states buy it now

http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sel...s/BLACKSYN.jpg

or these..even though they are APC..http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33701 only 250 a pair buy it now http://www.speedlights.com/image/apcgrey.gif

A year later - and I'm still badly wanting a set of these gauge surrounds. Has anyone been able to dupe powermites efforts ? Or find something similar ?

Perhaps you can get design your own and get them made through here

eMachine Shop

yeah i dont wanna go through all that , i know two machine shows around here , i didnt wanna go through all that but o well , powermite never pm'd me back and i sent him three , so it looks like he will be the only one with them .

I thought he has said before he just doesn't have the time. I'd try e-machine shop or a local machine shop...how much can it cost? I don't think any more than if powermite sold them. The console pieces seem easy enough if you take your stock plastic one in and just ask them to make you aluminum equivalents. The rings seem easy enough too....I think people might just be lazy to find a shop.

This thread inspired me to get them made. I'm currently waiting for the wood or plastic prototype piece to come in for fitment, then will order 10 sets as an initial run to get a tiny price break on the 40 pieces. I realize I'm taking a chance here, but... I hope you guys are like me and really want them. If not, I guess I have some really neat rings for ring toss or something.

I will list them on my website and may run them on Ebay just to see if the demand is there to do a full run of more sets after the initial 10. I just don't want to sit on these things forever, ya know?

Excellent !
Yeah, I created an autocad design for the trim rings and submitted it to e-Machine shop and they wanted $220 each for the piece made from T-6 ! They wanted to mill each ring from a block of billet. :rolleyes:

Did you take into account there is a 1/4 inch difference in diameter between the base (against the plastic) and top measurement ? How thick will they be ? My measurements ended up close to 4 1/8 - 4 /14 x .125 thick x .450 tall

As long as the price is reasonable -- sign me up for a set of 4 !

Post up a thread when you get them fitted and have pictures I'd really be interested. How much are you thinking it'll be?

I'm still not 100% sure on price as I'm waiting for a quote from another machine shop who said they could beat Emachineshop's prices. I'm hoping to get each set of four down to around $150 or so.

My measurements are in this pic. I went halfway down into the plastic opening for my measurement in order to have a pressure fit. I changed the face of the ring just a touch from what Powermite had since I wanted them to more closely match the ring on my Autometer Monster tach. If you guys want me to change them back, let me know and I'll get 'er done!

By the way, I have made a few changes to the outer diameter by .1" all the way around to make the outer lip a bit smaller than shown in this jpg.

Looks good.

What type of material are you planning on using, and what kind of finish will they have. Polished, brushed ?

Raw finish will be the cheapest sets, then brushed, then polished and I plan on offering all three (since I do metal finish work on the side). I do not know what each finish will cost me yet since I'm still waiting on the prototype. I actually just got sent the final prototype costing and am working out payment with the fab shop, so things will be at least a couple of weeks out until I get something tangible in my hands.

omg thats awesome i really want a set now, also how will you hold them in , just a little rtv or something or do they bolt in ?I really want a set of those things, i think they will look sweet in my 85 trans am .

There ya have it, pressure fit. No bolts, or rtv req'd.

I told you guys month ago, that all you have to do, is go to the nearest truck stop w/ a chrome shop, and they sell them right off the shelf, for like 3 to 6 bucks apeice depending on size.

Never seen gauge surrounds in a truck stop... :confused: Do they fit into the stock Trans Am plastic???

You're in west Des moines, you guys got that huge Pilot truck stop w/ the great american buffet, that has the model A replica.
I don't remember if they have a chrome shop or not, but they are made by Barjan. they come in several sizes. Just Check the Nearest chrome shop, or ask a TMC driver. Those guys are all chrome junkies.

I might be interested, but not sure I like that flat face. Prefer the style that powermite used. Post some pics when you have them finished.

The flat face was reduced to come to more of a point in further redesigns, more like the face of a Monster Tach. The outer diameter was changed by .10 all around to do this. I've also got a request in to the fabricator to do the rounded face surrounds as well because I assume most people would want that one anyway since it's Powermite's design that sparked this whole thing.

V12Camaro, thanks man! I'll go check that place out to see what they have over lunch. We've also got Flying J here in WDM and Bossleman's in Altoona.

I checked the two truck stops here in West Des Moines. The gauge rings they have are nowhere near the right size for our plastic panels, nor were they the right shape to fit into the opening to look like they were made for the car. The closest gauge bezels were made for Kenworth rigs, but they were about 3/4" to large for the opening. Everything else was about an inch to small. Actually, there were some trailer light housings that were coloser to fitting and were made from some type of billit aluminum, but they were $12 each and would require machining to fit correctly which would equal just about as much money as brand new ones from a supplier. We're better off making something from scratch.

machine work
 

i was looking over this thread and had to reply. $200 for trim rings is outragious. I work for a machine shop in phoenix and working on alot of billet pieces for my 69 camaro , 91 RS , and 92 firebird. Works been busy lately so for the last few months havent been able to get any time to draw up anything , as far as trim rings go may be able to see what i can come up with and put them on ebay. i can say trim rings wont be hard and wont be that pricy to make unless you want them polished , anadized , chromed or powdercoated, all machining is from a solid piece but when put on a CNC lathe you only need a piece slightly larger than the finished part. Will say the pieces im working on are custom shift indicator with spider web OD , ashtrey lid , shift knob , and radio trim piece. ALso thinking may do alittle work on the ac controls Emblems and exteror trim pieces also in my mind. Door handles defently something throught into. Sorry dont have any times when i will get around to it , things been alittle hetic.

well will someone just make the damn things.I want some .

Second that!:D

Re: machine work
 

From my initial "guess" at a price around $150, I am going to say that I was a little high once I got my first real quote from the machine shop (Not e-machineshop). Since we're making small runs of these things initially, I'm only willing to outlay enough cash for about 10 sets (40 pieces). Adding a fair amount for my time spent and risk on cash outlay, we will end on a very fair price more in the $125 range. not sure where you got $200 from... Oh, wait someone else's post farther up...

After this initial run, we'll look at future demand and see if it's worth it for me to try to make enough money off of them to offer the gauge rings as a business and to advertise on this site. As it is right now, I'm not going to make didly off of this first run, so if you can make them cheaper/faster, just let me know and I'll back off my shop guys. Materials-wise, it's only about $20 consumed in aluminum per set from a 5" solid round stock, the expensive part is machine setup work... Since you work in a machine shop, you can obviously say that this is expensive because you aren't paying yourself to do the setup work on your own custom pieces.

any word on whats goin on .

Waiting on new drawings. Something got corrupt in the last CAD file when they changed from the chambfer face to the rounded face design. As soon as I get the drawings back to make 100% sure the measurements are right again, we'll be moving forward with the single prototype... then on to the production pieces once the prototype is confirmed.

Believe me, I'm with you guys, all this waiting sucks! :gocrazy:

Sweet ad me to the list.

Good plan, ways to many mistakes occur from things done carelessly.

Patience is key.

Well guys, just a quick update:

I got the newest drawings (after being gone on vacation for a week) and we're all set for the first prototype ring to finally be made. I just paid half of the cost of the total run last night... I should get the first single ring in 2-3 weeks max for a test fit. I'll post pics good/bad/or otherwise to let you all know where we are. From there, we will make any adjustments, or (hopefully) be totally pleased with the prototype and order up the first batch with another 2-3 week waiting period for production. If adjustments are needed, we will have to wait another 2-3 weeks in between for the second prototype to be made and sent to me, and that would then push the production date out IF that happens... Just FYI. :thumbsup:

Sounds good, thanks for all the hard work.

at least this is going to happen , this is great .

Finally
 

I hope I can get the money fast enough to afford a set once they are made. I've been waiting around over a year for someone to do this. Cant wait to see what the final product looks like.

its been a few weeks , any word on the test ones to see if they fit ok .

Made mine out of magnesium. I opened up the I.D. dia. .190 more as the graduations of the gauge numbers were being blocked. No pics availiable yet..have to borrow a digital camera.

I just got word from the fabricator last night. He's ready to ship the prototype out to me, so I should have it by early next week. As soon as I get it, a pic will be posted.

cool , i cant wait to see it .