When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Does anyone have any photos of where you may have hidden gauges in your truck? I would love to have a tach/voltmeter etc, but have no desire to go away from the factory look of the interior.
I have the same problem... my dash is nice and I don't want to cut it. I might add a 3-pod of gauges by screwing a bracket onto the bottom lip of the ash under the radio... if I do that they need to be bigger gauges. They also need to be tilted upwards... which doesn't seem like a typical install. Any ideas?
Years ago, while living in an urban area, I hid my stereo in the glove box of my bumpside. ...As well as the shot glass that id fill using the washer motor.
A set of 2 1/4 gauges would fit just fine in there.
Either under the dash as JacobJ has said, or you could strap to the steering column. I like that option as it gives you a free view and is in line with the other gauges. You could also put some near the headliner above the rear view mirror.
Not to get all Rube Goldberg on ya, but you could mount mechanical gauges under the hood, then install a camera and light to be trained on the gauges. Then monitor the camera with your phone! :idea:
Have you looked at the Dakota Digital gauges? Not the gawdy digital '80's Thunderbird-looking ones, but the VHX series? They're obviously not stock, but look classy enough to pass the glance test and appear to be fairly adaptable for most anything you'd want. Looking hard at 'em for a Cummins Conversion I'm working on, but spendy.
I have one pickup with a pair of 2 1/2"'s in cheapie pods on the steering column, one Tach, one heat, and it looks pretty decent. Will get a picture next time I'm by it......
I've looked at a conversion running around local that had a double mount under the dash on each side of the column that looked pretty good, oil/heat on one side, pyro/manifold pressure on the other, and it looked okay for add-ons, too. Had a bigger Tach on the column - to me, I guess a column mount on these looks stock, since everybody seemed to have one back in the day with no factory tach option, and was so used to seeing them.......
If you have a none a/c cab, what about a tach in the flat panel above the headlight/wiper switch? Ok maybe not as big as this one, but you get my point.
Get you really never shows much amp meter converted to a working volt meter.
I have a phone mounted with a suction cup below the rear view mirror that I use for navigation. I wouldn't mind getting some gauge sensors that can send data thru bluetooth to the phone and present the data as gauges on the phone's screen. I don't see any product like this. The only thing that comes close is an OBD2 plug solution... but obviously I'm not going to install an EFI system on this old thing.
If you have a none a/c cab, what about a tach in the flat panel above the headlight/wiper switch? Ok maybe not as big as this one, but you get my point.
Get you really never shows much amp meter converted to a working volt meter.
Nothing mounted from the e brake handle to the ash tray, they make for nice shin scrapers.
X2 on Rocketman's volt meter. Here's a smaller version of the tach set up...
Dash with Tach
I have updated the in dash gages below with angled bezel rings to they are turned up and left for better viewing. I'm away from home and don't have the updated pictures, but you get the idea.
That tach looks like it belongs right there, nice job. Have you ever though of turning your gauge bodies so when both needled are at the correct PSI/Temp they are at 12:00. Makes for a guick gauge ck or put a small piece of green strip tape on the good setting.
I have a tach and volt meter in my truck and this is how I did it (note Rocketman ahm to volt gauge conversion in stock dash place - doesn't ruin the stock look).
Doh! Didn't think about it 'till Idaho's picture, mine are all 4 speeds so I have lots of room on the column (no gear indicator). So the double-pod probably isn't as neat if you have an auto......
