Monty

I wanted to add a fuel pressure gauge, as well as a boost gauge to help monitor my twin turbo engine. I made this aluminum plate to mount the Autometer Ultralight gauges. What do you guys think?

Do you think I should make a similar plate for the CD player? I will be cutting out a DIN hole anyway, I thought that another polished aluminum plate would blend in well.

I also made a polished aluminum plate for the speedo/tach housing, and incorporated a 2 1/16" boost gauge, along with 5" speedo and tach. Do you guys think it looks better aluminum, or paint them black? I think aluminum looks "racey" but black looks good too, and a littler more "sleeper".

If you don't like it, please be gentle, cause this is my third attempt over 3 days at making this plate. It may have been too many beers, but I always ended up slightly (1/16") off. This one is at least dimensionally correct, dispite the beer, LOL!

'79ProwlerOrange

either polish it up, or paint it the color of the body. thats a kick butt custom job though! good work, and im glad to hear you didnt give up on the beer! :lol:

SmokedTires

I like the polished aluminum look :yesnod: . I've een thinking of going the same route with my car since I'd like to replace all the gauges with ultra lites ;) .

GrandSportC3

:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:
Autometer Gauges Rule!!!!

Arkansas Flash

Monty,

You are a true craftsman. Your work is awesome. And all true craftsmen drink beer. I notice that you have the center consol propped up on a can :D

I think you should make a matching plate for the radio head.

Would you show us pictures of your speedometer and tach cluster please?

Also, would you consider making a set of those aluminum plates for me? If so, let me know the cost. I'm am not in a hurry for them. I'm up to my butt in pace car projects now.

:cheers:

Monty

Thanks guys. I'll post a pic of the speedo/tach later today, I still need to polish it first.

Arkansas flash, sure I can make you some of the plates. I wouldn't charge you anything for them other than shipping. Now that I've got a template to go from it wouldn't take me long at all. I get scrap 36" x 36" pieces of aluminum from an industrial supply house for about $3 each, so materials are very inexpensive. Just let me know what you want.

rainman69

You need those little swirl marks that look cool and don't go all in the same direction...making it reflect light in interesting ways. I don't know how better to describe them, so hopefully I'm making sense.

Arkansas Flash

That's called engine turning if I remember correctly. A lot of classic cars had their dashes made of engine turned aluminum. That would look :cool:

kaiserbud

Nice job. 1/16"? That's no biggie at all. It looks great - just make your choice on the finished look you want. Besides - once you have it installed, polished anbd the motor running - no one will even see the 1/16" - especially with all the attention the motor will get.

BTW - why did you connect the can to the back of the gauge cluster :lol:

Scott78

Looks good Monty, yeah 1/16th would bother me too :lol: :lol:

Scott

74droptop

Monty,I'm right in the middle of doing the same,also doing a new interior.
I have all of the gauges mounted and ready to go can I email them to you so they can be posted.thanks rick

Blues77

SWEET! That looks really cool, I'd keep it just like that. I'd like to do the same, were do you get the alum. sheets from?

Monty

Blues77, I get the aluminum (as well as steel, and stainless) sheet from Jordon Industrial Supply, on Wolfe Road in Northbrook. They sell surplus, salvage and scrap industrial supplies and materials.

Rick, sure send 'em my way, I've got plenty of server space.


I know 1/16" or so isn't much, but it's easy to redo it until it's "perfect". I guess I'm a perfectionist, that's probably why my projects take forever to complete.

fauxrs

I like the body color idea...definitly do the radio portion in aluminum as well. If it is not painted body color then you should leave it polished aluminum - however you might also want to consider reflections of sunlight off it as a detracting factor for aluminum (wont happen often I imagine but still....)

I would've gone that route had I the tools, now I got the wood grain - It looks way cool too.


[Modified by fauxrs, 11:09 AM 8/24/2002]

groovyjay

That looks great Monty. As you may know I'm having my both clucters made out of one big block of aluminum, they shoud be ready in three weeks. :cheers:

Monty

Wow, I'd really like to see that when you get them!

groovyjay

I'll post pics soon as they're finished. The guy making them just finished doing the software for the CNC machine, so it shouldn't take too long now. :yesnod:

FINWOLF

Monty I would paint it then the gauges would be the focus point just my .02.

Monty

Well, here's what it looks like with the radio panel made, and radio installed. I wonder if I should have made it all one piece?

Stephen, I was thinking the same thing, but the polished aluminum is growing on me.




[Modified by Monty, 3:54 PM 8/24/2002]

Arkansas Flash

Monty,

Your work is outstanding. I think that 1/16" aluminum should be thick enough. It's not like they are huge pieces, nor do the guages weigh that much. I like the seporate radio piece. That way they are framed in black all around the perimeter. When do we get to see the speedometer and tach panel? I do have one other question. What happened to the can of beer that you propped the panel up with earlier? :cheers: