Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1999 21:23:18 -0800
Reply-To: Ray Hunnam <hunnam@PNC.COM.AU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ray Hunnam <hunnam@PNC.COM.AU>
Organization: RAYJEN Security
Subject: Re: Adding gauges to a Vanagon dashboard,
and which are important? LONG
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Hi all
I have been following these messages for a while now. You guys have given me a good
idea where I can mount some additional gauges. My 91 Transporter only came with a
basic dash board, nothing fancy just pure basics.
I wanted some extra storage in my van for the odds and sods that one gathers on a
trip; mobile phone, wallet, Aunty Ethel"s house keys etc. Well I found the original
glove box just wasn't big enough. Here's what I did.
I got a sheet of three ply and made a box. My box is 600mm long x 250mm wide and is
fitted with a hinged lid. Now we all know the slope on our Vans Dashboard so I made
the front of my box 150mm deep and tapered it to 80mm at the rear ( windscreen ).
The box just about exactly follows the slope of the vanagon dash. After making my
box I painted in a matt black to match the color of my dashboard. Now my additional
glove box sits on the dash and doesn't sit higher that the instrument pod.
Fixing it to the dash I removed the ash tray ( I don't smoke anyway ) and made a
plug of solid wood to fit into the hole reserved for the ash tray. My block of wood
was fitted with cleats of wood around it to prevent it going too far into the hole
in the dash and hitting on the radio. A few rubber stops screwed to the bottom of
the box and you have it a lovely large box for all your goddies. It doesn't move
around and sits fairly securely on the dash when driving.
Result I have a perfect receptacle for additional gauges fitted to the dash without
the need of drilling holes in the dash metal to feed cables/lines. If I drill a
large enough hole in the anchor plug fitted in the ash tray they all wires can be
fed through into the box and connected to gauges mounted on the face of the
additional glove box. By angling them to the right I have excellent vision of them
whilst driving.
I read one response where one of our guys Gary was going to mount and additional
instrument cluster on top of his original one. Would not that make it fairly high,
it may interfere with vision.
No copy write on the box if you feel like you want one then go ahead and make it.
You wont even have to mention my name in the credits.
Ray
From, sunny down town Penrith, Just outside Sydney, Australia
Gary Kovach wrote:
> I've thought about this and got an extra empty instrument panel cover - the
> thing that
> covers the speedo & tach/clock. You could mount it right on top of the other
> cover and run the wires up thought the old unit.
>
> Or, place it beside the existing one by carving away the side of the new one to
> fit the curves of the old one. As I recall, it covers the ash tray. Remove the
> ash tray and run the wires up through it.
>
> Of course, a lot of picking and work with a dremmel tool will be required.
>
> Gary
> 88GL
>
