[dataway]

Last night I made this aluminum gauge panel to mount oil pressure and water temp. My original plan had been to mount it magnetically ... but then I remembered that with my AC car basically the entire underside is covered in plastic.

Plan B is to mount it with velcro ( I want to be able to tuck it away for a more stock look should the need arise). Anyone successfully mounted gauges with Velcro without problems of them falling off etc? I was thinking right above the console. The panel has a 1.5" x 6" wide flange to glue on the Velcro.

PS. Think it would look better covered with matching dash woodgrain?

[Half-Inch Stud]

The 2" gauge pod can have a stiff rear metal bracket that attaches to the lower metal dash. I use such for a voltmeter. My AC manifold is on a shelf.

As for the AC lower plastic manifold: really sucks to drill screwholes into it, so I suspect that a gauge bracket (attach to rear of gauge cup) can be can be made to screw to the Rear face of the AC Manifold. For a clean modification.

[Verdoro 68]

I've never had good luck with velcro. When I had AutoMeter gauges, I ended up using two 1/4" screws to attach the pod to the a/c duct. When I removed them, I filled and sanded the holes.

Suggestion for paint: consider using your interior color for the housing to make it blend in better. Might easier to do with a black interior since black gauge faces blend in with the carpet, but I think a woodgrain bezel call more attention to itself.

[dataway]

Jeez, good freakin idea ... I'll paint it the same as the dash. Shame I already used up some of my pre-polished aluminum

Kinda of a catch 22, either drill holes, or use a good adhesive to hold on some kind of quick disconnect ... but the adhesive will probably be worse to remove than filling holes.

Wonder if I could get inside that duct well enough to epoxy in a chunk of steel, then use some rare earth magnets on the gauge panel .. those freakin things are strong.

[bhill86]

What about something like these 3m picture hangers? I use them for various purposes around the house. They’re kind of like hook-and-loop but more rigid. You can separate the two pieces when you want to temporarily remove the gauges and when you’re completely finished, theoretically, you can pull the strip parallel to the piece it’s attached to and they come off. Cheap to try.


PICTURE HANG STRIP MED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DVY266C...ing=UTF8&psc=1

[dataway]

I actually think I might have some of those around the house somewhere. I'll take a look at them.

[Stuart]

Are there any existing screws on the bottom edge of the dash that could be used? I was able to use a couple to fasten a gauge panel in my '61 Bonneville, but I'm not familiar with the fine details of other models.

[dataway]

There is a single large screw in that vicinity ... I'll have to look and see how centered it is. However it's deeply recessed into the plastic duct to keep it hidden ... but a longer screw would probably be an option.

[Verdoro 68]

Originally Posted by dataway

Kinda of a catch 22, either drill holes, or use a good adhesive to hold on some kind of quick disconnect ... but the adhesive will probably be worse to remove than filling holes.

Either way, you're likely repainting the vent if you move on from the gauges. I figured two tiny holes was less noticeable than a 4" strip of velcro. Filled the holes with JB Weld when I repainted it.

The 3M picture hanger idea made me think about 3M Command strips. They tend to hold pretty well and pull off surfaces with minimal damage. Might be another option if you're really adverse to drilling holes.

[Greg Reid]

Well, I deleted my AC so that duct is in storage but as for painting the pod, that's what I did.
I need to redo the 'chrome' paint on the bezels. It's kind of temperamental so sometimes it comes out looking like silver paint and that's what happened here.

Sent from my moto g stylus (2021) using Tapatalk

[dataway]

Very very nice, just what I'm looking for. Think I might ditch my homemade pod and order something like that and paint it. I was going to try to TIG weld on some sides tonight ... would be way easier to buy a nice pod like that and paint it.

[dataway]

I took a good look at the lower plastic duct piece ... just so happens that directly above the console, there is a section of it that is not duct, but just a cosmetic section to make it "flow" into the dash. I can very easily epoxy a good size niobium magnet in there, completely out of sight inside, and either make a metal plate for the gauge pod ... or glue another magnet to that and snap the pod right in place ... or at least that's my theory. I'll just have to be careful not to let the magnets snap together so fast they break the plastic.

[nytrainer]

I have no idea if it matters but would check to make sure those strong magnets will not affect the needle movements..

[dataway]

Good point ... I have some spare gauges and similar magnets laying around, I'll check.

[Half-Inch Stud]

I want to know how the NIB magnets do. Think that will work with a pair of 3/4" magnets inside the plastic, with a horseshoe field keeper, to keep 2 gauges tight.

Gauges might kiss to close the field though. A soft spacer between the gauges should keep the jitters and kiss away.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

The 2" gauge pod can have a stiff rear metal bracket that attaches to the lower metal dash. I use such for a voltmeter. My AC manifold is on a shelf.

As for the AC lower plastic manifold: really sucks to drill screwholes into it, so I suspect that a gauge bracket (attach to rear of gauge cup) can be can be made to screw to the Rear face of the AC Manifold. For a clean modification.

So much fun to repair & do away with holes in the lower AC distribution ducts. ESP ones that are one year only application, have been seriously damaged, & ard next to impossible to replace. Personally, I'd fab a small thin bracket to come down along the radio support bracket, then tie into an old school mtg piece for twin 2 1/8" gauges. In non AC A-bodies, have twice ran across old school aux gauge panels that could be folded up under the edge of the dash

[dataway]

We are very lucky that those lower ducts didn't see a lot of sun or there would be a lot fewer of them around.

[dataway]

Some photos of the magnetic mount experiment. I'm calling it a success. Probably a 5-6 pound pull holding the pod to the dash ... not suitable for a race car, but fine for the street unless you are Bo or Luke Duke.

Hot melt glued the magnets to that area of the ducts that appear to have a casting feature for a courtesy lamp or something? Anyway, it's directly over the console, so a good location. Gauges have a good tilt up towards the driver ... and if you want you can even turn them toward the driver and they will still stay in place.

No holes in the duct, and if I end up using electric gauges they should tuck out of sight fairly well. If I decide they don't hold well enough I can attach magnets to the Pod instead of just a metal plate ... then I KNOW they won't be going anywhere. Plus I'd probably be able to stick them to something metal up out of sight if needed.

[Verdoro 68]

Nicely done. What's your plan for the wires out the back of the gauges?

'68-only trivia: I always wondered what that rectangle was for until I looked into getting an 8 track and noticed you have to cut the duct in that spot to install the player.

[dataway]

Should be four wires I think ( one power, one ground, one sensor wire for each gauge) will probably bunch them all together and run them through out a drilled hole in the pod with a grommet. And while I'm in magnet mode ... maybe make a magnetic clip to hold the wires in place to something metal under the dash.

Would look super sano to run them into that duct cavity directly under the pod ... but then I'd be defeating the original purpose by drilling

I knew that rectangle was there for something .. so you have to cut that out for the forward top section of the player to clear the duct?

There is WAY too much "68 only" trivia for my liking