Race car gauges/dash setup
Seems simple enough, but curious what most like as far as dash/gauge setup?
Gauge brand/design Size of gauges Which gauges are must-have vs. nice-to-have Where to mount which gauges (inside, outside on cowl, high, low ,etc) Gauge face color Mechanical signal vs. electronic Anything else I may be forgetting? I understand a lot of it is probably just personal preference, just figured I'd see what other guys like or don't like and take that into consideration. |
I have Autometer Pro Comp Mechanical in mine, water temp, oil pressure, vacuum, voltage, trans pressure, Tach ect. If I was starting from scratch, I would go with a Digital Display
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I have Autometer Pro-Comp Ultralite and Silverlite (liquid filled). The top two are liquid filled mechanical gauges for oil pressure and water temp (the most important ones) and the lower left is the voltmeter and the lower right is the transmission temp gauge (mechanical). In the lower center is a small digital tach I use for setting idle and checking stall rpm (no time to look during a pass). The center red light indicates the line-loc is on and the upper red light I no longer use (used to be high EGT warning). The big warning light on the steering column is low oil pressure, big enough and bright enough to get my immediate attention.
I also log EGT's all eight cylinders, oil pressure, boost, fuel pressure, rpm, driveshaft speed and G's on a Racepak Sportsman data logger to look at after the pass. Jim |
I went with Quickcar
http://www.quickcar.com/61-6031-gaug...ing-light-kit/ I added an oil temp gauge to these three, and with the warning lights they are all I've needed. They offer a lot of different packages though. |
Matt, what are you planing for a dash or mount?
My race car is a '65 GTO and it has a pretty simple aluminum dash in it. Autometer guages. I'll take some pictures this weekend and pm them to you. Might give you some ideas. Bill |
Speedhut http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...f5a2511459.jpg
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YES warning lights! Years ago when I went with the big Autometer tach with shift lite I quickly found the light more useful than watching the tach. The light really improved my consistancy. I later went with a smaller tach(Sun super tach II) and a separate shift light. I like mechanical gauges(good accurate results with both Sun and Autometer) and when possible warning lights to direct your attention to the gauge.
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I agree Bruce.
I thought I wanted a big analog(needle) tach, but wonder about digital... pros/cons? Suggestions for digital tachs that I can check out? |
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Mine is attached. Autometer Sports Comp. Tach, oil, water, volts, oil temp. On the steering column is the shift light and an innovate AFR guage (hard to see in the pic). I'll likely get a brake pressure guage in the spring.
But if I was starting over I'd get the Racepak. |
I went to upgrade my gauges, but with the racepak it was actually cheaper to buy a dash than new guages.
The sensors cost about what a good gauge will cost, and if you want it to be displayed by a guage, you're going to want to log that measurement going down the track. The dash can also display warnings and flash warning lights like low oil pressure. It can also flash as a shift light, but I use one in connected to the MSD as its easier to change since I'm in the box in between rounds and almost never in the dash changing settings. http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...1/racepak1.jpg http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...1/racepak2.jpg |
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Matt, here are some pictures of the dash in my '65.
Simple but functional. |
I am usually a huge fan of mechanical gauges, but I went 100% electric on my latest car. I remove 4 screws, unplug a connector, and that part of the dash is out of the car. I have my main electrical junctions behind that part of the dash, and easy removability is a plus.
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Here is my old school gauges for my old school project.
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I like it.
I've decided that I too like the old school look of some gauges. Happened upon a killer deal on a matching set of autometer gauges, all new in their boxes still so I picked em up. Got pro comp 2 silver face memory tach w/ shift light, and matching water temp, oil pressure, trans temp, fuel pressure, and nitrous pressure (which I may or may not need). I'd like to pick up a voltage gauge and a wideband air/fuel gauge as well. That being said, I like the idea of a data recorder, so I want to eventually pick up a Racepak Sportsman Data Logger. Only concern is the fuel pressure, water temp and oil pressure gauges are all liquid-filled... figured on mounting the gauges in the dash, except fuel gauge will probably be mounted on the cowl? But I've heard good and bad about liquid filled gauges so not sure how I feel about that yet... figure I'll give em a shot. |
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I went with the same tach, with shift light, red oil pressure, & blue water temperature warning lights. On track I don't read gauges, but warning lights will get my attention.
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I'm a little late to the party. In the dash I have water temp, fuel pressure, oil pressure, trans oil temp, voltmeter, and a gas gauge that I later changed to a vacuum gauge. Below the dash is a brake pressure gauge.
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My 65's...
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My old set up...
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps742409bc.jpg Auto-meter Ultra Lite gauges. 5" Tach and speedo, 2 1/16" oil, fuel, boost New set-up... http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n...pstr10n75i.jpg |
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Cool trick my brother came up with, use LED lights. Makes it much easier to read the gauges.
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Had LEDs in my 65...Would have switched to Racepak as I ended up switching to Blown alcohol and running egt probes anyhow. Would be easier for data logging and monitoring but I guess it's what you ultimately decide to do. Warning lights are probably best on a pass.
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"Warning lights are probably best on a pass."
best advice right there. I don't have time to look at the gauges going down track, have to keep a closer eye on the car next to me |
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