LocostUSA.com

I have a Rotus with a rotary engine with old gauges; and only a few of them work.

If cost were not a consideration what are the coolest looking and best functioning gauges, except for the digital pods which I don't like?

Also, reasonable cost is fine instead of the very best if the very best are over the top expensive and add nothing to functionality.

Thanks for your suggestions in advance.

steve

My VDO Visions gauges have been fine, four years old and 25,000 miles. You are going to have to determine the "cool" factor and cost considerations. To me, they look right at home in old British sports cars.

Bill

Probably no one will agree, but I like my Smith's mechanical gauges. No electricity required. They work even when the car is turned off! That's about as old school as you can get. I use a tach, water temp and a combined oil pressure/temperature gauge. Hmm, I don't have lighting for them, I wonder if they can do that?

They are EMP resistant, so they have that extra Mad Max cache...

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

Gee and I prefer digital. At least the concept of digital although there are a few digital gauges out there I don't like.

In my S2000 I know exactly how fast I am running at any given moment. And it's so much easier to modulate speed to stay on the safe side.

Nothing else is digital in it, but in the Cobra the digital water temp and oil temp gauges have saved at least one engine. You'll, or at least I'll notice a temp creeping up with the numbers in my face but I don't see it nearly as quickly on a graduated scale analog gauge.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

I put in separate switches for idiot light on my oil pressure at least. You could probably get one for water temp too. The oil pressure one is adjustable.

I wired it up to a trailer light I mounted on the center of my steering wheel. I don't miss it when it lights up!

W've had some very nice gauges posted in some other threads here. I know the oval track folks that run on dirt tracks have water proof ones because they hose the car down after events. That sounds good for a Locost. I wold also expect something that runs every week in a Modified race would be pretty rugged too.

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

Wow, you just reminded me about the oil light I too ran a huge red light in my field of vision on the race Minis Red flags be damned*, I only respond *quickly* too my red light.

On topic though, I did have a PI digital datalogging dash next to that bright red light. The rpm was one of those incrementing bar things. It was accurate, but there was somehting about it that didn't feel right compared to a moving needle. Also, I had oil pressure, temp & water temp all in digits. I have to say that when you are 'in the moment' and concentrating on the road, it was far easier to eyeball a needle to see the approximate direction, than to have to concentrate on the PI dash to read the numbers.

Although i'm a geek, I think I prever analogue too (Or at least digitally controlled dials ).

*I do stop really

Yep they are normally lighted. The bulb is external and the socket snaps into to the gauge mounting bracket. The light washes thru the blue celluloid near the front of the gauge lighting the gauge and needle. Unfortunately, they are not very bright and a lot of the light goes to light up the footwell behind the dash. I tried to make a lightshield to direct mor light into the gauge but that effort stalled.

My RX7 instrument cluster comes complete with a low oil level light/ low coolant/ over rev buzzer. The first/only time I heard that was during the autocross event at The Gathering. I said "WTF was that?" 2nd time I watched a bit closer, this time I saw the dash mounted low-oil light also came on at the same time. Oil pressure remained OK. So the buzzer was sounding for low oil level. Since my eyes were on the pylons, I certainly heard the buzzer long before I saw the red light, even with the loud rotary engine. I can recommend adding a loud buzzer. I guess if I do more autocross, I'll have to add baffles in the oil sump.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Yo-
I'd sort of go along w/ Horizon on this one... well, not as far as saying I like Smith's gauges... but I do vote for mechanical/analog gauges. Totally reliable, no sending units to mix/match, and the temp gauge works w/ ignition off. Simple, basic...

As for readin numbers, I just rotate gauges in the bezel until "normal" for that gauge is straight up. I can see that without the bifocals, runnin up a bumpy road at twice the sane limit. Not the same w/ digital, in my opinion.

Never had a shift light... Might try one in the Slotus. I shifted the MGB by ear!

Peace, Love and Pro-Comp-

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

I have a very small (2" diameter) Stewart Warner shift light/digital tach combo in the formula car. I've been pretty happy with it since its small and light and the shift light keeps you from having to bother reading the numbers when driving.

If you don't have EFI or a good tach output signal something like this would be about worthless.

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-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

Smith's mechanical gauges were used on most
racing cars in the past, more accurate than nowadays
gizmos. Recently we bought a set of four (used) in a flea market, that looked like good old Smith's, and by close examination, on the dial with tiny letters it said "Made in Russia"..,.. Gawd ! Russkies never have been my saints, but them instruments do look like Smith's with needles pointing upward under normal condition (except fuel gauge hehe) well lit at night and each gauge has a tiny red idiot light incorporated on the dial (not visible under normal
condition) . They probably came from Russian made
Lada cars, which they don't sell them in Quebec anymore

Greets
Ewhen

I guess I'm old school as well, because I'm using Smiths instruments. Since I'm using a wasted-spark, GM-based electronic ignition, I still don't know how I'm going to get the tach to work, but I will (even if I have to gut it & install the guts of a modern tach).

Since the car itself is a re-creation of a '60's sports car, I figure the gauges should look the part.

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Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/

That is why I put the old chrome ring SW in mine.

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Graham,
www.earleymotorsports.com

I went along with the Locost idea [cheap but useable gauges] when I did my instrument choices. I wanted to use the original Suzuki motorcycle instrument pod for the features it has and a semi traditional hot rod looking dash for more instruments mounted at the center of the dash board.

After searching around for awhile I found that SurplusCenter had a nice selection of semi matching AMI gauges at very reasonable prices. Even though they don't all exactly match each other they were OK for the theme I had in mind. Basically what an older race car might look like (function over matching good looks).

The Surplus Center gauges are the four black gauges on either side of the chrome JCWhitney fuel level gauge. The total cost for the gauges and fuel level kit was $61 in 2006.



The instruments from left to right are, water temperature, battery voltage, fuel level gauge, oil pressure and fuel pressure. There are two hi intensity red warning LEDs indicators used. One over the temperature gauge for a "fan running" indicator and another red LED as an additional low oil pressure warning indicator.

The Suzuki instrument pod is mounted over the steering column. You can see the whole dash and details how I mounted everything at my website under "build pictures".

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"My junk is organized. At least is was when I put it wherever it is." -olrowdy
Completed building GSXR1000 CMC7, "Locouki"
Website: http://projekt.com/locouki/

I've always liked the Smiths gauges that were in my old 1965 MGB and other English cars. But the cost is up there if you find ones in good condition. I also like the original style Stewart Warner gauges with stainless bezels. I would have used those, except the only speedometer that matched was 160mph and I wanted a 120. So I wound up going with AutoMeter gauges with chrome bezels that looked similar to the SW. Price was moderate too.

John

I thought I had added a photo of my guages but I hadn't. I have added it a few messages ago.

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Graham,
www.earleymotorsports.com