Gauges dilemma

So, after the challenge i want to put real, functional, accurate gauges in the miata. 

Tach, speedo, fuel level are a given. 

I have a full set of autometer sport comp gauges i bought for the elky that was totalled.

3 3/8 speedo and tach, 2 5/8 oil/water/volts, 2 1/16 gas gauge 

Mechanical oil and water, electric everything else. 

Problem: the 2 5/8 wont fit in the cluster with tach and speedo. That would leave gas gauge as the other option. The 2 5/8 will fit all 3 in the hole where the stereo would be, but not all 3 on one row, and not with a radio. Also, mechanicals are tough to route through the firewall and engine bay cleanly. 

Options: pick up 2 1/16 autometer oil/water. Mechanical is cheaper, but still about 125 for two gauges.

Run idiot lights, not gauges

No stereo, just an amp stuffed somewhere in the car running through the phone (not great option, but doable cheaply)

Or, pick up a set of cnspeed pointer/digital gauges for oil/water. Temp is Celsius. Unknown accuracy, but 50 for tbe pair and the font appears to match pretty close to the autometer. And its a number and pointer readout in the same gauge.  

So, for a street/autocross/drag car, what gauges do you think are important? I plan to have warning lights either way. 

Just debatingmy options. 

for racing duty, tach and oil pressure are mandatory.

for street duty, speedometer and fuel are mandatory.

if you are confident in your cooling system, you can skip water temp *IF* your fans are either (1) mechanical or (2) electric and on a thermal switch.  my buddy just bought a base model '69 Nova, 100% original.   it has speedometer, fuel, and PRNDL.   temp, charge, and oil are all just idiot lights.

Not cheap but some ideas within... 

https://miataroadster.com/garage-vary/garage-vary-gauge-pods/g-67542.aspx

https://rev9autosport.com/garage-vary-triple-meter-holder.html

In reply to John Welsh :

I thought about something similar. I can't bring myself to do it. maybe a pillar pod, but that's  pushing it. I really love the clean lines of the factory dash and interior. 

Im also not willing to put any in the ac vents. I have one there now, and its not the greatest .also, im a fat yankee in the south. Fatty needs air conditioning. 

this is the dash im working with. Other than the fuel gauge in the vent, and the non-functional tach and speedo, i really like the layout.

These are my gauges i bought, and my extras.

The ebay gauges that may match(opinion?)

How about a modification to the glove box door? 

There's not a lot of space in a Miata. 

How about exterior mounted hood scoop gauges ala early Firebird? 

Could you save some space with only an led, digital number speedo? 

Led, light bar tac? 

I never look at the tach in my Miata. Shift by feel and sound. Water temp and oil pressure could be replaced by a warning light. 

John Welsh said:

Could you save some space with only an led, digital number speedo? 

Led, light bar tac? 

That actually would not be a bad idea. Problem is finding an inexpensive one that is programmable or GPS based as the GM computer cannot be altered enough to make the pulse per miles correct

Wait, this thing is obd2 now, right?

Use your cell phone or a cheap tablet mounted with an app hooked into the obd2.

Next to free and gives you everything reliably except for fuel gage.

That is the way I plan to go on my new racecar build.

I figure if those sensors are reliable enough to run the engine, they are reliable enough for me to use as gauges.

You can still hook up mechanical gauges for troubleshooting if the need arises.

Your phone can or tablet can probably even give you vehicle speed on the same readout using the Internal gps.

Yeah, I use the stock dash for the street, and mount my phone hooked up to the megasquirt for the track when I need real information. 

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

Are you sure the gauges won't fit within the stock envelope of the cluster?

I'd make a template of the stock opening from cardstock/cardboard, cut out rings the sizes of the gauges you have and start laying them out.

If you get something that could work, then actually make holes in the template (a piece of scrap aluminum or a piece of CF plate would also work) and try to put it and the gauges into the dash to make sure they all work.

Keep in mind, the gauges themselves don't always NEED their big trim rings or even their entire backs.

I do like the idea of leveraging OBD2 to keep things a bit more simple, you can even DIY it using various bits of code and some off the shelf electronics (or just use a tablet and an app):

https://www.instructables.com/id/Custom-OBD-II-Gauge-in-With-OEM-Look/

Leveraging the CANbus for data gathering and display is becoming more and more common and available:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/learn-me-obdiicanbus-gauges/107549/page1/

For a track car, all I really want an idiot light for:

Water Pressure (low pressure warning light to let me know I lost cooling system)

Water Temp (Too high)

Oil Pressure (too low)

Oil Temp (too high)

Other than that, I want Tach (could be a sequential shift light, or regular shift light if you're cheap!), Fuel Gauge and if you have room and will drive it on the street, a speedo is convienent.

Other than that, ask yourself if you really know that this engine needs to be at 20 PSI when warm at idle?  No?   Would you ever stop running the engine because it dropped to 18? no?  How about on track; would you stop driving because you think the gauge said 50 PSI when last lap at this turn you're pretty sure that it said 55?  If not, it's not useful information, have a bright red light tell you've dropped into "engine damage" range and deal with it if it ever lights up.   Otherwise, send it.

Wonko: really good points! Other than tach, speedo, and fuel level, i really only look at the gauges as go/no go. Unless theres a problem, and then i watch them like a hawk. To tge point they almost become a distraction. So, warning lights may be the best solution here! Something to think about here. Is there any reason mechanically or mentally or visually this is a bad idea? Cant really picture it in my head.

John: youve really got me thinking. I hate to spend more money, but at the same time i don't mind spending a little more. Did some searching (cant really do much else right now) and came across this. 

Creen is roughly 1.5x1.5, which means i could realistically mount the tach center of the factory cluster, this under it, my 2 5/8 water and oil to either side. Fuel would have to find a home. Probably in the blank spot above the stereo, more or less.4 inches down from where it is now. Would put an oil temp gauge or something nest to it to balance it visually. 

My only concern here is wether i can disassemble it, surface mount the lcd, and divorce the guts to somewhere else. 

My lat thought was to grab a cheap 52mm digital readout gps speedo like this, and mount it and a fuel gauge in a pillar pod. Dont love that idea, but dont hate it rither. 

AngryCorvair said:

for racing duty, tach and oil pressure are mandatory.

for street duty, speedometer and fuel are mandatory.

if you are confident in your cooling system, you can skip water temp *IF* your fans are either (1) mechanical or (2) electric and on a thermal switch.  my buddy just bought a base model '69 Nova, 100% original.   it has speedometer, fuel, and PRNDL.   temp, charge, and oil are all just idiot lights.

This seems legit, but I do like seeing my temp gauge. My Sonic doesn't have a temp gauge and it bugs the heck out of me, even though I have no reason to worry about temps.
In my RX7 which sees street, autocross and drag strip duty, I have the factory fuel gauge, speedo and tach, and cheap Sunpro electric gauges for oil pressure, temp and voltage. No idiot lights.

Is that a screen where the radio usually is or is it a block off plate? If that space isn't in use I would be sticking some gauges there. 

In reply to rodknock :

Its currently a block off plate. However, after the challenge a kenwood hd radio is slated to go there. If i want to put 2 5/8 gauges there, no radio and they would be laid out in a v shape. Which would bother my eye. Or, buy 2-3 2 1/16 gauges and keep radio. Or no gauges and radio. 

I have an 8k tach to replace the 11k tach, and it will be water instead of volrs on the left. But the primary 4 gauges fit in the factory cluster hole! 

I will put 2 1/16 fuel, volts, and SOMETHING else in a singledin pod above the stereo. 

The o ly way this setup works is by 64ths if an inch, and a little intentional denting of the gauge bezels. Its tight. 

Still need to come up with locations and actual bulbs for indicators and warning lights. Need cel, turns, high beam, water/oil warning. Would love to integrate a shift light as well, but thats not a must have.