Monte Carlo Breadbox - Switch and gauge ideas. - Complete

[Turbo Zach]

Some good food for thought in here. I am adding three gauges to my Monte. They are the emportant ones. Boost, knock, and wideband. My problem is I want them in a good line of sight, but want the interior to appear completely stock. I can only fit two in my bread box. So where to hide the third? I like seeing what others have done, helps a lot.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Mike, I have done some extensive work with ABS plastic on my car. The adhesive you want to use isn’t actually a glue at all. It’s a solvent called Methylene Chloride. It acts as more of a plastic welder than a glue. It was cheap and readily available at a local plastics supply shop.

Check out my thread https://gbodyforum.com/threads/the-juggernaut-build-thread.55095/page-33

starting at post #326. I modify headlight bezels for use with Celebrity composite headlights.
Hope this helps.

 

[TURNA]

By the time u notice the gauge the engines broke anyway!!!!!!!

 

[565bbchevy]

I think in a racing or extreme application line of sight is very important for gauge layout but this typically involves modifying your factory dash to accommodate them or just adding them on by screwing them to the sides or top of the dash.
While your average enthusiast just wants a way to monitor engine vitals while retaining a mostly stock look without making custom dash panels or cutting their dash for this I see no reason to have to be so concerned about line of sight. IMO

 

[motorheadmike]

I think in a racing or extreme application line of sight is very important for gauge layout but this typically involves modifying your factory dash to accommodate them or just adding them on by screwing them to the sides or top of the dash.
While your average enthusiast just wants a way to monitor engine vitals while retaining a mostly stock look without making custom dash panels or cutting their dash for this I see no reason to have to be so concerned about line of sight. IMO

Then all you really need are idiot lights. Has oil pressure? Light off? Good. Overheating? Light off? Good. Alternator charging? Light off? Good.

Folks add fancy gauges because they want to emulate race cars. Looking cool is half the fun, but at the end of the day employing gauges is mostly a placebo effect on someone believing they have any semblance of control or influence. I know guys who will literally pull over because the needle moved right or left of centre on a gauge and just stop driving their car paralyzed by fear of too much information.

 

[565bbchevy]

Then all you really need are idiot lights. Has oil pressure? Light off? Good. Overheating? Light off? Good. Alternator charging? Light off? Good.

I personally like having gauges and having the information available to me but if you feel this is a reliable way of monitoring your engine vitals then I have no issue with that.

Folks add fancy gauges because they want to emulate race cars. Looking cool is half the fun,

While I am sure this might be the case for some people there are many times gauges are installed just prior to a new engine install so you can actually see what your oil pressure and water temperature etc. are versus relying on a light.

 

[motorheadmike]

I personally like having gauges and having the information available to me but if you feel this is a reliable way of monitoring your engine vitals then I have no issue with that.


While I am sure this might be the case for some people there are many times gauges are installed just prior to a new engine install so you can actually see what your oil pressure and water temperature etc. are versus relying on a light.

Not everyone has 565 custom cubes worth worrying about.

 

[mikester]

Progress. Cut out a new face plate. Cut everything out on the mount. I started cutting and shaping the little blocks that will get glued into the corners. The plan is to glue them in tomorrow, drill them out and tap the holes with a 6-32 thread so I can use the black button head screws. We'll see if this works out as planned. I left the little tabs on the sides so theres something to glue to.
If it goes well and I get it all together quickly I'll try to spray it to match the dash before the days over.

 

[565bbchevy]

Have you considered using Rivnuts on the housing for the faceplate mounting screws.

 

[mikester]

Do they make them that small ?