Creative Gauge Masters Needed!!!
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,961
Likes: 573
From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Here is mine:
The plate is pexiglass painted black. I had aluminum plate, but drilling the holes perfectly proved to be impossible.
I have a template on my other computer if you want it. It's full size and will help you design and drill.
Bee Jay
The plate is pexiglass painted black. I had aluminum plate, but drilling the holes perfectly proved to be impossible.
I have a template on my other computer if you want it. It's full size and will help you design and drill.
Bee Jay
Drifting
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,505
Likes: 7
From: Jacksonville FL
Hey Bee Jay I tried to PM you. If you had a minute and could send me the template I would be so thankful! I have a 1980 and AutoCAD back home and I was going to start designing some stuff for my car (enclosed speaker box) but I got deployed to El Salvador so I cant right now. It said your msg box was full. Thanks again!
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,961
Likes: 573
From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Hey Bee Jay I tried to PM you. If you had a minute and could send me the template I would be so thankful! I have a 1980 and AutoCAD back home and I was going to start designing some stuff for my car (enclosed speaker box) but I got deployed to El Salvador so I cant right now. It said your msg box was full. Thanks again!
Bee Jay
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 540
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '09, '24
Now you did it. If you change the console gauges you are going to want to change the speedo and tach to match! Many here have done this and it does look nice. I have seen them and I'm sure pictures will be posted on this. It will fit in the console with not much mods either.
Change the speedo and tach while you are at it. I am doing my 78 right now and I have just cut the factory setup to work with the AutoMeter gauges. I just cut all of the back part of the factory mounting setup for clearance to get the gauges to fit. I then cut a piece of plexiglass the size of the original cluster and then cut the holes for the gauges in the plexiglass. You can center the gauges with a little work and you get to keep the factory turn signals, high beam indicator and brake light. I will use LEDs instead of the factory bulbs for these indicator lights. I will be using the gauges in the pics and after looking at the angle mounts available from Autometer might go with them also. Good Luck on your project, houstonvett
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 8,627
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09
HoustonVett we really have to meet! We are on the same path I think!
I went with the Autometer Cobalt (Blue) Gauge series. Like that they can angle towards the driver depending on how you install them. My Alpine head unit also glows blue at night.
Hope that helps a little.
I went with the Autometer Cobalt (Blue) Gauge series. Like that they can angle towards the driver depending on how you install them. My Alpine head unit also glows blue at night.
Hope that helps a little.
Last edited by Snowman; Apr 19, 2009 at 02:39 AM.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 703
Likes: 2
Some help please..
My bezel holes are 2.150 so when a gauge is being advertised as 2-1/8 is that the hole opening required or is that the O.D. of the enitre gauge? As you can see this would make a big difference.
Thanks!!
My bezel holes are 2.150 so when a gauge is being advertised as 2-1/8 is that the hole opening required or is that the O.D. of the enitre gauge? As you can see this would make a big difference.
Thanks!!
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 540
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '09, '24
Use a Dremmel motor tool and you can take out the material in the gauge cluster to make them fit. I would make a template out of paper the size of the actual gauge and then figure out where you have to take off material to make it fit into the gauge console. Not much needs to be removed and the bezel around the gauge gives you enough leeway just in case you take off too much material in a small area, houstonvett
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 46
From: winter haven florida
St. Jude Donor '12
i have a full size template i got before i decided to do a custom fiberglass dash. it was for autometer tach and speedo using the stock dash. if you print it on sticker paper you could just cut it out and stick it on and drill.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 703
Likes: 2
Use a Dremmel motor tool and you can take out the material in the gauge cluster to make them fit. I would make a template out of paper the size of the actual gauge and then figure out where you have to take off material to make it fit into the gauge console. Not much needs to be removed and the bezel around the gauge gives you enough leeway just in case you take off too much material in a small area, houstonvett
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 540
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '09, '24
If they list it as a 2-1/16" gauge (2.125) and that is the hole opening required, then I wont have to do anything because my opening are already 2.150.. However, if the entire O.D. of the gauge is 2-1/16, then it will fall through the opening.. Either way there is no need to remove any material so I'll ask the question again. If a gauge is listed as a 2-1/16 is that the required opening size or is that the entire O.D. of the gauge?
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 703
Likes: 2
The diameter of the outside radiused bezel to the outside radiused bezel is 2 1/16" on my Autometer gauges you see in the picture above. So the actual OD measurement of the actual gauge will be a little smaller. If your original mounting holes are larger so that the entire guage will drop though the mounting hole I think Autometer makes a mounting cup you can use. I don't know what the OD of the mounting cup is. You can call Autometer to make sure if you are using their gauges, houstonvett
I think you answered my question and they will fit.. What I meant by entire O.D. is the over-all diameter of the entire unit so if the part that fits in the bezel is 2-1/16, that means the entire O.D. of the gauge has to be slightly bigger, otherwise the whole gauge would fall right through a 2-1/16 hole and thats what I wanted to make sure wasnt going to happen.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 540
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '09, '24
According to Autometer these are the correct dimensions for their gauges, hope this helps, houstonvett
http://autometer.com/download_instru...sectn%2009.pdf
http://autometer.com/download_instru...sectn%2009.pdf
