david auster

iTrader: (10)

I decided to scrap the factory guage setup and use all Autometer guages instead. What I would like to do is mount a 5" speedo on the left, a 5" tach on the right, and in the middle if it would fit TWO 2 1/16" guages inbetween. If not I would probably just go with ONE bigger 2 5/8" guage. The other guages I would mount on the a-pilar.

I would love it to bolt right into the factory location and and look as stock as possible except for the Autometer guages. So has anybody done this on the 90-92 Camaros? I don't think I have the tools to try and make something myself, but would certainly give it a try. Also I would be happy to pay to have this made as well. Maybe if enough people would be interested it would be worth someones time to design this.

Any input would be appreciated.

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

go to home depot. purchase thin steel or aluminum. draw needed shapes onto a piece of posterboard. transfer them to the steel/aluminum and cut them out. spray paint the steel black and you're done. took me under an hour to complete.

and yes i know mine is an 82-89 style. same principles apply.

-ZERO-

I did a for ya...... autometer gauges.....and found you a few pics. if you want more, you'll have to do a search. This is TheGreatJ's setup!

-ZERO-

what the heck. how about another one......

-ZERO-

a close up.....

david auster

iTrader: (10)

Thanks for the pics guys. That looks great in my opinon. I was kinda concerned with making the plate flat since the 90-92 guage cluster is curved.

I think I'm fine with making the actual plate, but how do you mount it up? Do you use the factory mounting places or have to make new ones? A little more detail on that would be very helpful.

Thanks

-ZERO-

You would be better off trying to use the stock mounting. pretty much have to get creative on that.

-ZERO-

this is not mine but i have the same setup with the white faced phantom gauges.

david auster

iTrader: (10)

I wish I had more fabracating skills so I could make the plate that would bolt up to the factory locations. The pics you showed me are really nice but of a flat panel instead of the curved ones like the factory 90-92 guage cluster and they have a ton more screws holding them in and they aren't in the factory locations. I would really have to see whats going on behind the panel, because I think they made some special brackets or something.

I am going to do the a pillar pod but I think with just 2 guages. I am seeing to many pics of the 3 guage pod where the bottom one hits the dash pad, and mine is perfect so I don't want to mess that up.

david auster

iTrader: (10)

I took apart my stock guage cluster just now and I think I would like to use the stock guage cluster assembly as my starting point. This is what I'm thinking, tell me if this seems like a good idea or if it wouldn't work right.

The cluster comes apart in 3 pieces.

1. Clear Plastic Lens
2. Black Overlay for the guages
3. White guage cluster housing

I want to take the white piece and gut the entire back of it. This way the shell would have all the factory mounting holes, and I hope has enough room back there to install some 5" guages.

Next I need to replace the factory black overlay with a custom piece of sheet metal made exactly like the factory one, but with holes drilled for the Autometer guages, turn signals, and high beam. It will also have to have the factory mounting holes, that might be a little tricky.

Last, if new sheet metal piece was made just like the factory one, the clear protective cover should bolt right on. Pop the outter trim piece on and it should look pretty close to stock.

So what do you think, would this work? I still would have to figure out how to create the sheet metal piece, but if it would work I will invest the time figuring that out.

thanks

TheGreatJ

Zero you stole my thunder.


You're right about the oddball mounting of that panel. I couldn't find any other way to mount the Autometers up in my '91 dash, so I pulled the bezel trim (part that surrounds the gauges) off and cut the back of it flat with a dremel. I then made my panel to fit that hole using 3 3/8" tach and speedo and 2 1/16" everything else. Black aerosol bedliner gives a nice texture after 3 or 4 thin coats. The allen-bolts are mostly decorative, although a few of them do actually serve as mounting points. For brackets, I just took a piece of 1/8" x 3/4" aluminum bar about 4' long and cut chunks off and bent them with 2 pair of pliers. I drilled holes into the sides of the "pocket" in the dash to bolt the brackets to. It took a little time to get it mounted up right but it looks damn good IMHO.

I think you'll have a REAL tough time making a plate to use the stock housing. For one thing, you'll need extra clearance in the front for the gauge bezels (which means moving the gauges farther back so they won't hit the clear plastic piece,) and for another you'll need lots of room in the back for the gauge housings. I spent 2 weeks trying to think of a reasonable way to make it work, but ended up just making my panel that moves the gauges 2" closer to the driver instead.

My 3-gauge pillar hit the dash pad too so I took it out....now I'm making a 3-gauge pod to mount where the HVAC controls used to be (since the car is basically stripped and has no heat or A/C.) It'll house fuel pressure, A/F ratio, and N2O pressure gauges (although the last will not be hooked up until the end of next spring most likely.)

-ZERO-

:hail:

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

If you cut and pry off the bezels on the autometer gauges you’re left with pretty much a flat front face where the glass is in the bezel, which would solve a lot of this problem, then you would just have to work out some way to hold the gauges down since you don’t have the back lip of the bezel to do it. I would probably ditch the autometer front glass but keep it’s frame and then press the autometer gauge against whatever part of the dash housing you want to keep.

TheGreatJ

That's not a bad idea, but holding the gauges in place becomes an issue. If you could set up a bracket-and-clamp system that holds the gauges by the cups, you could put a piece of Lexan or plexi across the front of them and paint it (mask circles in front of the gauges to make "windows" in the paint) to create the bezel. It would look more stockish than mine that way because it would have a single bezel for all the gauges, instead of individual rings.

flyboy367

if you mount them in the original cluster there is a 5 minuite epoxy for plastic. i got it at home depot. its ina double syringe. the stuff works wonders. i used it in making my custom panel for my gtp. another thought instead of metal, use plexiglass. to get the correct bend in metal you need some skill, but for the amature use a room heater and a sheet of plexi. just hold it over the heater until it gets "flexi" then bend to shape. just heat your drill bits or saw blades and keep the plexi warm and it wont crack while cutting it. this gives you a few more options. like backlighting, strobes, you can paint it, or use vinal. just cut a design in the vinal, lay it over the plexi and you can backlight it with a led. then you can have chevy, camaro etc light up on your dash

david auster

iTrader: (10)

Hey thanks for that idea, I think that may work. I was going to make the guage holder out of sheet metal but if plexiglass is easier to mold into the shape i need I may try that approach. I also have a heat gun so that should make life much easier. Again thanks to everybody for the good ideas.

TheGreatJ

Post pics when you get it done.

coulterz28

Here are a few pics of mine. I like them mounted behind the factory plastic. They stay much cleaner this way. No speedo though. Figure if I'm worried about speed I'm probably going to fast anyway.

http://home.insightbb.com/~jessie.co...D-1046025.html

http://home.insightbb.com/~jessie.co...D-1046024.html

Synapsis

That's really clean. Good job.

coulterz28

Thanks. I mounted them to the factory rear piece of the cluster. Basically cut it all out except the outer ring. Took some time that's for sure.

slammed_z

well i bet if you could fiberglass good you could get it to work pretty good..i would love to do it to...i got the big 5' ugly gas tach and those 3 stupid lights that dont work...but i dont know if it would be easy or not to install sensors to make the volt meter and oil and gas ones work the same...

BOTTLEDZ28

iTrader: (9)

here is a pic of mine

david auster

iTrader: (10)

What size guages are those?

BOTTLEDZ28

iTrader: (9)

speedo and tach are 3 3/8" and the rest are 2 1/16th. My oil pressure gauge is mounted inside my cowl on my hood

david auster

iTrader: (10)

Yeah I thought so...I made the exact same template when I considered that combo.

I couldn't resist the 5" Speedo and Tach so I'm probably only going to be able to squeeze one 2 5/8" guage in the middle. I'll mount the others under the vent area above the radio and climate controls.

Thanks for your input

BOTTLEDZ28

iTrader: (9)

I proberbly couldhave got away with 5" gauges but I wanted to retain the blinkers and warning lights. I ended up cutting out spots for those things and it reduced the area I had to work with. Im gonna make a new face for the gauges without the cut outs so that I can move the lower gauges up a bit and space them out alittle. I'll end up using LED lights for the blinkers and stuff.

CamarosRUS

those are beautiful setups guys!!! am i wrong in seeing that bottled's needles look red and greatj's look orange???? arent they both procomps?

TheGreatJ

It's all in the lighting. If you'll notice, in the second pic of mine (that Zero posted) the needles look more red. It's just how the light reflects and the camera pics it up.

Neil

Just thought i'd share mine....

Neil

I wish I would have put the electronic speedo in like you did!

kd5boc

Except that it's 3x more expensive, or course routing the speedo cable for the mechanical one turned out to be a PITA!

Tom

TheGreatJ

True, but for a T56 car you have to have it. It's also nice to be able to recalibrate for gear/tire changes by simply pressing a button twice, driving two miles, and pressing it again.

kd5boc

Oh yeah...I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'll be upgrading in about a year when I get a new tranny and gears.

Spdfrk1990

Im wanting to do this also I like Neils setup any closer looks Neil and do you still have the turn signals?

johnsjj2

Here is what I had in the Camaro. I know what you are talking about on the curve. Mine were flat. I didn't have the time to make it curved, and then the adapters to make the gauges fit the curves.

KiLLJ0Y

iTrader: (1)

question on the fuel level gauge..

do you have to use the Autometer sending unit? or is there some other way of wiring it in?

sp63

this palce sells a gauge cluster thing for 90-92's it looks like..

http://jimmy-jams.tripod.com/3gcamarobmplates.htm

kd5boc

One wire from the existing fuel level sender...0-90 ohms. Make sure you buy the correct one from autometer. Then just wire up the lights (+12 and ground), then 1 power, 1 ground, and teh fuel sender wire. 5 wires total if you want lights...piece of cake!

kd5boc

Thats for the 82-89 cars, they had a plate that was removeable...not 90-92. sorry.

BOTTLEDZ28

iTrader: (9)

like stated above, you can just wire up the CORRECT fuel level gauge with the Fftory wire that fed the old gauge.Get a 0-90 ohm gauge. That is what I did and it works like the stock one did(crappy but it works) Note to self..make sure you DO NOT bend of disturb the float in the tank when changing the pump or the gauge will be off or work funny.

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

Heh, that's a chevette steering wheel, isn't it? Actually, it wouldn't be bad looking if it had a nice cover/trim

johnsjj2

Yeah you got me! I wanted a stock look, but no air bag. I got that from eBay for $15.

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

Hey, I'm not giving you **** about it... obviously, I've had some exposure to them also if I recognized it.

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys, I made my own set up kind of like the ones in here. I also put a bit of a twist on it all. I am not sure how to post pics, so go to my website in my profile. There are tons of pics and steps all spelled out, about how I did it all.

All you need is a bit of patience and careful cutting. I mounted mine with big zip ties. lol. whatever works i guess, hehe.

Spdfrk1990

Your car is startin to shape up nicely man where you going to put the headlight switch now.

daturbosix

iTrader: (2)

has anyone done a dash like this for the firebirds?

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Yeah the car is really coming togeather now.

As for the headlight switch, it is allready there, you just can't see it very well in the pics.

It is in the stock location almost, just had to drill a new hole and mount the switch in the dash a few inches over due to the new panel. It is still just the small metal stick that it comes with stock. I will most likely put a little aluminum ball or something on it, so it is easier to see/grab...

nick05

whats size of metal is that? like how thick?

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Are you asking me about my set up??

Cuz mine is not metal if so...let me know, I hope I can help

BadGirlIROC

Here's the one you can get from Jimmy Jam's Nitrous Accessories