gauges you'd add?

[BerniniCaCO3]

OK-- adding a tach and an oil pressure gauge, definitely good.

Now, pick 2 of the following three: water temperature, voltmeter, vacuum?

I'm thinking vacuum, since it'll inform how my engine's doing and there's no existing vacuum gauge. Hooking up a test gauge would take 20 minutes, could be nice to just have it in the dash.

Now, there IS a temperature gauge, and an accurate one-- even if it does just have "N O R M A L," I do know which side of the O it likes to rest steadily on once the engine is warm and the thermostat is opened. To the side of O, to the side of a 190F mark, same difference.

That said, knowing the actual temperature could be nice.
And for goodness sakes, whenever would I need a voltmeter? That terrible day, 5 years from now, when either my brand new batter or my brand new alternator should start to fail? When that happens, I'll have other clues, I'll break down or pull over before I break down no matter what, and I'll get it fixed at any shop or parts store, alternator or battery.
There's an idiot light anyway.
I can't see that a voltmeter provides meaningful advance notice.

I am curious though... did batteries and/or alternators used to be much less reliable than they are today? Voltmeters seem to be a staple on older cars, wondering if they Actually needed them?

[86VickyLX]

There's an idiot light anyway.
I can't see that a voltmeter provides meaningful advance notice.

You'd be suprised how a few times that light didn't come on and the car was running off of the battery alone, and you had no other idea besides the car dead on the side of the road.

Case 1. 1988 Grand Marquis. Brand new battery, ran fine. 3 days later dead in a parking lot. Nothing was left on. Jump started car, ran until jumper battery was removed (no warning lights coming on). And yes the light did come on so there wasn't a problem with the wiring. It was a dead alternator, and without using my voltmeter I wouldn't have figured that out.

Case 2. 1986 LTD Crown Victoria with 3g alternator swap. Driving down the road I notice that the voltmeter gauge drops down to 12 volts, again no idiot light came on. All accessories were turned off. I dared not stop for fears if I did, it might not start back up again. Turns out the charge wire for the alternator had grounded to the hot exhaust and blew the fuse. It didn't trigger a light. My only indication of a problem was my voltmeter.

In response to your voltmeter being a staple on older cars, I suggest you look again. Some higher end cars, instead of gauges, use a digital readout of what the battery voltage is.

[P72Ford]

I have a tach (which isn't necessary, really), oil pressure, water temperature, transmission temperature, and a volt meter.

Eventually (read: this winter), I am going to pull my speedometer cluster apart, replace the cable, add a speed cal, and add two gauges to the cluster. I will be moving the transmission temp gauge to the cluster, and adding a wideband. I will put the vacuum gauge where the transmission gauge is, on the tunnel.

Beyond that, I may add a fuel pressure gauge, but I already have one on the carb feed.

[pantera77]

Typical trio, Water temp, oil press, volts.

87 has those 3 + a tach
89 has nothing + a tach
91 has nothing

[1990LTD]

tach, volt/water temp/oil psi, and maybe a vac gauge just to monitor for leaks or problems. i don't have a vac gauge but i have the others.

[1987cp]

Another vote for water/oil/volts. Summit has electrical mini panels from both the Summit brand and AutoGage brand, very convenient. It can be worth having a vacuum gauge to hook up from time to time, but I've not bothered installing mine permanently.

[87gtVIC]

Get a police cutout for you car and just add oil and volts.

I dont think what I did is much benefit but it is super cool. Amp gauge (not hooked up anymore in the custom pod), water temp and oil psi in the speedometer, and air fuel, boost///vacuum, and volts in the 86-87 police pod.

The speedometer is still plug and play with the stock printed circuit connector.

[1987cp]

They did two versions of the p/s dash mount thingy, didn't they? One for two gauges and one for three?

VDO Cockpit Series gauges look like they'll look all but stock in a Panther interior, if one can stomach the highish price.

[87gtVIC]

They did two versions of the p/s dash mount thingy, didn't they? One for two gauges and one for three?

VDO Cockpit Series gauges look like they'll look all but stock in a Panther interior, if one can stomach the highish price.

yep which I never knew till I found a slew of them on ebay:

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/bigcitycorvettes/m.html?_nkw=police+gauges&_sacat=&_odkw=gauges&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3911.m270.l1313

oh and the prices are not bad imo..unless I am looking at the wrong stuff:

http://www.egauges.com/vdo_grou.asp?Series=Cockpit

[1987cp]

Scroll down to the ones that say "includes sender" ... $30 for water temp, $55 for oil pressure, and $25 for the voltmeter puts you at about $110. The AutoGage electrical mini panel is $65, so a good bit of difference depending on your needs.

Weirdly, the superugly Summit brand panel that appears to clearly include senders is now nearly $90. Seems it'd been more like half that???

[87gtVIC]

I was looking at the right stuff...

[P72Ford]

I only buy Autometer. The Sport Comp series isn't a bad match for the stock instrumentation. Black face, white letters, around the dial lighting, etc. I like the silver bezels, as well.

They are about $50 each.

[1987cp]

I like the silver bezels, as well.

This is the biggest problem with the Sport-Comp line, IMO. The silver bezels, that is, not the fact that you like them (that's a problem with you, not the gauges!).