Adding gauges to the center console

[Jack Olsen]

It seemed simple enough.

With my erector-set aero pieces going on the car, I'd opted to add a CHT gauge to make sure any aerodynamic improvement wasn't coming at the expense of my motor. I already had a transaxle temp gauge and one for the battery in my center console. Previously, I'd had my shop leave room for CD's and the switch for a rear 964 tail.



I no longer run the 964 tail, and I no longer carry CDs in the car, so I thought I'd expand the piece in the console for an additional gauge or two.

But with standard 2-1/16 inch gauges, it's not going to happen. There's not enough room in the cut-out for two of them to go side-by-side.

So, the only way to make it fit is to cut out the frame that goes around the storage area in the original console. While I was at it, I also cut out the back of the inner section, since I didn't gain anything from having reduced access to this area. What's more, it added weight.



I'd found a leather center console in my basement -- an old eBay purchase I'd forgotten about. Unfortunately, it had gotten wet, and was covered in mildew. It wasn't until I cleaned it up that I saw it was brown, not black. (The one in the picture above isn't mine.)

Here's a picture of my console. You can see where I chopped out the inner frame:



And here you can see the back section chopped off as well. (Crude cuts, but it's not going to show.)



Now, even with the frame taken out, you can not fit two standard gauges in the top half. So, installing four gauges was going to be out of the question. In my case, this was all right, since I need a place to keep my sunglasses more than I need a fourth gauge. I decided to add a sunglasses compartment instead. Using a drill press, I cut holes in a piece of .040 gauge aluminum.



Even after cleaning all the mildew off of the donor console, the plastic part still wasn't black enough. So I used a satin-finish paint on it:



Then I used Surflex to re-color the brown leather black:

[Jack Olsen]

Next up, I used the vinyl off of an owner's manual pouch from my other car. Fortunately, there was twice as much vinyl as I needed, since my inexperience at this sort of thing bit me in the butt, at this point. Covering the aluminum with the vinyl was pretty straightforward:



For the sunglasses holder, I used a thinner piece of aluminum, and lined it with a self-adhesive sheet of 1/8-inch padding from an art supply store. The plan was then to gunk some adhesive where the tube for the glasses mated to the back of the instrument panel. But the adhesive I used had the unintended side effect of functioning like a solvent on the spray adhesive I'd used on the vinyl and the aluminum. My vinyl immediately started to separate from the aluminum wherever it came into contact with the new adhesive.

I had to remove all the old vinyl and go back to bare aluminum. With the time it took for the adhesives to set, it meant losing a full day.

Back to the hardware store Sunday morning, and I got some good two-part epoxy. I cut and glued a new piece of vinyl, and then used rubber bands to hold the sunglasses tube in place.



I fitted the two existing gauges, so that the gunked-on epoxy wouldn't interfere with their fitting. From the back, you can see that I used plastic tape to contain the adhesive, so the gauges could still be removed. (I'll leave the duct tape in place, but the epoxy connects aluminum to aluminum.)



And here it is, ready for the CHT gauge when it arrives:



My fabrication skills are about as limited as you'll ever find. But I think in the low light of the cabin, this will work out okay.

[Wil Ferch]

Lookin' good Mr. Olsen... !

Wil

[k9handler]

ok, now make another one. =o)

[RickM]

Looks good.

To finish off the sunglass cavity you may want to visit your hardware store to pick a black grommet. Will finish off real nice.

Like below but without the cap:




OR a more appropriately sized piece:

2-1/6" X 3-13/32" RECTANGULAR TO FIT 1.83" X 3.20" HOLE

[Jack Olsen]

A grommet would have been a good idea.

[ZOA NOM]

Jack, you have no idea how good it is to know that there is duct tape in your beautiful car, just like every other DIY-er's machine. Helps my inferiority complex big time. Nice job, I've always thought there was a better use for that space out there.

[scottb]

Originally posted by Jack Olsen
A grommet would have been a good idea.

Jack: You can still add one. Find a grommet that will fit, and just cut off one side of the retaining part of the grommet. Then, use some black adhesive, and carefully glue it in place. It will really add a nice finishing touch to the hole for your glasses.

Nice work, overall. A writer, driver and fabricator....now that's a Renaissance man if I've ever seen one!

[silverc4s]

Jack,
The console looks good - I always thought that the early cars should have had such a piece from Stuttgart...
Does anyone know what the first 911 with a console was?? I recall that the first Turbo, 1974 I guess, had one.
Anyway congrats on finishing without trip to ER...;-)

[Moses]

What a car. Part beast, part civilized weekend cruiser. Nice work. Now I have a new project... I would have so much more free time and money if I ignored your posts!

[Jack Olsen]

Anyone got a source for a 1.5 x 2.5 inch oval grommet?

[RoninLB]

fwiw..
you can combine 2 into 1 for a total of 6 instruments in 3 gauges.

#5 CHT + #5 EGT

volt + trany temp

CDI case temp sensor + Alt case temp sensor

then a row of rocker sw across the top

[Oh Haha]

Jeez Jack!
Do you ever just relax?!!!!
I think of little things like this all the time but I would never leave the garage if I acted on them. I like the DIY attitude,man. Makes me not feel so bad about modding stuff in my car to better suit my needs.

[RarlyL8]

Cooooool !
DIY makes this board what it is!

[Moses]

Jack, I think you need a new shift knob. The Momo Anatomico would look nice.

[RoninLB]

.


"You want WHAT on the @#$%ing ceiling?"

-- Michelangelo, 1566

[Jack Olsen]

Here's the final assembly of the gauges.



The CHT gauge requires no power, so it always has a read-out. You can see I was driving the car not too long before this picture was taken.



The CHT readings are interesting. It goes right up to 200 degrees -- like before I've backed all the way out of the driveway. Then I get readings between 200 and 250 during normal driving (in current 70-75 degree ambient temps). I haven't been able to get a reading above 250.

CHT and oil temps rarely correspond. One can be going up while the other one goes down.

It can take an hour or more for the cylinder heads to cool back down.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Jack Olsen

The CHT readings are interesting.

CHT and oil temps rarely correspond.

your readings are received from a high variable heat area. Plug gaskets dissapate heat+.

A super duper pro install is to tap into the head for the probe. The art on that install is factoring the many variables that affect the head outside metal and knowing which area is a good reflection of the head temps.. Good entertainment is to search for Grady's CHT tap install. I don't know enough to comment if it's labratory quality, but I do have a prejudical comment that shouts Grady's CHT install is super duper.

meanwhile the plug gasket is a great area as long as I somewhat understand it. An accurate digital read-out can track waves of EGT affecting the gasket probe 10-25deg on a street engine.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Jack Olsen
Anyone got a source for a 1.5 x 2.5 inch oval grommet?

Try a electronics store, not Radio Shack but a real one. Even better yet, a surplus type of store. Know of one in San Diego but thats too far from you. Got to be some around Burbank airport.

Joe A

[Guy Chiattello]

Jack,

Here is another approach to using the limited space in our 911 consoles. The electric switch between the AC controls is for my C2 electric deck lid. I was able to get both gauges in the tight space by filing a flat spot on the side of each guage.

At the bottom of the console is the controller for the CD changer I installed under the drivers seat.

Lastly, note the C2 dash that I installed last summer. Thanks for your help with that project.

Guy Chiattello
82 SC Black Coupe