Willie

iTrader: (1)

For guys who know me, you know I like to be somewhat different in things I do to my car. It gives mods a "custom" look. I like to think I do everything in good taste -- nothing too drastic.

I also like instrument clusters that look like the cockpit of a 747. So for you guys who want an "alternative" to gauge pods, consider the following locations I'm about to post pics of. Albeit, they do require a little custom fabbing, but I feel it was worth every minute.

The first location is where my console ash tray used to be. I have three digital gauges under the smoked plexiglas. First a pic with the gauges off.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

And with them on. These are three air temperature gauges I use to monitor air temp in:

1) Custom air filter box,
2) Supercharger discharge (but before the intercoolers), &
3) After the intercoolers, but before the throttle body.

Willie

Willie

iTrader: (1)

The second location required even more fabbing. Here's my newest panel with the digital gauges off.

Willie

1bad91Z

iTrader: (1)

Willie, you da man! Still waiting for new dyno results and some times from your new setup though!

Guages look killer!

Mike (1bad91Z)

Willie

iTrader: (1)

And on. An explanation follows.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

I have a Kenne Bell Boost-a-pump. It's an electronic device that raises voltage to the fuel pump under boost, which creates more fuel volume. It also regulates voltage to the pump regardless of electrical load. The red gauge on the left is a Nordskog voltage gauge that reads voltage at the fuel pump. The higher voltage under boost is controlled with the **** located where the original cigarette lighter used to be. It's adjustable up to 17 volts. After a pass, I can hit the "review" button on the gauge to see what maximum voltage was during the pass.

The remaining two gauges are Dakota Digital's exhaust gas temperature and tranny temperature gauges. The numbers you see are not valid as I have yet to install the sending units.

Willie

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Mike,

It looks like you chimed in before I had a chance to post all my pics! In any case, I recently had 3.23's installed (from 3.73's) and have not completed the break-in period yet. Once I'm good to go, I plan on it!!

Willie

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Willie, that's fantastic. I've been toying with the same ash-tray idea, but it appears that you've beaten me to it. It looks fantastic.

BTS88IROC

Very slick, I like it alot. It looks like you cut the ashtray part off from the rest of the shift plate, correct??

DaGoat

Damn man that looks sick. :hail:

Just curious as to where you got the guages and are they seperate from the smoked plexiglass?

Also on a side note how's that cd player treatin you? Mine crapped out on me after about a year or two.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Note: All my gauges are 2-1/16" round. The three air temp and voltage gauge are Nordskog (Summit) and the remaining two are Dakota Digital.


Willie, that's fantastic. I've been toying with the same ash-tray idea, but it appears that you've beaten me to it. It looks fantastic.

Jim,

Thanks. At least now you know it can be done. The gauges are not flush with the smoked plexi. They are about 1/2-inch below and angled slightly from horizontal (facing the rear). If you decide to try the same, please note that if you use analog gauges, they will not show through the smoked plexi very well. An option would be to use clear plexi, I suppose but I don't think it would look as good.

If you or anyone else would like more pics of the area below the plexi, I can easily remove it and take some.


It looks like you cut the ashtray part off from the rest of the shift plate, correct?

Yes. Now all the retaining screws are functional. The former ashtray with plexi panel is removed with four screws, leaving the shifter portion intact.

Just curious as to where you got the gauges and are they separate from the smoked plexiglass?

I bought them from Summit and Dakota Digital. They sit behind the smoked plexi so you cannot see them, except when the display is on.


Also on a side note how's that cd player treatin you? Mine crapped out on me after about a year or two.

I've never had anything but good luck with Sony stereos. This one is no exception. In fact, my wife's very old Sony deck still functions and it's over TEN years old...

Willie

DaGoat

Please do, and Thank you.

Very nice setup once again.

johnsjj2

Willie, that does look great. If I had a need for that many gauges, I would love to use your idea, but alas, I don't need that many. Those digital ones under the glass are sweet as hell!!

CraZ-28

Ha, you guys aren't even scratching the surface when it comes to gauges in Willie's car. Like he said, He likes his guages to look likes "instrument clusters that look like the cockpit of a 747" and he isn't kidding. There are so many freakin gauges in there it's crazy. He took me for a ride and I swear I asked for at least 15 minutes "What's that, What's that.........and What's that". If your into eye-candy(gauges, LED's, *****, etc.) ******* car is for you.

The one thing I like about all the gauges and what not in ******* car is that it's all there for a purpose. It's not all show and no go, as some of us can say we've witnesses. Keep up the good work there Willie. Oh yeah, let me know when those gears break in so we can head to the track.

Eric

MetalliCamaroRS

iTrader: (15)

Thats awesome, I like how you can't see them unless the are on. Very nice job.:hail:

MILT

Where's the flux capacitor!? J/K, the gauges look very 'professional'

86IROCNJ

I have complimented your car in the past, but i just wanted to say again that it is a pretty clean example of what a car should be. Not rediculous looking, clean in and out, and damn quick too! One of my favorites on the site. Keep her clean man.

WillWood

That looks bad a$$ :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

Justins86bird

Wow, looks nice. I am putting in Dakota Digital Amp temp and volt gauges in my overhead console but wasn't sure the smoked plexi would let enough light thru. From you pics it looks like its plenty bright. Do you have the dim wire hooked up so they dim at night?

fast83camaro

I am definitely liking that!!

Wonderful work!!!!:hail: :hail: :hail:

85maroz28

Simply Amazing once again! Willie I have said it before and I will say it again you are the man!:hail: I will take as many pictures as you can post lol.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

If I had a need for that many gauges, I would love to use your idea, but alas, I don't need that many.

I completely agree. I like the way the upper display panel turned out so well that I'm planning a similar one for my convertible. But like you said, I don't need that many. Most of the gauges I have in my coupe are related to racing and I don't race my convertible. What I'm planning on doing is using a couple (maybe?) of digital gauges and incorporate my LED indicators, all behind smoked plexi in a similarly sized panel.


....Let me know when those gears break in so we can head to the track.

Eric, thanks again for the compliments. I only need ~100 more miles to complete the break in process so by next weekend, I should be ready to go on some "data runs". Right now, I know my fuel pump setup is adequate to ~10-psig boost. Beyond that, I don't know. If it's not, I'll have to do an in-tank replacement before I race. Also, I know Tom will be moving to San Antonio sometime this summer. He's seen some of my prior runs on tape, but never in person. He's told me he wants to see my run in person, so I'd like to get to the track before he moves.


Where's the flux capacitor?

It's mounted off my ceiling behind the rear seats!!


Keep her clean man.

I'm doing my best to keep everything "tasteful".


From your pics it looks like its plenty bright. Do you have the dim wire hooked up so they dim at night?

Justin, the Nordskog voltmeter (red display) is plenty bright, both day and night. However, the Dakota Digital gauges seem to wash out somewhat in daylight hours, especially around high noon. I had to make a choice being seeing the gauges in full brightness of hiding them behind the plexi. I would have gone with all Nordskog gauges, but they do not make an EGT gauge and Dakota Digital was the only one in digital that I could find.

Knowing that the plexi subdues the display, I did not hook up the "dimmer" wire on any of the gauges.


And thanks to everyone else for your kind words. It does mean a lot. I did not post these pics to show off. I wanted to show you guys that a windshield pillar gauge pod is not the only solution to adding gauges. I feel I came up with some killer ideas that look totally custom and you guys are more than welcome to try the same.

I will post more pics of my "former ashtray" gauges without the surface panel this morning to show how I did it.

Willie

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Just shot some pics. This one shows most of the parts I had to modify or fabricate. The first thing you'll have to do is cut apart the ashtray section from the shifter section. Be very careful as both parts will be reused.

The piece shown on top is obvious. Again, you'll have to be extremely careful when cutting the hole in the plastic as it has to match the plexi exactly.

The center piece is an overlay for the gauges -- so you cannot see the gauges themselves but it allows the display to show through.

The lower piece is fabbed out of 1/16" sheet metal and is used to hold down the transmission plate on all four corners.

The one part that isn't shown is the plate that holds the three gauges. You'll get an idea of how that one is made in the next pic:

Willie

iTrader: (1)

This pic shows the gauges in place. The plate is 1/16" thick sheet metal with three holes. The "ears" on the ends are triangular in shape and bent 90 degrees so it's flush with the sides of the console. I used sheet metal screws to hold it in place. The console carpeting hides the screws. The screws aren't positively necessary as my panel fits rather tightly in place. Note the angle of the gauges. They are not horizontal, but face slightly towards the rear.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Next, lay the clear plexi overlay on top of the gauges. Note the overlay has three small holes to accomodate the ***** of the gauges. The overlay does not need to be glued or bolted into place, it just lays on top of the gauges.

Without the overlay, you'll be able to see the round rims around the gauges. I like seeing only the display, so I created the overlay.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Slide the metal brace into position. It fits between two existing plastic parts (on both sides) on the console, so it's held in place firmly.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Reinstall the transmission portion of the upper console using four finished screws.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Drop in the new finished "ashtray" plate and bolt it down! Finished...

86IROCNJ

Thanks a lot for taking the time to do that! It really makes more sense when you get to see the steps you took. Nice work

pont82fbird

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! :hail: :hail: :hail: that is really cool i think i might steal your idea when i get my procharger for my a/f and other things.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

The new Sony stuff is horribly cheap, which is a shame. Their older line, specifically the line that included the one in your pics, was some of their finest stuff. Sony always had some of the best decks available, right up until they started the Xplod series.

Y2KFirehawk

That is one sick setup dude!! Looks like a space shuttle!! That is totally kick @ss!! :hail: :hail: :hail: :rockon: :rockon:

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

Do you have pics of your car on another site or another thread? I am extremely interested in what the rest looks like if those are your gauges!!!!

86IROCNJ

Click on the little icon "www" in blue under his sig. His car is white.

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

Thanks, I feel dumb!

86IROCNJ

Thats cool. I know i don't care, so who cares what others think, right? Not me! later man

formularpm

Do you have any pics of the entire interior?

Diggler86

willie
where did you get the smoked plexi at?

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Other than the dash with added switches and gauges, the rest of my interior is stock. I get my plexi and acrylic in various colors and thicknesses from:

http://www.lairdplastics.com

Willie

MikeZ28

iTrader: (1)

Willie,

How do you wire up your fans with buttons. Do you make a fuseable link for them?

Can you please explain I am very insterested in doing the same thing.

Thanks
mike

OutLaw305

willlie,
what are the faceplates of the gauge clusters made out of. It looks very similar to the ashtray plate

Willie

iTrader: (1)

How do you wire up your fans with buttons.

Mike,

E-mail me with specific instructions on how you want your setup to work. I'll work it out from there.


what are the faceplates of the gauge clusters made out of.


Outlaw305,

The ashtray plate and gauge pod both use smoked plexi. The ashtray plate is less dense. I did this because this area is hit by sunlight which makes it difficult to see the readouts.

Willie

Xceleratemaro

uaaa woooooooooooow thats sweet * drulll* uaaa

IroczInOz

That looks way too good!!

Willie I have a question for you. What are all your LED's for I can read a few of them but some of then I can't make out.

Also CONV and TCC are you talking about the Lock up convertor and the TCC solenoid.

I am wanting to wire up a LED to light up when the TCC solenoid is engaged locking up the convertor. Any suggestions? How did you wire the LED up?

EvilCartman

iTrader: (1)

Dang, way to bring back an old post

treeohfive

whoa.....phat.........now wtf is that panel of LED's below the a/c vents?


also, you got a pic of all the gauge setups in the car, i see other ***** and such, id like to see em