Gauge Cluster

Bus, Microbus, Transporter, Station Wagon, Vanagon, Camper, Pick-Up.

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RussellK
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Gauge Cluster

Post by RussellK » Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:12 am

I like gauges. Ever since my first car I've installed them. I never felt good about cutting holes in the bus dash so for awhile I had them mounted on those rubber mounts VDO makes just above my knees. The trouble was when I wanted to check my gauges the steering wheel obstructed my vision. Sitting in the drivers seat I determined I could see those gauges perfectly if they were sitting just right of the ebrake and pointed gently toward me. That way when I do my 180 scan, driver side mirror, windshield, passenger side mirror and back those gauges fall right in the sequence. Trouble is I couldn't locate any mounts that were angled toward me correctly so I made my own by cutting PVC pipe at the angle I desired, gluing the cluster with PVC Cement and fabricating a bracket. I'm quite happy with the result.
IMG_0464 (Small).JPG

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drober23
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by drober23 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:15 am

Looks good and is "un-doable". A win win!
DJ

'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe
(plus more busses than sense)

In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey

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Amskeptic
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:00 am

RussellK wrote:I like gauges.
As an "old fart without GPS", I can't read those durn new-fangled widgetmacallits down there.
ColinCrank
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

RussellK
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by RussellK » Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:45 am

Amskeptic wrote:
RussellK wrote:I like gauges.
As an "old fart without GPS", I can't read those durn new-fangled widgetmacallits down there.
ColinCrank
They're half way to the passenger side mirror. You do frequently check that mirror don't you? Cantankerous old farts

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Bleyseng
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by Bleyseng » Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:34 pm

I couldn't see em down there either so I mounted em under the radio but now Monique is always putting her coffee/tea cup in the upholder dealie which I need to remove.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

RussellK
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by RussellK » Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:28 am

Bleyseng wrote:I couldn't see em down there either so I mounted em under the radio but now Monique is always putting her coffee/tea cup in the upholder dealie which I need to remove.
If they were flush with the dash I wouldn't be able to see them either. The picture doesn't show it very well but I cut the tubes so they angle toward me. That way I'm looking directly at them. Don't the cupholders interfere with the shifter?

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Amskeptic
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:03 am

RussellK wrote:
Amskeptic wrote:
RussellK wrote:I like gauges.
As an "old fart without GPS", I can't read those durn new-fangled widgetmacallits down there.
ColinCrank
They're half way to the passenger side mirror. You do frequently check that mirror don't you? Cantankerous old farts
I can see a truck in the mirror without having to read its vehicle number, dab nabbit.

I can't read a VDO gauge staring straight at it, the little hash marks are not in sensible and intuitive increments!
COFin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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airkooledchris
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by airkooledchris » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:51 am

Amskeptic wrote:I can't read a VDO gauge staring straight at it, the little hash marks are not in sensible and intuitive increments!
COFin
while not as esthetically pleasing or as period correct as the VDO style gauges, this is exactly why I prefer to the Dakota Digital units. one very quick glance and you know exactly what the number is - because that's all that's displayed.

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1979 California Transporter

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Bleyseng
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Re: Gauge Cluster

Post by Bleyseng » Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:29 pm

RussellK wrote:
Bleyseng wrote:I couldn't see em down there either so I mounted em under the radio but now Monique is always putting her coffee/tea cup in the upholder dealie which I need to remove.
If they were flush with the dash I wouldn't be able to see them either. The picture doesn't show it very well but I cut the tubes so they angle toward me. That way I'm looking directly at them. Don't the cupholders interfere with the shifter?
No, the cupholder does interfere with the shifter but the "stuff" that does get shoved in em does so that's why I don't like it.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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