Topic: Lets see gauges, switch panels and cockpit photos
Dayderaming about how I want to layout gauges and switches... lets see yours!
-Dave
Scuderia Ignorante // Modena / Dearborn / Aichi Prefecture / West Texas
The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Pics, Pics, Pics (and Vids) → Lets see gauges, switch panels and cockpit photos
Dayderaming about how I want to layout gauges and switches... lets see yours!
Our is clearly visible in our videos. See the Vimeo link in my sig.
Our design was gauges on top, then LED indicators, then switches, then below that resettable circuit breakers. If one blows the driver can see it and try a reset. Other fuses are in the box behind the panel.
We've also got a smaller add-on panel we install for street driving. It has the horn and blinker buttons and a cigarette lighter power plug for our A/F meter and other stuff. The blinker switches are separate toggles, one for left and one for right. Turn them both on and we've got emergency flashers.
We had FrontPanelExpress.com make ours. Download their free software, draw it up, click a link, and a week later you've got it.
I've tried doing my own but I can't keep the holes lined up and can't drill/cut for the larger holes or do decent text.
Here's what I built for the Black Metal V8olvo aka Death Cab back in '08.
That reminds me to leave room for the Judge Phil suggested "no talent idiot light" to go along with the empty space for the talent meter gauge.
On the GTP we just have the OEM gauge cluster mounted with a couple homemade brackets and screws, the original HUD still works as well but we opted to take it out.
The problem with some post-80s cars is that the ECM requires the factory cluster to work properly.
it's all zip tied together, except the monster tach...that's hose-clamped
what's the electronic box to the right of the shifter?
The gauge location isn't the best, as some of us have trouble seeing them, particularly the tach.
it's all zip tied together, except the monster tach...that's hose-clamped
Love the windshield wiper stalk on the dash bar. +1
I like the ones with household wall switches.
Mad props to Jim and Nick for the ever evolving awesomeness of the finish of our car.
Nick cut out weight and kept the blower/defrost with minimal excess. Sadly this photo does not show some of the finish detail which is quite impressive and gave us a nice area atop the small sheet metal dash on which we mounted a small clock, lap timer and video.
PS- We will be adding a system that will allow the kill switch to be activated (triggered) from outside the car as well.
*oops wrong pic *
Here we go
Bad ass
what's the electronic box to the right of the shifter?
Innovate LM-1 wideband O2 controller/gauge. We added it when we added the turbo to keep an eye on AFRs at WOT in boost. It was just for verification that we weren't going to blow it up at 14:1 in boost. It came in handy at Charlotte when the fuel pump was dying. Otherwise i never look at it while driving.
4.2: Safety Equipment DOES NOT Count Toward $500 Total
4.2.1: Beside the items and processes listed in Section 3, the following are considered safety-related and therefore exempt:
Driver comfort & information (steering wheel, shifter, gauges, pedals, cool suits, vents, heaters, radio)
towerymt wrote:it's all zip tied together, except the monster tach...that's hose-clamped
Love the windshield wiper stalk on the dash bar. +1
Can't reach it when belted since we moved the seat. not going to move the stalk, just going to rivet an extension on it.
Our design was gauges on top, then LED indicators, then switches, then below that resettable circuit breakers. If one blows the driver can see it and try a reset. Other fuses are in the box behind the panel.
If you drive a British car, fuses are worthless. You still have to replace whichever wire the Dark Lord Lucas smoked.
Gauges? Reuse the stock gauges, and if you can't, save a little space:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-800104/
Switches? A piece of scrap metal and a handful of 120v toggles from Home Despot. Use screw terminals, not blade terminals.
http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Dim … ogId=10053
Our is clearly visible in our videos. See the Vimeo link in my sig.
Our design was gauges on top, then LED indicators, then switches, then below that resettable circuit breakers. If one blows the driver can see it and try a reset.
Link for circuit breakers?
Dave, some of the pre-made Moroso & Painless switch panels have push-button circuit breakers instead of fuses. They can be kind of pricey, especially since fuses (and fuse panels) are so cheap, but here's an example:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRF-50336
We used economy gauges from Carquest and it's been a complete failure.
Behind the steering wheel:
-Fuel gauge (inop because sho sender is dead)
-Tach (Works, but seems slow to respond and may read on the high side)
-Temp gauge (measures engine compartment air temp)
Power distribution:
-The SHO CCRM (relay module) is in place and still automatically controls the fan and fuel pump.
-The SHO underhood fuse center is mounted on the pass floor to supply power to the car.
-The Geo illumination harness is the only metro component retained aside from the body and the dash. Lights and wipers still work in case we want to drive on the street.
Center cluster:
-Ign switch (Re-purposed push/pull industrial switch)
-Starter button (Cushman horn switch)
-"order food" turns on taurus fan for extra cooling
-LED idiot lights (Oil level light is usually always on due to flaky sho sensor)
-"gauges" turns on instrumentation
-"fan2 and fuel pump aux" are backup switches in case of CCRM failure
-Ammeter (removed because the taurus alternator can cook it. Replaced with new voltmeter that has to be tapped with your finger to read accurately.)
-Coolant temp (We've been through 3 temp gauges, 2 were mechanical and didn't reach. The current one is an elec one that reads 15* high.)
-Oil pres (Mechanical one was failure prone and got replaced with elec unit.)
-Another temp gauge on the tunnel reads trans temps
With all the money we've spent on these el cheapo gauges, we could've had 2 MGL TP-1's with alarm function and junkyard tach and voltmeters that actually work.
-Cool suit system attaches with a strap and couple zipties when in use.
What could possibly go wrong?
IMHO, the mistake a lot of teams make is to put the switches too far forward to easily reach when you're belted in tightly. Sure, the dash (or crossbar) is a convenient place to mount things, but if you can't reach it what good is it?
And even if YOU can reach it now, there's no guarantee that you won't have some short-armed freak on nature on your team in the future, or maybe you'll have to move the seat back to fit some giant and then where will you be?
Also, the transmission tunnel is tempting, but with a horse collar or other neck restraint on you'll often find that even though you can reach the switches you can't look down and SEE the switches. Fumbling around blind trying to turn on the wipers while NOT turning off the fuel pump is no fun.
If you can, find a way to mount the switches in an easy to reach AND see place, like so:
Mounting stuff to the center is all well and good but I sort of like having the path clear to get out that side of the car if I can't get out of the drivers side.
We installed gauges just before the last MSR race, I fabricated the panel ahead of time and didn't have a chance to install it until I was at the track, I'm unfortunately about 200 miles from the car most weeks out of the year. That said, I hated how it turned out.
The switches were mostly for future functionality, lights, shirt cooler, etc, which is why they weren't labeled.
Anyway, the panel sticks up too high, and you can see that the gauge faces can be rather reflective depending on viewing angle.
My redesigned version will have the switches and clock moved below the gauge faces, the whole panel extended outwards from the roll bar with a few spacers, and the right edge extended a bit further out to put the whole panel at a better angle to the driver, and lastly a bit of a shield around the gauges to block light from reflecting off the faces. We're likely adding a 4th gauge for oil temp as well as oil pressure.
I had originally planning adding a few breakers but didn't for this initial version, not sure if the next version will have those, but if so I'll likely align them with the relevant switches.
Forgive the dumb question but is there a difference between AC breakers and DC breakers?
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