Miata Opinions Needed: Extra Gauges

I am at a critical decision point with my '96 Miata.

I am getting ready to bolt in a Hard Dog roll cage. I have two extra gauges that I need to mount somewhere; water temp and oil pressure along with an LED low pressure light.

On my last car, I mounted the gauges in two of the eyeball vents. Although they looked good, they were a little hard to read and I missed the extra airflow when I was wearing my helmet.

For this car I bought an A pillar gauge mount. I've never liked these things, but I thought it would be a good solution. The thing is, I need to install the trim before the roll cage, so it becomes a bit of a committed relationship. It would also make any gauge removal little more difficult.

Which would you choose?

Personally I can't stand A-pillar gauges, I would try and mount them on the dash above the steering wheel or off to the right. Good luck!

Woody can you put them on your steering column? I'm with Joshua. A-pillar gauges SUCK. Nothing like making a view obstruction... bigger.

I don't like either that much TBH, I would pull out the radio if it's still there, replace it with a single DIN unit and use the top half over the radio to hold the gauges with something similar to this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110665976831&viewitem=

The other option would be the Garage Vary Mouse Ear Pods. Not cheap, but IMHO a reasonably neat solution that keeps the gauges in your line of vision:

http://www.rev9autosport.com/brands/a-g/garage-vary/garage-vary-gauge-pods.html

I'd stick them in that cubby hole below the radio. A few 944 places offer a DIN-size gauge mount for 2 gauges, and I'm sure other places have them as well. Stick the LED warning light on top of the column.

Also, convert your factory oil pressure sender to a 94 unit to make the factory gauge work for real as well.

Actually I'd move the radio down and lose the cubby hole, makes the gauges more readable.

BoxheadTim wrote: I don't like either that much TBH, I would pull out the radio if it's still there, replace it with a single DIN unit and use the top half over the radio to hold the gauges with something similar to this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110665976831&viewitem= The other option would be the Garage Vary Mouse Ear Pods. Not cheap, but IMHO a reasonably neat solution that keeps the gauges in your line of vision: http://www.rev9autosport.com/brands/a-g/garage-vary/garage-vary-gauge-pods.html

I like the Garage Vary Mouse Ears.... Nice solution.

BoxheadTim wrote: Actually I'd move the radio down and lose the cubby hole, makes the gauges more readable.

That may be the winner, right there, if there's room to move it. That's way out of the line of sight, though, and that cubby sure is handy.

Those Garage Vary pods are nice, but $99?!

There is of course also the really expensive solution: http://www.rev9autosport.com/na/interior/zoom-type-1-radio-console.html

BoxheadTim wrote: The other option would be the Garage Vary Mouse Ear Pods. Not cheap, but IMHO a reasonably neat solution that keeps the gauges in your line of vision: http://www.rev9autosport.com/brands/a-g/garage-vary/garage-vary-gauge-pods.html

This is pretty much what I had in mind, just directly bolted to the dash with a homemade cover to keep the cost down!

In reply to Woody:

There normally is if the center console structure is the same as on the JDM ones (I've never taken a US console apart for lack of a US spec Miata).

The radio mount is actually for a double DIN radio that's split between a single DIN head unit and a cubby hole.

Maybe I'll put them in the two center vents in the hope of getting more airflow out of the left side vent. I could even block off the passenger side vent.

I've got boost and water temperature in an A-pillar gauge pod, and they really don't obstruct the view noticeably on the street or autocross. That being said, I don't have a cage with front bars.

most factory gages are so well damped, you would never know there is a problem until the engine died.

many factory temp gages have three positions.. Cold, warm, toasted

djhives wrote: BTW - whats wrong with the stock dash oil pressure guage and water temp guage, do they be broken??

In a 96 Miata the factory water temp gauge only reads cold, normal operating temperature, and overheated. It has no variance in-between, critical for a track car. Same story on the oil pressure gauge, it either has pressure or doesn't, it doesn't actually tell you what that pressure is.

To the OP:

Most gauges come with cups (or they can be ordered) that can be placed anywhere. They have a pedestal mount and everything. They were the bane of 1960's dash pads...

Can you replace the stock gauges with aftermarket units? They look fairly close in size from the pictures.

Maybe see if you can score a spare stock gauge set and hack away until you get them mounted in place.

If you can get them mounted, rotate them so that the needles are within eyesight when normal. Makes it easier to scan the gauges and note if something isn't right.

I have a spare gauge cluster, but since the whole back side is a circuit board, I'd kill the tach, speedometer and fuel gauge.

How about a piece of lexan and a hole saw? I was going to add an A/F gauge and some switches next to the megasquirt. Only problem is they might be even more difficult to see then ones in the eye ball vents.

Very serious question. And it can help figure out where you are going to put them.

What is the point of the gauges. As in are you going to monitor them all the time, or at certain times, or are you putting them in just to be cool?

And a quick follow up question- what will you do with the information?

If your intent is that you expect something to happen on the track and you WILL react immediately, that gives you an entirely different answer than you have no real idea what they mean, but some internet site said they were cool.

And having a Miata, I know the answer isn't quite that extreme.

But, IMHO, you really need to honestly ask that, and then some of the suggestions on placement makes a lot more sense.

For instance, if you can deal with looking once a couple of laps on a boring part of the track- well, anywhere will be fine. If you would like to see it more often- the radio spot is darned good. If you need to see it more often, then the a-pillar.

On the other hand, if you want it to look very factory, adapt the gauges in the dash. I know you can do that with oil pressure. I bet it's not all that hard with water temp.

If it were me, I would have a light that I know is correct, put the gauges in the radio (if the original IP isn't possible), and use a data logger to track them around events for post processing. But that is ME, not you. So be honest with what you want, and what you would do with the info.

alfadriver wrote: What is the point of the gauges. As in are you going to monitor them all the time, or at certain times, or are you putting them in just to be cool?

First thing first: I am not cool.

These will get a quick glance on the straight parts of the track. The oil pressure gauge will be backed up by a low pressure light. My concerns are low oil pressure on corners and overheating in the paddock after a session on the track.

Woody wrote:

alfadriver wrote: What is the point of the gauges. As in are you going to monitor them all the time, or at certain times, or are you putting them in just to be cool?

First thing first: I am *not* cool. These will get a quick glance on the straight parts of the track. The oil pressure gauge will be backed up by a low pressure light. My concerns are low oil pressure on corners and overheating in the paddock after a session on the track.

Ok, so you are trying to be cool...

Anyway, if you are only going to look at them on straights, is there a problem with a radio location? I ask that since you mentioned not liking the a-pillar as a location. Seems like you should be able to glance down at them pretty easy on a straight.

Edit- that's assuming you can live without the cubby hole there..... I know I can easily see a satillite radio I have in that spot on my car.

I've got a boost gauge mounted below my radio. It is very difficult to spare a glance at that gauge "in the heat of battle."

I'd prefer a gauge set above the center vents on the dash. I'm not sure how to mount it without cutting the dash. I also haven't investigated this option.

Do you need the factory gauges? This is a dash for the CRX that I'm currently working on -

If you do not mind spending some bucks.. www.carbontrix.com makes some nice pods in two and three gage flavours that you could mount to the top of your console/radio area.

Three Gage pod

I had one of these in my 1990 and I loved it! (a little expensive, but VERY professional looking... my only gripe was that you had to look so far away from the road/track to monitor them...