Printable View
I finally finished my gauges. I don't have a garage, so it's tough to get any work done in the winter. The car is a dark blue 2004 hatch, standard transmission. Now that I have the boost gauge, I'll have to get myself a supercharger. Ha!
Toby
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b4...0034lowres.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b4...0047lowres.jpg
are thouse 2" gauges? it came out great man!
that setup is awesome. Thats almost exactly what I was planning to do in the center with your 3 gauges. Please tell me you have a how to and I will <3 you :-p
Thanks for the comments, guys! I'm planning to put together a complete parts list and some comments on the installation. The oil pressure gauge was actually the most frustrating process. The fittings were hard to find, and eventually I dropped fourteen bucks on a custom bushing at a machine shop. The illumination was also puzzling at first. The diagrams for the dimmer control were mislabeled, I think, so I had some funky stuff going on for awhile. Anyway, next time the weather warms up I'll take some pictures under the car and show you what all I did.
Toby
its easy, in essence just unbolt the dash pieces and use a dremel.
Drilling the holes and mounting the gauges is relatively easy. Making them work is another matter.
Toby
so r those 1.5 or 2 inch gauges in the center there?
i like how you relocated the emergency lights switch to the top, looks good
The gauges in the center are the 1.5" set that Sunpro sells. The two on the passenger side are 2" faces, mounted in the universal dual pod that GlowShift sells. If you're looking for a cheap and easy pod that doesn't really need to look good, the GlowShift pods are pretty nice. I think I paid ten bucks for it. To drill the holes in the center I used a 1 5/8" hole saw... one of those things you tighten in a drill. The emergency button was almost a snafu. It's a tight squeeze between the air ducts and the panel, so I had to grind a lot of the bracket off and slather on Gorilla Glue. I don't plan on using that crap ever again. What a mess!
Toby
good install man, what else you have done to the car, and what are your plans?
Other than the gauges, I really haven't done much to the car. I installed one of those air intakes with the conical filter element, so it makes a little noise when I peg the accelerator.
Time and money permitting, I have two modifications I want to make. First, I want to get rid of the plastic fittings on the upper radiator line and straighten out that hose. I've seen metal fittings on newer Aveos, so I'm hoping that one will be easy. My major "someday" project is the exhaust. The collars on either end of the braided joint are totally loose from corrosion, and the rest of the pipe doesn't look good, either. My goal is to have a new setup made with stainless steel, since it will hold up to the road salt a little better. I also want a peppier muffler. Like I said, it might be awhile!
Toby
in ur opinion would 2'' fit in there or is 1.5'' pushing it for the center?
Why did you put 5 gauges in a stock car?
my guess would be for the looks, and future modsQuote:
Originally Posted by aveodude
For the most part, the gauges were an educational excercise. This is the first car I've ever owned, so it's also the first one I've ever worked on. The stereo was my first taste of wiring, as well as making templates and drilling the brackets. I wanted to do something under the hood, and someone suggested that I would probably learn a lot by installing a set of mechanical gauges. Even if the data is superfluous, I got to spend a lot of time underneath the car, learning where the hoses go and what they have inside them. They also serve as conversation pieces, and who knows... maybe someday I'll pack a supercharger in there.
Anyway, I assure you that the 2" gauges won't fit in place of the 1.5" set. Believe me, I considered it. The mini set is already a pretty tight squeeze, and with anything bigger you'll just cut right through the bottom of the panel. But anyway. Like I said, if you're new to mechanics and you want an ambitious project to work on, I think this is a good one. You'll learn a lot.
i like the gauge set up. thumbs up!