Gages in the Console - need some ideas and info.

RarlyL8 · RarlyL8's Garage

Hey all!
I need to add some gages to the gray slant to see what's going on and do some tuning. Problem is the console has no provisions for them. There is this goofy locking system thingy at the top which leaves a 3.75" x 4" space/hole.
Question is what do you use to make a plate or cover to mount/secure gages in this spot? I did a custom mount in the red rocket a decade ago and can't for the life of me remember how I did it or where I got the plastic material that matched the console. It looked like it was factory so I must have been lucky to find the material.
Any help is appreciated and please post any custom console/gage mods you have done.

quattrorunner · quattrorunner's Garage

Does your car have this console? Look at all the space I have. I just made an aluminum plate and painted it with crinkle paint, looks great I think and will be adding a colt gauge and some toggle switches as well.

Tippy · 08-09-2012, 10:55 AM

Matte finished sheet plastic looks pretty good in my car for block-offs.

JFairman · 08-09-2012, 11:15 AM

Not much room and I wanted AFR and cyl head temp gauges in there.
I attached the oversized central locking switch thing to the bottom of the ashtray frame to have more room. It's easier to reach and looks good there too.

I used a piece of mahogony veneer 1/4" plywood because I still had a piece around from making a center console gauge panel for a BMW around 17 years ago... and I sprayed it satin black. If I had a piece of textured plastic I would have used that.

It looks alot better from driver position inside the car than straight on a foot away with a little pocket camera. The blue light at the bottom comes on with the AC compressor clutch so I know if it's engaged.

flat_6 · flat_6's Garage

I just made a panel to mount my AFR gauge. I drew it up in CAD and then had it cut by a friend on a waterjet for $15.

Miguel Antonett · 08-09-2012, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFairman

Not much room and I wanted AFR and cyl head temp gauges in there.
I attached the oversized central locking switch thing to the bottom of the ashtray frame to have more room. It's easier to reach and looks good there too.

I used a piece of mahogony veneer 1/4" plywood because I still had a piece around from making a center console gauge panel for a BMW around 17 years ago... and I sprayed it satin black. If I had a piece of textured plastic I would have used that.

It looks alot better from driver position inside the car than straight on a foot away with a little pocket camera. The blue light at the bottom comes on with the AC compressor clutch so I know if it's engaged.

Prrrrrreeeeettttty cool!

RarlyL8 · RarlyL8's Garage

Nice stuff!
How are you securing the panel to the console?

quattrorunner · quattrorunner's Garage

If you look at the top of the design from flat 6, it has two tabs for two notches in the console. Mine snaps into the notches with those tabs and presses in with friction on the bottom. Mine is in the shape of an L from behind to secure it.

JFairman · 08-09-2012, 03:11 PM

Once it was cut and sanded to fit snug in the console I glued pieces of the same plywood that would fit between the gauges at right angles to the back sides of the panel.
Used harbor freight 5 minute hardening clear epoxy built up in several layers each time it hardened in the corners so it's strong.
Then positioned it in there, drilled holes in the plastic sides of the console through the plywood side pieces for short self tapping screws, and screwed it in place.

Did the same for the AC control holder at the bottom and the plastic cover for the back of the console covers all the screws I used when it's back on.

ELZ's930 · 05:39 PM

I did something very similiar to "quatrorunner" Aluminum plate bent into an L, tabs at the top and L at the bottom. Tabs lock in and two sheet metal screws through the bottom plastic of the console and into the aluminum. Remove screws to service gauges. I put an Andial Intercooler temp on top, Cylinder head temp, then AFR on bottom.

xbmwguy · xbmwguy's Garage

here is mine with black marine starboard

RarlyL8 · RarlyL8's Garage

Nice looking installs!

This is what I had in the Red Rocket. I put the clock and AFR meter in the console and a boost gage where the clock was. The material I used for the console was really thick rough finish plastic. It looked like it belonged there. Where can I get that stuff?

I do remember how I mounted it now. I routered a piece of 1" plywood to form a square and glued it to the back side border of the plastic face. Glued felt around the wood so it would slide in and out easy to service the gage. It was an interference fit as the console hole decreased in size with depth. I then cut round holes in the wood/plastic.

Tippy · 08-09-2012, 07:10 PM

I have a plastics company in town that carries all types, thicknesses, shapes, and finishes of plastics. That's where I got my matte black 1/8" stuff from.

quattrorunner · quattrorunner's Garage

Quote:

I did something very similiar to "quatrorunner" Aluminum plate bent into an L, tabs at the top and L at the bottom. Tabs lock in and two sheet metal screws through the bottom plastic of the console and into the aluminum. Remove screws to service gauges. I put an Andial Intercooler temp on top, Cylinder head temp, then AFR on bottom.

Holy crap that's just like mine.

911nut · 911nut's Garage

Installing extra gauges in a 965 is a little more challenging than in a 930. Console space is at a premium so it's possible to cleanly install only one gauge, IMO.
I had initially installed a boost gauge in the ashtray, much like many 930 installations. The sightline from the driver's seat made the gauge hard to read quickly and accurately; not a good thing when hurtling down the road under boost.
I decided to move my gauge to the cubby under the rocker switches at the top of the console. I sourced a C2 spoiler control panel to mount the gauge in and an angle ring kit from Summitt Racing to rotate the gauge into a better sightline. Here is the angled gauge in the panel:

All that was left was to hook up the gauge and snap it into the console:

Now I can glance at the gauge and get an accurate read of my boost.

SCHNELE · SCHNELE's Garage

My solution, albeit different console.

onboost · 01:26 PM

I just finished one for a friends Turbo

The 1st pic shows 2 different face plates

- one for my 930 that has Special Wishes unit as provide by AJR

- the other one is Lincoln's console above but with slightly diferent configuration> It previously had a set of cassette boxes. We closed the hole, re-drilled & recovered..

zarl911 · 08-13-2012, 07:01 PM

onboost · 08-14-2012, 03:41 AM

Hmmm, I thought the title of the thread was;
"Gages in the Console - need some ideas and info" Not the lack thereof..

Somebody always misses the point!

RarlyL8 · RarlyL8's Garage

That's OK it shows one more place you can mount stuff. I've got a controller mounted in that spot right now and the goofy alarm switches are mounted atop the console as well. All that alarm crap is going to be cut out which is why I am looking into the gage mounting options.

I made a plate but like Paul only have room for one gage with all the other stuff that is already there. So now I'm looking at custom gages for the dash as well. Can't rule anything out at this point but you have to be able to read the gages at a glance while on boost.