Installed a gauge cage with some gauges. pics inside.

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

This is in project daily driver. As some may know this is a low budget daily driver.
I am doing mods that are free,cheap,tasteful and useful.

I have noticed my oil press gauge was not accuret so I decided to install a op gauge but I didnt want to install an A pillar pod. So I bought a center vent cage. You can get 2 or 3 gauge set up. I wanted to use my center vents for AC so I got the 2 hole set up with vents.

For gauges I didnt want to buy used ones as they normally are not sold complete with everything you need. On the other hand I didnt want to shell out $$ for autometers. So I found sunpro/actron had 2 5/8" gauges that looked decent and they are accuret. I have white face BBK's in the dash However I felt the white would not match on the vent area since the ac controls are black with white letters etc. So I bought the black with white numbers so it would flow with the area it is installed in.

Heres the final install. The gauges came with chrome trim rings that can be left off or put on. I have them on right now and I like them it makes it look complete. Feel free to give your opinion.

Also a while back I spilled some fingernail polish remover on the ashtray door when I was tring to remove some sticky crap off the dash. Now its all discolored, any ideas on how to make it look better?

Heres a pic of them with out the chrome rings.

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dcurtis · Mar 22, 2008

I like it without the chrome rings the less chrome on your car the better.

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

I like the Look of the rings. I have some satin low gloss black I am thinking about shooting them black so they match the rest of the set up.

SuperStang83 · Mar 22, 2008

It looks good, but I don't care for the rings. Maybe if you paint them they will look okay.

iwashmycar · Mar 22, 2008

ya paint em.

i was gonna say they look kinda awkward, but actually they look nice being more of a flush-face gauge in the dash

Jaswir · Mar 22, 2008

i had that same radio... i will post up my gauge cage! also just put in blue led in dash and on the gauges loooks good at night

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

OK first coat of paint is on the rings, Waiting for it to flash off so I can put second coat on.

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

iwashmycar said:
ya paint em.

i was gonna say they look kinda awkward, but actually they look nice being more of a flush-face gauge in the dash

With out the rings they look too flat to me. I put the second coat on..... now when they dry I will post more pics.

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

It is cold in teh garage and paint is drying slow. I brought them in the house to finish curing. Soon as they dry Ill get pics of them installed...............

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

Ok lets recap.

Before with no rings

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With painted rings

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5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

I like the black rings. It just dosent look finished with out the rings. My autometers all had fat rings. I think that is why I like the rings.

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iwashmycar · Mar 22, 2008

ya thats a lot better

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

iwashmycar said:
ya thats a lot better

Thanks. The flash in the pics make the rings really POP out due to the fresh paint etc.

It all blends well when your standing there looking at it all.

I like it even better painted. The chrome looked nice but was out of place.

Thanks everyone for the opinions.

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

Now if I could find that stupid trim ring for the radio id be set. I lost it somehwere and Have yet to find it.

glowstang93 · Mar 22, 2008

Gauges look nice either way. To fix your fingernail polish remover snaffoo, order some spray paint from 50resto for 93 opal interior. Take the console lid off and spray it. Prep is esential so the paint will stick. By doing the whole top it will look fine with the old paint on the rest of the interior. I have used this stuff and it is goooooood match.

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

glowstang93 said:
Gauges look nice either way. To fix your fingernail polish remover snaffoo, order some spray paint from 50resto for 93 opal interior. Take the console lid off and spray it. Prep is esential so the paint will stick. By doing the whole top it will look fine with the old paint on the rest of the interior. I have used this stuff and it is goooooood match.

Thank you!

I will look into this. The rest of the interior looks decent but that area right there is horrible now due to the mess I made.

skunk21 · Mar 22, 2008

hey 5.0Droptop how much of a job is the install on that gauge cage. iwas looking at the same set up. is it a pia to reove the stock vents and install that set up. look great buy the way .

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

greensvt21 said:
hey 5.0Droptop how much of a job is the install on that gauge cage. iwas looking at the same set up. is it a pia to reove the stock vents and install that set up. look great buy the way .

The install of the cage is super easy. The actual vents pop out of the center assy, Then there are 4 clips on top and on bottom that you pry up to remove the center assy. The instructions explain it perfectly.
I bought mechanical gauges. This makes it a little more complex. You have to run the temp sender corrogated metal tubing through the dash through the fire wall to the intake. I installed the sender into the lower intake. There is a plug on the drivers side rear corner of the intale that goes directly into the water jacket. This will give an accuret average water temp reading. Most people will tell you to install it in the t stat housing or near there. I use the rear corner plug because its easy and all I am looking for is overall coolant temp.

My oil press gauge is mechanical also. You have to run the tubing through dash firewall to the oil sending unit location by the oil filter. You can either remove the oem sender and then the stock gauge will not work or you can add a T fitting and run both gauges. My oil press gauge was jacked so I just took the sender out and installed the new unit in place of it.

I did some measuring and decided to drill a hole in the firewall just below and to the left of the accelerater cable where it comes through the firewall. This allowed me to run the tubing through the firewall and its hidden pretty well.

The water temp probe was 72 inches long and it had plenty of length to reach. The oil press tubing is very small and kinks easy and its only 6 ft long. I used everybit of it. I have some plastic sheathing that we use at work to keep wires together, that I run the oil tube through so it cannot kink and it keeps it from rubbing and leaking.

It sounds like a PITA but if you take your time and do it right it isnt bad at all.

Heres some pics you will see the protection sheath covering the oil line. The oil line is only about 1/8 of an inch diameter so it needs protected. This stuff works great.

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skunk21 · Mar 22, 2008

great. thanks for the info.

5.0Droptop · Mar 22, 2008

greensvt21 said:
great. thanks for the info.

No problem.Its worth the effort to install the cage instead of a pillar pod.

Installed a gauge cage with some gauges. pics inside.

5.0Droptop

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