Date:         Wed, 1 Feb 1995 08:20:57 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Chris Chubb" <cchubb@card-u1.ida.org>
Subject:      Re: Fill hole to right of speedo.

/Recently, someone asked about the blank gauge hole on his/her Bus next to
/the speedo.  The same thing has bugged me for years as I don't need a
/clock (I'm going to be late anyway) and I certainly don't need a tach
/(there's only four relevant RPM points on my Bus: off, lugging, racing out
/of control, or running just fine).  What I've always wanted was a combo
/oil temperature/oil pressure gauge to fit the hole.  I've looked in VW
/magazines aplenty but I haven't seen any like this.  Does one exist?

Well, in a 70 Bus that I had when I was in school, the previous
owner had installed a unit from an American car, I think he said
a Camaro, that had three gauges and a light into that hole. The 
gauge was Oil pressure, water temp, and volts, and a check engine light,
all in a 2.5 inch bezel. He cut some thick black plastic to fit the
dash hole and inserted the gauge unit in it. All the gauges for
that unit were electrical sending (I dont know which year),
so they only required a little trimming to operate. It looked OK,
and worked great. The water temp sensor was mounted in the oil
sump plate, so would almost always max out quickly. I used it
to tell when it was OK to drive away. The Check Engine light was wired
to the generator light, and all was okey dokey. The water temp sensor failed 
while I was driving it, and could not stand the heat for more than 6 months
each time. So I disconnected it until winter came around, then used
it again.

Ob Non-VW Bashing: I went and looked at a Bronco for winter driving the
other day. The ad said: Entensive performance modifications
and instrument improvements. They turned out to be the wrong
Holley carb for the engine and a tachometer. Sheesh, they
should see what some of the people around here do!
-- 
--- Chris Chubb (cchubb@ida.org) - (703)-845-2287 [Alexandria, VA, USA]
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