so I had an idea about this while searching for picture of gauges and placement and so on, and then on the thread about Classic AC's new center console AC unit, one member's biggest issue was just hating the center console and the "useless" gauges and distaste in general for the center console and it taking up space.

I can appreciate the simplicity of no console, but I do like the look of a nice clean console, and while I agree I really don't need a clock, I do like having functional gauges like my volt meter, Lambda gauge, and the new CHT temp gauge I just installed. AND even though I am fairly tall and have long legs I do not have an issue with it taking up room , in fact I kind of like resting my leg up against it on a long drive. But I digress! I would like to see how others have dealt with and oriented their gauges on the cluster, in the dash or center console. I have seen a few other pictures here and there but my search didn't pull up a thread that had put together a majority of those various approaches.

I personally had to source an aftermarket center console because the original one ordered with the car's Appearance group package had been removed years ago.
and now that I have customized this, I am also wanting to install AC in a way to not put the under dash unit it and would consider this Center console unit, BUT I have to figure out where else I would put the A/F meter gauge and the CHT and Volt meter at the very least I would want to retain those somewhere, not on the A-pillar, maybe in dash? Hmmmm---

post away!!

Phil

I don’t have a center console and have the A/F and CHT mounted under the dash in the center. I had them higher using the ash tray gauge mount sold by a vendor here. Anyway my observation is A/F & CHT are great aids for tuning/troubleshooting but once your engine is dialed in (and you know to keep the revs up in certain circumstances like mountain driving), these gauges are merely a distraction. I find myself constantly looking at them when I know things are OK. I think the best solution would be to have a Bluetooth app/unit that you could view these instruments with your phone when needed to troubleshoot/tune and the rest of the time they are not taking your eyes off the road like every 60 seconds. My $0.02.

While I do like the clean look of no center console, I just felt like I needed a place to put my phone, wallet, sunglasses, etc. so the stock deposit box that came with the car was the answer. Additionally we added seat heaters and made a nice convenient spot for the switches as well as the radio mast switch.

I also wanted additional gauges, but nothing extreme, just oil pressure, oil temperature and voltage. So we did a triple gauge modification and put the oil pressure in the tachometer. All gauge work done by Palo Alto Speedometer. I think the end result is clean and looks pretty stock.

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Another approach for adding gauges without the console is through use of the Getty dash.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2iqp3cn]




Sorry about the blurred images. Shutter speed was low.

Gauge lighting was done by Timothy_ND28. Details available in the Member Vendors section. The blue tach lighting changes to orange, then red as the needle approaches redline.

Mine

Getty dash....with CarMagic LEDs (vintage white)

We have a dummy lite for volts so the gauge is kinda mute... it's charging or it's not.

The other 2 more useful gauges can go in a bracket mounted in place of the ash tray.

Timothy did mine.

I'm not sure what "2 more useful gauges" are.

A clock?

An oil pressure gauge? Not unless you keep the low OP light also. The light is going to tell you far better of a failure (unless you keep your eyes glued to the gauges instead of the road).

I think it is OK to have a whole bevy of gauges. Nice to know stuff. But that doesn't work too well in our 914s. The Getty dash is the best solution if you HAVE to have them. A big box in the middle of the car....not so much.

I like the full size console but I like the cut off back of the deposit box. Thinking of cutting off the full console at the bend joint and closing the back up there. My boots don't have much working room. Will post the custom console gauges I made up consisting of volt, temperature and oil pressure made from 52 mm gauges in factory housings.

My take on adding extra gauges - a modified VDO rubber bracket installed in the ash tray area.Click to view attachment

I have added the usual step 1 enhancement of the 911 oil and temp gauges to the dash and also a modified 911 gas/oil level gauge to show gas and volts
excellently modified by NHS and works well
my mechanic fabbed up an alu panel and put some basketweave on to look like its original - very happy with the result !

cheers
Dennis

Boost and oil temp

For the OP it is "Lambda gauge, and the new CHT temp gauge"

SpeedHut will make just about anything you want. These are for my LS powered build, hence the H20 temp. Their quad gauge usually comes with the fuel gauge as one of them but I wanted to add oil temp. For $25 they swapped the fuel gauge into the speedo and added the oil temp to the quad.

I took the radio out and made a panel for there. I use oil pressure, temp, and volt.
Rick Maury

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Got a 3 gauge cluster from Jegs. I liked the finned bracket Air Cooled themed.

Dakota digital oil temp and CHT

Autometer Wide band AFR

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My center console gauges.

That’s a good setup @914Sixer . I was wondering what I could swap the clock out for...

I went simple with the minimalist approach.

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Years ago my preference was console, but now I prefer no console. Here's a pic from a car I owned and did a 3.0 conversion on 25 years ago. 911 combo gauge, and a custom tach make from a 930 boost gauge tach, with the boost gauge converted to fuel gauge. Nothing under the dash. This car now belongs to a gentleman in middle TN, who painted the gauge panel silver. The red light is the brake warning, and the green is for fuel reserver or green means go get gas. The factory 930 steering wheel is a nice touch, I got a decent deal on it back in the day. No telling how much those are now.

I put two gauges where the ash tray way back in the early '70's on my '71. Later I added one in the dash.
On the '73 I had North Hollywood Speedometer put numbers on the oil temp gauge in the console and added a pressure gauge where the radio was since you really can't hear it anyway! Just have to get around to putting the dash vinyl on the face.Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Similar to a couple of the earlier pics in this thread.

I put VDO gauges in the ashtray hole back in the late 1970s. I later updated to these oil pressure and volt gauges from an old Audi GT or 4000 CS Quattro (can't remember for sure). I like these because the faces were a better match with the original silver dots.

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BTW, the "engine start" button is a heavy-duty Cole-Hersee switch from Waytek; less than $13. IIRC, it fits in the lighter hole pretty much without modification. Tied directly to a Ford-type starter relay, car starts more reliably now than when new.

Mine:

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Sh!tty pic of quad gauge but you get the idea. Console deleted.

Digging my retro Porsche center horn button.

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No pics at the moment, bu my car has a good amount of instrumentation, and does not have a center console.

I have my clock and volt meter on the A pillar. Oil temp, oil pressure, and head temp on the dash where the radio used to be.

And my feet have plenty of room, 'cause no center console.

Zach

Even though I'm not a fan of the center console, I drove Oscar's car at WCR with one and once driving, I got used to it pretty quickly. I guess we adapt to most things if we have to. I have no trouble with a loose tail shifter trans even though it's not optimal.

My issue with console mounted gauges is that they take the drivers eyes exactly where they shouldn’t be, toward the floor. Back in the 70s, not many could even spell ergonomics no less know what it is.

Just curious if anyone has done a DIY quad gauge other than the guy who designed his own printed circuit boards with microcontrollers and such. I was thinking of using a stock temp and fuel gauge as a starting point and the quad gauge insert from a 944 gauge, plus a couple disassembled 2" VDO gauges, probably oil temp and volt meter.

Anyhow, just curious. Seems doable.. just haven't taken the parts...apart... yet to check it all out.

Got these re-done by North Hollywood and I have to say they are pretty great.
They weren't in bad shape by any stretch but I had them replace all the plastic with glass - center 3 as well - other than the clock which is difficult due to the hole for the pin to set the time. They just polished that up and advised not to clean it with a paper towel.

They replaced the low fuel red indicator, repainted all the needles, etc. and recallbrated the speedo for my specific tire size and dampened the tach so that it doesn't flop all over the place on acceleration/gear changes.

I was a bit concerned when I put them back in as the speedo wasn't reading but both odometers were rolling. I few raps on the glass and the needle started to move and after about 50 miles it was per normal. Guess the lube just had to get loosened up a bit - and now it's dead on as checked with GPS. LEDs in everything other than the OIL and GEN indicators and it's a pleasure.

My only thing is that the center 3 gauges don't dim with the headlight rheostat like the main 3 do - is that right?

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As I'm working on my 914 project (rust remediation), I'm thinking ahead about whether to keep/eliminate my center console.

Always liked the looks of the quad gauge...don't know if anyone is doing a "center button" quad gauge these days or if I should attempt to build one myself.

Thoughts? Feedback would be appreciated!

Several years ago I purchased a kit from John and made my own. It wasn't too bad of a project but you would need 2 gauges if I recall. I'll post a pic of my gauge later today.

Last count you can run 7 gauges in the stock area, and look like factory sold it that way. No extra drilling.

If you make a custom center dash section I ran in the race car, Tach, oil pressure, oil temp, two cylinder head gauges, fuel gauge, volt gauge, and a very small bike speedo, a pyrometer. All of these where in the stock instruments cans. Laid out so I could see them, with needles all straight up when running proper. None of it was useful in a 45 second run around the cones, maybe a minute depending on course length. I also ran a big Red light for low oil pressure.

Yes I used a digital bike speedo, had a magnetic pickup, I mounted inboard on the passenger side CV. I originally did not have a speedo, as I could tell pretty much how fast I was driving on the highway. I needed it for one venue where the campus cops would give us tickets if we went over the posted parking lot speed limit once off the course. It was 10 MPH

That also leaves your center console for other things if you want to run it. Like a place to hide your A/C blower gives you vent locations.

I put oil pressure and cylinder head temp in a bracket just under dash, and replaced the lighter with a dual USB port/voltmeter.
Digital temp gage is fed by type J TC. Weather's a little cool here today so never saw over 180 temp

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Even with the image inverted in my files, it still shows here upside down sorry

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It's going to be awhile for the install of my gauges but here's what I have.
Using the center console but having the center sections made in carbon fiber to fit my gauges. Also having the lower section modified to fit my rennshifter and 914-6 hand throttle.

In the dash

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I like it!
Mine——

I don't even get to pick up my 914-6 for another month. But, picked up a 911 combo gauge to swap out for the 914 fuel gauge. Dunno what I'll do about the fuel gauge. I've done the small 2 1/8" I think gauge in the dash. Keeps things pretty simple and clean looking.

@raynekat wins, that's the coolest set up I've seen keeping in the stock 3 pod dash, seriously, well done

My new GT car has a Getty dash a'la Patrick Motorsports with a full set of 993 gauges:
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I have always liked the Audi dash pod.
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Very nice! Could you tell me where you got your tan baskerweave material for the dash?

Holy thread ressurection thread Batman! i saw this and looked to see who started the thread, , it was me! ??

So what does this say about me that i dont remember starting this thread??

so i need to update it then too since i have a new OEM center console , no more wood panel inserts, need a new picture of it , a very nice one i got from Rich @ 914Werke
!


Phil

@DRPHIL914
Phill, with all your posts how can you remember?

well here is a picture of mine in 41

Best Bob BClick to view attachment

i have a vague recollection- that’s of course one of the sweeetest interiors of all time, Bob! i thought about doing my lower dash area in the plaid like m seats too. it definitely works well in your car. i still would like a set of seats with more side support and a head rest that touches my head not my neck! if i get hit like Clay did my head will go thru the rear window! stock seats are too short.

Thanks! That material came from an inner door panel I salvaged from a wreck back in the 70s.

My custom center console with Voltmeter and CHT.

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Not sure if this counts?

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