what gauges are most important?...

[6FIVE_STANG]

i just bought my autometer sport comp tach today. i want three more tach to put under my '65 dash . What gauges do you guys suggest i should get? ( for example: volt, water temp., oil pressure, ect...)

..and, what is the diffrence between amp and volt.?

 

[6FIVE_STANG]

should i get electrical or mechanical??

 

[mustangchris]

I would suggest going with the 5 gauge setup. It was special order in 65 but it had; Oil pressure, volts, fuel, temp, and of course the speedo. Mechanical gauges tend to be more accurate, but with things like copper tubing (plastic for some cheaper gauges) for the oil pressure running through your car there is a decent chance of leaks inside the car, not to mention a little bit trickier to route then wires. With electrical they are much easier to route, but some require a bit more setup.
As for volts and amps. You always want your volts to be at 12-16volts, while your amps can vary tremendously depending on what alternator you have and what electronics you have.
If money isnt an issue JME has a beautiful setup with all the gauges you should need, but it is VERY pricey. http://www.mustangdepot.com/OnLineCatalog/Interior/jme65-66clust.htm

 

[ozstang65]

... ( for example: volt, water temp., oil pressure, ect...)

Yep, them three. If you want more, next on my shopping list would be Engine Oil Temp.

Voltage will tell you if your altenator has stopped charging (which is bad). Ammeter will tell you how many amps are being drawn - depending on where you put this in the electrical system it may still make a reading right up until your battery is completely flat (I think it is essentially a useless gauge).

Personally, I'd go for electronic water temp and oil temp.

Although not a gauge, I'd also reccomend a water level switch in your radiator header tank. This will let you know immediately if you've dropped your coolant - a temp gauge will show you an OK temp if its reading steam....

 

[67Dylan]

I like mechanical gauges instead of electrical, but electric gauges have come a long way and are fairly accurate. I like oil pressure, water temp, and tranny temp (for auto's only) for a simple 3 gauge set up, but you can substitute fuel reading instead if you wanted. Between volt & gas I'd rather know if I'm running low on gas, which you will need more than to see if your alty isn't charging.
If you go mechanical and decide the oil pressure is what you want, spend the cash and go w/braided line instead of the plastic or copper lines. It is real easy to route and less of a chance of a leak; I have yet to have a problem going that route in the last 10yrs since I switched from copper tubing.

 

[Sicarius428]

Oil pressure, Water temp for sure. A third is subjective... hehe maybe boost.
Kevin

 

[BullittStangV8]

I'm going to go with:Water temp, oil pressure, and maybe fuel pressure.

 

[mustangman70]

Oil, water, fuel for sure.

Boost is a MUST have if running...BOOST lol

 

[67Dylan]

I'm going to go with:Water temp, oil pressure, and maybe fuel pressure.

You do know you don't want to put FP inside the car? Beside it not being track legal it is just plain dangerous. I'm sure you meant the standard fuel reading

 

[ozstang65]

You do know you don't want to put FP inside the car? Beside it not being track legal it is just plain dangerous. I'm sure you meant the standard fuel reading

Fuel Pressure would be fine inside if it's electronic.

 

[67Dylan]

Fuel Pressure would be fine inside if it's electronic.

DOH! See what happens when you run mechanical all the time?!