Aftermarket gauges for an Amazon?

[spock345]

Is anyone running aftermarket gauges on their amazon? I am thinking of fabricating an cluster for myself based on the rally clusters I've seen for PVs.

This is what I've landed on so far. Thinking of going the 3d printing route and then reinforcing it with sheet aluminum where needed. Still have to add holes for warning and indicator lights. I've designed it such that I won't have to cut the dash to get it to fit. Although a custom dash pad will be needed. I got some ideas after seeing someone's DIY dash pad at the recent Sacramento event.

[PaddyGarcia]

You've seen AndrewNance's dash? Nice solution if you were going to be repainting the dash anyway:

https://forums.turbobricks.com/showt...266523&page=35

I had an auxiliary panel made by Front Panel Express that covers a mangled radio hole and the ashtray. It's rectangular but FPE can cut to a DWG file of your custom design. A little pricey if you just need metal + holes, but they do very nice lettering, anodizing, and powder coating.

[AndrewNance]

What gauges are you thinking of using?

[spock345]

Originally Posted by AndrewNance

What gauges are you thinking of using?

I found a set of VDO series 1 gauges. They look about as close as I can get to the original Volvo rally gauges without having to track down a 140 or 544 cluster to cannibalize. 3 3/8" speedometer and tach. 2 1/16" for everything else.

[OttoB]

I made VDO gauge panel for my 121 long time ago. I took that bezel from instrument cluster, made about 4 mm thin wooden panel. Lay out of gauges were like this:
o00o
Gas and temp were smaller, rpm and speedo in the middle.

I had to cut that trim list and maybe 20x100 mm from dash board to make some space for rpm gauge and speedo.

Today I would have a little different approach. But, I was 18 then.

[R32RennSport]

This is by far the best dash I've seen recently in an Amazon.

[OttoB]

^^That is soo beautiful ❤️

[seanertz]

I didn't have the heart to cut my dash for gauges, and it was already painted a few years ago so I went with this. Someday I'll probably switch the gauges to black VDO, but had the auto-meters from a non-volvo donor car.

[mikep]

I did an image search, saw some good and bad ideas. Staggered small gauges looked good. I like big main gauges in the center personally.
And i recently saw an Auto Meter electronic speedo that works with any tone ring and has a tach in the bottom. I’ll be using that in the track day corolla. I don’t look at a tach until i screw up.

[vintagewrench]

Have this dash which was set up by an Amazon enthusiast in Germany. Since getting it have found a matching oil pressure gauge so a new plate is needed.

Has anyone come up with a 5-gauge VDO design that will work without cutting the dash? Seem to remember thinking about moving the gauges higher in a new panel and cutting recesses in the bottom of the hood of a stock dash pad for clearance for the speedo and tach.

[spock345]

Originally Posted by R32RennSport

This is by far the best dash I've seen recently in an Amazon.

Now that looks really good. I am down to a few options. If I can swing it VDO series 1 seems to match the stock gauges pretty closely (black face, white needle, chrome bezel, basic font). The key seems to be finding the tachometer. I can find a speedometer, fuel, temperature, and oil pressure gauge just fine. Same with the other VDO series. A 3 3/8" tach with a 7-8k range is hard to find. I could easily get a set from Stewart warner which has the same look but I've heard mixed reviews about their modern stuff. Finding stock rally gauges would be nice but those likely cost a pretty penny nowadays.

[spock345]

Originally Posted by vintagewrench

Have this dash which was set up by an Amazon enthusiast in Germany. Since getting it have found a matching oil pressure gauge so a new plate is needed.

Has anyone come up with a 5-gauge VDO design that will work without cutting the dash? Seem to remember thinking about moving the gauges higher in a new panel and cutting recesses in the bottom of the hood of a stock dash pad for clearance for the speedo and tach.

I am working on a 5 gauge VDO design like the ones I have seen for the 544. Same layout as the CAD image I included. I got it a bit lower profile. Still playing with the indicator light locations. It will stand a bit taller than the stock cluster by 2cm or so but it will mount using the same little "ears" that the stock ribbon speedo cluster uses.

3D printing cost would probably be in the neighborhood of $50 for a batch of two or more of them done in PA12 Nylon. I was thinking a veneer of dark wood would like nice.

[hiperfauto]

Many years ago I had a customer with a '68 122 who imported a Jaeger instrument cluster and had it installed on his car. It fit in front of the dash and had a cover incorporated into the design. I don't recall if cutting of the dash pad was necessary. An online search turned up these pics with 2 different layouts as well as a pic of 5 Rallye gauges installed into a stock cluster.

[142 guy]

I used Speedhut gauges to do a custom cluster for my 1971 142. I went for the classic white on black look, very much like what R32RennSport showed. It looks good; but, for whatever reason(s), in the 142 with an all black dash (and all black interior for that matter) the visibility is poor. I used a Speedhut GPS speedometer which has an LCD display for odometer / trip / bunch of other stuff. That LCD display is pretty close to invisible. I eventually got around this by having the illumination on all the time when the gauges are operating.

Just something to consider. Black lettering on a white face might provide better visibility.

[polaris]

Several months ago watched a YouTube video on several 122s and a 544 going on a road trip to Scotland. In the video footage there is a 122 which has a 1800S dashboard. I thought it was a pretty interesting idea/concept. Would be a larger task of also swapping out the VDO sending units etc. for the Smiths units the 1800 has installed. I'm sure its not just a drop in then there is having a donor for all of the parts. Would probably not be less work than printing or creating your own instrument plate, it is another option which is out there.


https://youtu.be/kOp74ZR4T-4?t=52
122 with 1800 dash.jpg

[spock345]

Originally Posted by polaris

Several months ago watched a YouTube video on several 122s and a 544 going on a road trip to Scotland. In the video footage there is a 122 which has a 1800S dashboard. I thought it was a pretty interesting idea/concept. Would be a larger task of also swapping out the VDO sending units etc. for the Smiths units the 1800 has installed. I'm sure its not just a drop in then there is having a donor for all of the parts. Would probably not be less work than printing or creating your own instrument plate, it is another option which is out there.


https://youtu.be/kOp74ZR4T-4?t=52
Attachment 19260

I do love the look of the 1800 dash. Although one of my big reasons for doing this is to use an electronic speedometer pickup. That way I can easily adjust it myself without trying to find a speedometer gear. I am still monkeying around with the tires now that I got wider 5.5" wheels.