Gauges

[impaleale]

How are people mounting there gauges with out showing the bolt heads? On the stock one that is. I plan to use the original, well close to the original. Mine was in kilometers. Also if any else has a set up where they used original and then tach, temp, voltz please show a pic.

[impaleale]

Here is my blank dash. I was going to mount the stock down in the main bulge area that dips down. That bar that goes across the top is part of my roll cage. I mostly drive my vw by sound and the pull feeling. It would be nice to see what my engine is doing.

[EVfun]

On my first buggy I mounted the stock Bug speedo behind the dash. The fiberglass was thick enough to use 2 countersink screws to hold the speedo. Since my buggy needed to be painted they where sprayed to match when I shot the body. You could use that route and color match the gelcoat, or use stainless screws and polish the face.
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[Dale M.]

This is what I did, but full after market gauges..

This is in mock up stage before body went to paint...

Dale
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"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[David Wayne]

Go with a Ghia or a Type 3 speedo. I am currently using a type 3, but either mount without screws thru to the front.

[joescoolcustoms]

I used a late Beetle speedo head and mounted it from the rear, (goes into dash rear-to-front).

I cut the two "ears" mounting tabs off the case of the speedo, slipped it into the hole, then used a large hose clamp on the forward hidden side to hold it snug. Under the hose clamp I put 4, 1/2 inch wide by 1 inch long strips of aluminum bent into a 90* ell. These 4, 90* ell brackets under the hose clamp pushed up against the dash panel keeping the hose clamp from slipping through the hole, while keeping pressure on the speedo head to hold firmly in place.

I wanted it like that to closer match the look of the other VDO gauges on the dash.

As a side benefit, it also pulled the speedo head rearward slightly giving more room for the wiper mechanism.
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[impaleale]

That's some good info right there and some pretty dashes. Thanks guys.

[Driftin]

I put a little clear silicone behind the dash in the joint around my Porsche VDO speedo to hold it. You can still twist the unit to straighten it. My dash also has 3M wrap on it.

[luvtheeluvbug]

[joescoolcustoms]

[Roys_Big_Toys]

Joe, I had problems with the cable to the speedo. I used the GPS sender, a direct replacement that Joe Sellers recommended. Works great and doesn't have anything to do with what size tires you are using. The only negative, it is a little slow updating on accel and decel, but that could be a delay in the digital dash setup. I stuck the GPS receiver right on the bottom of the hood with velco.
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[jsturtlebuggy]

Yes like Roy says I am using a GPS sensor for my speedometer. It is a electronic VDO speedo.
I was using a stator ring on a CV joint with a VDO sensor reading from that. The mount holding the sensor broke off on the Sea 2 Sea trip to the Outer Banks in October 2013. I change out to the GPS sensor in parking lot of motel there in the Outer Banks. It works great except for tunnels. I do like the GPS, like Roy says you can change tire size and it will not effect the reading on the speedometer.
The GPS sensor I bought came from Speedway Motors. There are others that carry GPS sensors, but Speedway was the only one who could tell me over the phone it would work with the speedometer I have.

For a mechanical speedometer, On one of my old buggies I wanted something different. I found a 924 Porsche and removed both speedo and tachometer (they are the same size approx. 4in diameter). I did not like the cone shape lenses on them. Using a small screwdriver I remove the metal ring (it crimped around the edge and you have to straighten it out to get it over the gauge housing). Getting some pieces of Lexan from TAP Plastics, I made new flat lenses to install. I had to drill a hole for the reset button for the trip odometer. The gauges just slip in the dash with rubber seal in the 924. For installing them in the buggy, I did what Joe did and used hose clamps on back side to hold in place.
The Speedometer reads the same as a Bug since they both use the same diameter tires.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[wythac]

Dummy it up twelve ways to Sunday until you like it.

If you can figure out how thick the layup is in your dash, you can find wood that matches that thickness to make a template, so you can find out exactly how it will fit before you cut into your fiberglass.

This is a cardboard template but you can get the basic idea:

[impaleale]

Good idea wythac! Keep they coming!

[EVfun]

[jsturtlebuggy]

Here are some dash pics of what I have done
This was the dash in my yellow buggy body when I was selling it. The two big gauges (speedo, tach) in center are from a 924 Porsche

The dash in my Kick Out

Manxter dash

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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[impaleale]

The dash in the kick out looks pretty nice. I like the tach on the steering colum.