AutoMeter Gauges--Which ones to get?

[FrdMustangCpe]

i would say that they are both just as good. mechanical you get a full sweep gauge. thats great for your drag car, but for a daily driver i would say get electrical. And if something happens with your mechanical gauge, you can get oil/coolant in your interior. electrical are much easier to install because you have to wire just wires and not pretty thick tubing. i would never want to put mecahnical gauges in the center vent, that sounds likea nightmare. my .02

 

[92Patrol5.0]

How do the a-pillar pods work? How do they install? How difficult is it? I'm inquiring b/c the a-pillar pod is a lot cheaper, plus I already have a hole in my a-pillar from where the spotlight used to be on my car.... the hold to the outside of the a-pillar has been filled in and is solid, but the hole on the inside is still there. This would make it really easy to run and hide the wires in. I'm just unsure how the pod actually connects? Do you have to drill holes or anything? Or does it clip on somehow? Also, after looking at the 50resto site at the ford vent gauge, from the picture it looks like it might actually just be the autometer one. In the upper left corner there is some yellow writing.. in the same place as the autometer, but I can't actually make out what it says... it looks pretty close to autometer tho, and it's 10 bucks more expensive than the autometer one... so I'm not sure whats going on.

 

[LASTFOX]

My A-pillar POD had to be trimmed at the top to fit in my vert. The POD just goes over the existing A-pillar molding. Mine fit pretty snug at the bottom, right near the dash speaker cover, so I didn't drill any holes at the bottom. No wires/vacuum tube are visible either! The POD does come with small black "Christmas Tree" push pins. You drill a few small holes in the through the POD cover and the existing pillar cover and then push in the pins...looks pretty good. I only had to drill two at the top, the POD actually slid under my Sunvisor Bracket (at top, near windshield) so two small clips is all I needed to secure the fit.

 

[FrdMustangCpe]

WELL.....my install of the a-pillar prolly wasnt text book, because i dont know what the deal was but my a-pillar wouldnt come out. it was like all one piece, i dont know if they are all like this or not. But i drilled a hole in the pillar to run the wires through. I had to pull it away from the body and run the wires that way (because it wouldnt come off). no big deal. ran the wires, drilled four 3/16 holes in the four corners of the pod and where they would line up on the pillar. Prolly would have been easier if i could take the pillar out of the car, but it wasnt too much trouble. i used the little tree things they give you, they work/look good. I tried double sided tape, but it wasnt strong enough.

 

[onesticker]

I did the Lunar sereis from Autometer. I installed the full gauge cluster with boost/vac and fuel press on a seperate bezel mount. The bezel mount puts the boost and fuel gauge on the lower left and right side of my cluster. Looks awesome and they are really easy to read. Hell, I can get a suntan from the light the Lunars put off.

 

[stangbear427]

Pretty happy with mine: 2 1/16" Ultralites in the pillar and Sport Comp Silver liquid filled on the dash. I used the Autometer pods, and bought everything from Summit. Didn't have any instal/fitment issues. Never did a vent cage, but I'm interested in how you like it since it's the only place left for me to put them when the Turbos go on. Here's how it looks though:

 

[92Patrol5.0]

I'm still debating on whether to get the a-pillar pod or the vent gauge mount. The autometer one is supposedly flimsy cheap aluminum, and I'm not certain if the Ford Racing one from 50resto is actually the autometer one. What do ya'll think I should do? The vent gauges look like a cleaner fit.. nothing protruding out like the a-pillar pod, but if the vent mount is going to be a cheap flimsy POS I don't want that either... hmmm I'm undecided

 

[FrdMustangCpe]

vote for a pillar. the vents flow like crap-or so i hear, the pilllar is easier to read. and kinda intimidating to other cars, for some reason .

 

[ucanbeatme]

I have a custom gauger cluster from Florida 50 with 6 2 1/16" gauges and a 3 3/8" 160mph speedo.. I love it and i was very easy to install.. I also have 2 5/8" gauges in the vent, in a tach pod, In my 4" cowl and up the a-piller.. 17 all together.. They are all in ultra-lite.. And i have them all.. Wait for them to come out for more.. you dont need them all but i looks nice in the night when they are all lit up in red.. Looks awesome!

 

[stangbear427]

Dude- PICS! 17 Autometers?! We gotta see this!

 

[FrdMustangCpe]

17! talk about everything you need, and maybe some you dont within reach.

Post a pic and list of all the gauges you have, i gotta know

 

[92Patrol5.0]

I think I'm going to go with a-pillar. If I don't like it, I can always get the vent mount. Do they make a dual a-pillar pod for 2 5/8 gauges? Anyone have the part number?

 

[FrdMustangCpe]

thats what i have ( 2 2 5/8) i got it from summit, i dont know the p/n, it was like $31 or somethin

 

[92Patrol5.0]

Ok cool! I will have to look and see if I can find it on the website. Hope to place an order tonight or tomorrow!

 

[ucanbeatme]

Gauges i have

In dash

2 1/16"

Differential Temp
Cyl Temp RIGHT
Cyl Temp LEFT
Intake Temp
Air/Fuel ratio
Clock

3 3/8"

Speedo 160mph

A-piller

2 5/8"

volts
boost/vac
brake pressure

Vent

2 5/8"

water temp
oil temp
trans temp

tach pod

5"

Monster tach

2 5/8"

pyrometer RIGHT
pyrometer LEFT

Hood

2 5/8"

Fuel pressure
Fuel Level

Thats 18... Forgot to add the tach when i counted them last

All in ultra lite.. Anyone know of any other ones that there are out there? looking to have them all..

 

[stangbear427]

gawd... driving at night must be like Christmas. I drive by my gauges, if I had that many to peruse I don't think I'd ever get to look at the road. It's a bit redundant, (not that dedundancy seems to concern you) but I think I've seen an amp one floating around out there- could be wrong; but it'd go with volts nicely... get some n2o and you can get a nitrous pressure one. You've gotta get a pic of this up.

 

[_jb_]

In dash

2 1/16"

Differential Temp
Cyl Temp RIGHT
Cyl Temp LEFT
Intake Temp
Air/Fuel ratio
Clock

3 3/8"

Speedo 160mph

A-piller

2 5/8"

volts
boost/vac
brake pressure

Vent

2 5/8"

water temp
oil temp
trans temp

tach pod

5"

Monster tach

2 5/8"

pyrometer RIGHT
pyrometer LEFT

Hood

2 5/8"

Fuel pressure
Fuel Level

Thats 18... Forgot to add the tach when i counted them last

All in ultra lite.. Anyone know of any other ones that there are out there? looking to have them all..

You have got to post a pic of this spaceship!

 

[_jb_]

i love my setup, i just have sportcomp gauges, elec. oil and volt meter, and a mech vac and water gauge

Where did you get those black guages?

 

[ucanbeatme]

yea, i think that i saw a amp temp one.. I was thinking about getting it but i have 5 amps and i think that 5 temp gauges would be a bit much...

 

[ucanbeatme]

Yea, people see all of the gauges when they look over at me and they dont even wanna race.. They must think that theres like a 10000hp motor under the hood.. But its one 550hp (with 100shot of NOS) that runs high 9's low 10's on street slicks...